Ten Days in a Mad-House; or, Nellie Bly's Experience on Blackwell's Island.: Feigning Insanity in Order to Reveal Asylum Horrors. The Trying Ordeal of the New York World's Girl Correspondent.Bly, Nellie
History
Ten Days in a Mad-House; or, Nellie Bly's Experience on Blackwell's Island.: Feigning Insanity in Order to Reveal Asylum Horrors. The Trying Ordeal of the New York World's Girl Correspondent.
Bly, Nellie
Bly, Nellie, 1864-1922; Mentally ill -- Commitment and detention -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century; N.Y. City Lunatic Asylum; Psychiatric hospital care -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century; Psychiatric hospitals -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century; Women -- Mental h
This woman was too clever, I concluded, and was glad to answer the
roughly given orders to follow the nurse to see the doctor. This nurse,
Miss Grupe, by the way, had a nice German face, and if I had not
detected certain hard lines about the mouth I might have expected, as
did my companions, to receive but kindness from her. She left us in a
small waiting-room at the end of the hall, and left us alone while she
went into a small office opening into the sitting or receiving-room.
“I like to go down in the wagon,” she said to the invisible party on the
inside. “It helps to break up the day.” He answered her that the open
air improved her looks, and she again appeared before us all smiles and
simpers.
[Illustration: THE INSANE ASYLUM.]
“Come here, Tillie Mayard,” she said. Miss Mayard obeyed, and, though I
could not see into the office, I could hear her gently but firmly
pleading her case. All her remarks were as rational as any I ever heard,
and I thought no good physician could help but be impressed with her
story. She told of her recent illness, that she was suffering from
nervous debility. She begged that they try all their tests for insanity,
if they had any, and give her justice. Poor girl, how my heart ached for
her! I determined then and there that I would try by every means to make
my mission of benefit to my suffering sisters; that I would show how
they are committed without ample trial. Without one word of sympathy or
encouragement she was brought back to where we sat.
Mrs. Louise Schanz was taken into the presence of Dr. Kinier, the
medical man.
“Your name?” he asked, loudly. She answered in German, saying she did
not speak English nor could she understand it. However, when he said
Mrs. Louise Schanz, she said “Yah, yah.” Then he tried other questions,
and when he found she could not understand one word of English, he said
to Miss Grupe:
“You are German; speak to her for me.”
Miss Grupe proved to be one of those people who are ashamed of their
nationality, and she refused, saying she could understand but few words
of her mother tongue.
“You know you speak German. Ask this woman what her husband does,” and
they both laughed as if they were enjoying a joke.
“I can’t speak but a few words,” she protested, but at last she managed
to ascertain the occupation of Mr. Schanz.
“Now, what was the use of lying to me?” asked the doctor, with a laugh
which dispelled the rudeness.
“I can’t speak any more,” she said, and she did not.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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