Hofer Letter

Office of the

Probate Judge

Osborne County

        J.F. Frey, Probate Judge

                                                              

                                                            Osborne,

                                                            Kansas                                    March 6, 1897

                                                                                               

BD Eastman,

              Supt.

My dear Sir: I have this {story} {had}

quite an extended conference

with some of the near relatives,

including the wife of Christ Hofer

an inmate of the Topeka asylum.

            His wife, who above all other per-

Ssons on earth know Christ best.

She fears that he may have some

grudge against her and if he

returns-fully discharged-he may

do her harm.  It is an evident-

fact that he will soon be dis-

charged if he gets along the way

he has since admitted.  I suggested

to the friends & his wife, that when

he returns that he be mildly con-

gratulated on his improvement {health}

(etc.?) to lift him up and for them

to do all in their power to lift-

him up in his own estimation, for

Office of the

Probate Judge

Osborne County

        J.F. Frey, Probate Judge                                                2

                                                              

                                                            Osborne,

                                                            Kansas                                                                  1896

                                                                                                           

he is a man that has been in

weighed down by melancholia

and thinking “he was no good

in the world & would be better out

of it {etc.?} which is a dangerous mood.

His wife has hoped-from fear-that

he would stay some length of time,

but she wants him to be under

the impression that she is urging for, and

wanting him discharged, so she will

have a good feeling for her when

he comes home. You can give him

this impression when you send him

home.

                        Suggestion

I candidly believe it better to not

discharge him, but to send him

home on trial visit of an indefinite

period of time & let us inform you

when he seems to be all right.

Then you can make the discharge

a matter of record and release him.

Office of the

Probate Judge

Osborne County                                                                    3

        J.F. Frey, Probate Judge

                                                              

                                                            Osborne,

                                                            Kansas                                                                  1896

If he is under the impression

that he is out on his good behavior

he will use his will power to do

right and prevent himself from

relapsing or letting himself slide

back into old tracks.

For he has always claimed that he

could have prevented himself from

those things or “left off doing those

things, had he known that it en-

dangered him to the Asylum {etc.?}

Besides {this, he’s} an insane person

is always worse at home because of

some indulgency, favors {etc.?}

Also, if he gets bad soon, he can

Bbe sent back without a second expensive

Ttrial which his family can {ill} afford to

Ppay-yes {can’t?} pray.

            Excuse lengthy article

             

            Very Respectfully

                                                                                    J.F. Frey

                                                                                    Probate Judge