"When the woman expostulated, the maniac threw fragments of crockery at her and finally she fled from the house."

As you might expect, life was never boring at the Flatbush Insane Asylum during the 1880s-90s, as the following quintet of stories attests.

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“Shocking Desecration Charged” (New York Times, September 11, 1893): “I heard something the other day,” said a Brooklyn woman to a reporter for The New York Times, “which I think should be made public. It was the story of what a certain doctor did who is employed in the Asylum for the Insane in Flatbush. My informant’s name I withhold for the reason that if I should give it to you a person related to him who is now employed in the asylum would certainly lose his place.

“My informant tells me that about a week ago an aged woman died at the hospital who had been there for a long time. According to the regulations of the institution, the doctor referred to, in company with others of the medical staff, viewed the corpse.

“The doctors were in a merry mood and made quite a lark of the inspection by cracking jokes about the body, and altogether behaving in an unseemly manner. Finally, as I am informed, one of the doctors took a cigarette out of his case and, approaching the bedside, said:

“‘Let’s give the old lady a smoke.’

“Immediately thereafter he pried open the lips of the corpse and placed the cigarette between them.

“‘How’s that, old gal?’ he exclaimed, and then all hands gathered about and made sport of what they saw.”

Dr. Tracey, physician in charge at the Kings County Insane Asylum at Flatbush, was seen by a reporter for The New-York Times and the foregoing statement was laid before him. At first his face flushed and then he gasped out:

“It’s false–a malicious falsehood!”

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“A Lunatic Not Cured” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 10, 1895): William Gatehouse of Livonia avenue, near Freeport street, was sent to the Flatbush Insane Asylum some time ago and on Saturday was discharged as cured. In the Gates avenue police court this morning Justice Harriman committed Gatehouse to jail and he will probably be sent back to the asylum again.

The man returned to his home Saturday night and behaved himself until yesterday afternoon. Then, as his wife completed setting the table for dinner, Gatehouse grabbed the cloth, pulled all the dishes on the floor, announcing that he wanted to play checkers. When the woman expostulated, the maniac threw fragments of crockery at her and finally she fled from the house.”

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“Captain Rhinehart’s Double Life” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 12, 1888): Captain Gilson Rhinehart, 59 years of age, a pilot on Roosevelt street ferryboats, was committed to the Flatbush Insane Asylum yesterday afternoon, by Judge Osborne, of the City Court, on the application of the Commissioners of Charities and Correction. Catherine E. Rhinehart, the wife of the demented man, made the petition for his incarceration. Drs. A.M. Burns and R.H. Stone examined him and pronounced him undoubtedly insane. He imagines that people are anxious to cut his throat, and thinks his feet are poisoned.

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“The Insane Entertained” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 9, 1896): At the Flatbush Insane Asylum, Labor Day was celebrated with a musical and dramatic entertainment and a base ball match, between a picked nine of the patients and the medical staff of the institution. The score of the patients was 23 and that of the medical staff 14. The game had been looked forward to by the patients with a great deal of joyful anticipation and it was witnessed by about four hundred male and female lunatics of the institution, who were on the grounds, and by many more from the windows of the wards who cheered and applauded the good play of both teams. The game was well played, particularly by the patients, who had been practicing for the event for some time.

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“Vagaries of the Insane” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 13, 1888): Chief Judge Clement, of the City Court, this morning committed the following demented persons to the Flatbush Insane Asylum:

William Brown, a sailor, 25 years of age. He imagines that he is an angel and has wings, but complains that devils pursue him and make him fly so much that he is tired.

Rose Boyle, 74 years of age, thinks she  is only 26, and is of the belief that her husband goes to Ireland every night.

Louis Grobel, 60 years of age, imagines that he invented a clock that never stops and is in possession of an income of $1,000,000 a day.

Henry Hall, a bartender, 35 years of age, imagines himself to be a banker and a partner of Edward Stokes. He labors under the delusion that he owns yachts and merchant vessels.

"Morrissey was in the midst of the fight and regretted his Darwinian expression."

A body couldn’t walk down the street in the 1880s and 1890s without some sharp tongue cracking wise. Insulting remarks were a part of life, but they weren’t always tolerated, as the following quartet of brief stories from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle illustrates.

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“Remarks Too Personal” (August 22, 1899): “Philip Reilly, a bartender at 63 Columbus street, and living at 143 Baltic street, was charged with assault this morning in the Butler street court. A man named Morrissey went last evening into the saloon where Reilly is employed and in the course of an argument incidentally made the remark to the bartender that he (Morrissey) had a monkey at home that was a better looking creature than Reilly. Now while it is true that bartenders have and are expected to put up with a great deal from patrons, this was too much for Reilly. There was a running jump and a high leap across the bar and the next thing the people in the place knew there was moaning. Morrissey was in the midst of the fight and regretted his Darwinian expression. Reilly, it is said, gave him a lesson in manners which he will not soon forget. When Morrissey had explained to Magistrate Brenner this morning about how the trouble arose, the court seemed to think that Reilly was not altogether to blame and discharged him.”

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“Martin Pelz Horsewhipped by Mrs. Frank Ebert” (July 7, 1896): “Martin Pelz of Fort Hamilton was soundly horsewhipped by Mrs. Frank Ebert of 183 Twelfth street, Brooklyn, yesterday, on the corner of Ninety-fifth street and Fifth avenue. Mr. Ebert, the husband, pinioned Pelz’s arms and held him fast while the infuriated woman rained the blows thick and fast. For fully five minutes Pelz was compelled to stand the punishment and though he struggled, he could not get free from the clutches of the husband. Though a crowd gathered no attempt was made to stop the woman. Mrs. Ebert said very little while inflicting the punishment and when she got tired and had satisfaction for her injured feelings, both she and her husband bounded on a Nassau car and rode away. Later in the day they were arrested on a warrant issued by Justice Rhodes and both were in court this morning.

Mr. Pelz lives on Ninety-fifth street, between Fort Hamilton and Fifth avenues, and he has for a neighbor Mrs. McCarthy. It appears on Sunday Mrs. Ebert visited Mrs. McCarthy’s place, but did not find her at home. Miss Mary McCarthy, a daughter, was in, and both she and Mrs. Ebert made a friendly visit to the Pelz household. In the evening Mrs. Pelz visited Mrs. McCarthy and told her not to take Mrs. Ebert to her house again, as her husband did not consider her a fit associate for his wife. Mrs. McCarthy lost no time is communicating what she heard, and the horsewhipping yesterday was the outcome.”

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"He was scalded on several portions of his body."

“A Quick Cure By the Water Method” (August 22, 1884): “Late last night Timothy Crosby made some insulting remarks to his landlady, Mrs. Hogan, of No. 100 John street. As Timothy persisted in his annoying behavior she tried the effect of the water cure on him. Picking up a saucepan of boiling water she threw the whole contents of it over him, and this heroic treatment had the desired result. He was scalded on several portions of his body and was removed to the Homeopathic Hospital. He refused to make any complaint against Mrs. Hogan.”

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“The Red Headed Girl Will Surely Turn” (March 10, 1889): “This morning is police court four young men, named Samuel Allen, Joseph Derry, Mark Ashford and Martin Derry, were charged by Miss Hannah Hartnett with making rude and insulting remarks in her hearing. Miss Hannah is a good looking young lady, but her auburn hair has proved to be the source of much annoyance to her. She found it almost impossible to go on the street unless she was insulted by boys on the corners asking, ‘Where’s the white horse?’ and making other rude remarks. She stood it as long as she could, and then had the above named defendants arrested. They were fined $5 each.”