GenMassachusetts-L Archives

From: "Betty" <>
Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] F. W. SAVAGE, "Hood Rubber" - State Hospitals
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:58:41 -0500

Hi again,

When I posted about the old article in the "New York Times" from 1914, I
became curious whether F. W. SAVAGE was released from the NY State Hospital.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9502E5DA1F39E633A25752C2A9609C946596D6CF

He believed he had been "committed" to a MA State Hospital - unjustly - by
the officers at the "Hood Rubber Company" - because they fought with him
about an invention of his.

I just searched again, and find another article in the "NY Times" which says
he was "freed." But, he was in the NY State Hospitals for over 3 years
before the "Supreme Court" ordered his release. He was released in 1915.
That means he might have been in "State Hospitals" for 4-5 years before he
"won his case."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9505EFD81238E633A25750C0A9629C946496D6CF

"Fred" SAVAGE was originally an employee of the Hood Rubber Co. in
Watertown, and he invited a way of manufacturing the rubber boots which
would save the company money. I'm not seeing a date in the first
article of when the company first had him "committed," but it was probably
before 1910. It says "they" arranged for him to be committed to the
Boston State Hospital, and then later he was transferred to the
Massachusetts State Hospital in Westboro. When it was discovered that he
was a resident of NY, he was transferred to the Hudson River State Hospital
in Poughkeepsie, NY, and then he was transferred again to the Ogdensburg
State Hospital in NY.

Savage's attorney's stated that the company had spent $100,000 to "keep"
Savage incarcerated - over 3 years.

Betty (near Lowell, MA)


(My husband says that "big, very rich families" in NY and MA, etc. - did
that sort of thing !)

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• [GENMASSACHUSETTS] F. W. SAVAGE, "Hood Rubber" - State Hospitals by "Betty" <>