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Nellie Bly Prepares and Practices for Insanity
"I remembered all I had read of the doings of crazy people, how first of all they have staring eyes, and so I opened mine as wide as possible and stared unblinkingly at my own reflection. I assure you the sight was not reassuring, even to myself, especially in the dead of night."
-Bly, 10 Days in a Madhouse -
Bly Feigns Insanity in the Temporary Home
"'They [the women] don't look very nice,' she [the owner] answered, assentingly, 'but they are good, honest working women. We do not keep crazy people here.'
I again used my handkerchief to hide a smile, as I thought that before morning she would at least think she had one crazy person among her flock."
-Nellie Bly, 10 Days in a Madhouse -
Nellie Bly is Escorted by Police
"After awhile Mrs. Stanard put on her bonnet and went out. Then I knew that I was making an advance toward the home of the insane. Soon she returned, bringing with her two policemen–big, strong men–who entered the room rather unceremoniously, evidently expecting to meet with a person violently crazy. The name of one of them was Tom Bockert."
-Bly, 10 Days in a Madhouse -
Bly is Taken to a Judge
"We entered the courtroom. It was the Essex Market Police Courtroom. At last the question of my sanity or insanity was to be decided...Judge Duffy then told Policeman Bockert to take me to the back office... thus I kept on until the ambulance surgeon came in, accompanied by the judge." -
Bly is Sent to Bellevue Hospital and is Pronounced Insane
"After many more questions, fully as useless and senseless, he left me and began to talk with the nurse. 'Positively demented,' he said. 'I consider it a hopeless case. She needs to be put where some one will take care of her.'
And so I passed my second medical expert." -
Bly is Shipped off to Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum
"'What is this place?' I asked of the man, who had his fingers sunk into the flesh of my arm. 'Blackwell's Island, an insane place, where you'll never get out of.' With this I was shoved into the ambulance... and I was swiftly driven to the Insane Asylum on Blackwell's Island."
-Bly, 10 Days in a Madhouse
