Sunday, October 5, 2008

DAN BELL - Pages 2-3 Lyon County KY Lunatic Inquest Book

Page 2

State of Kentucky ] SCT State of Ky, Lyon Co
Lyon County Court September 6, 1887
COMMONWEALTH
vs
Dan Bell ] Lunatic

This day E H James, County Attorney for Lyon County, made an information as follows, to-wit:

To Hon. T J Watkins, Judge of the Lyon County Court:
I am reliably informed that Dan Bell is a person of unsound mind, and a lunatic and therefore ask that a jury be impaneled to pass upon the subject.

E H James County Attorney Lyon Co

Ordered by the Court, That R M ?? Esq, an Attorney of this Court, be and he is hereby appointed to defend for and on behalf of the person under trial.

To inquire, etc., comes a jury to-wit: John W Clark, Caswell Nuckolls, W C Pearce, H B Withers, M M Lyoon Jr, George Champion, C C Butt, Dennis Smith, Filmore Baggett, L C Daggett, Samuel West and J L Watson

who being duly impaneled and sworn according to law, after hearing the evidence, returned the following verdict, viz: We of the jury find from the evidence that Dan Bell is a person of unsound mind and a lunatic; that the unsoundness of mind was caused by epilepsy that he was born in Lyon County, and resides in Lyon County and is 26 years old; that he was not brought into this State for the purpose of becoming a charge upon the Commonwealth; that he owns no estate of any kind; that his father is dead and mother is alive and resides in Lyon Co Ky and that she has not estate sufficient to support the person under trial; and said Dan Bell is not capable of laboring either in whole or in part for his support.

[signatures of jurors listed above with foreman listed]
L C Daggett is listed as foreman

wherefore it is adjudged by the Court that said Dan Bell is of unsound mind and a lunatic and that he be immediately conveyed to the asylum at Hopkinsville Kentucky, and J S Williams is appointed to convey him to said asylum and he is allowed one guard.

Attest: T J Watkins Judge Lyon County Court

Page 3

Brief History of Case

1.(a) Age - 26 years
(b) Occupation - farmer
(c) Married or Single - Single
(d) Habits - Dissipated
(e) Educated - Limited
2.(a) What relations have been insane - None
3.(a) Date of first attack - Many years ago
(b) How exhibited - fits of epilepsy
(c) Has it changed in character at any any former period - more frequent and more violent
4.(a) Supposed cause - epilepsy
(b) Any peculiar illusions and what - At times he is fractures [sic] and and [sic] violent, imagines that his best friends are his enemies
(c) Subject to fits. - yes; How long - twenty years or more
From what cause - supposed to have originated from a spell of fever
(d) Natural Temper - vicious and violent
5.(a) Attempt at suicide - no attempt at suicide as far as known
(b) Violence toward others - At times he is very violent toward others and yesterday attempted to kill his stepfather Mr Hamis [?] without any provocation
6.Periodic frenzy - yes
7.(a) Restraint imposed - He was for several years confined in the Western Lunatic Asylum at Hopkinsville, Ky
(b) Treatment used
(c) Bleeding - None
8. Injury about head
9. The above answers were made after interrogating his brother ?? Foster[?] & Dr. G W Williams. T J Watkins Judge Lyon Co Court.

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