The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, February 19, 1905
pg. 3

SENT TO THE ASYLUM

On Saturday last at Sherman Mrs. Terresa Colona, of this city, was, by a jury sitting in the county court, adjudge insane and Judge Webb issued restraining orders.  Mrs. Colona was placed in the woman's ward in the county jail and will be held by Sheriff Russell until a place can be provided for her in the State asylum at Terrell.  The case of Mrs. Colona is peculiarly sad and pathetic.  She was united in marriage at Sherman some eleven to twelve years ago to Joe Colona, of this city.  She was born at Towona, province of Piedmonte, Italy, and was a woman of handsome appearance, good education and withall of pleasing and attractive address.  Mr. Colona was, as he is yet, conducting a small restaurant on Main street, this city.  Business was good and by industry and economy the family accumulated $1,200 to $1,500 in cash.  They purchased a cottage out on West Main street, but soon after the birth of their second child, Terresa began or commenced to show symptoms of insanity.  She grew worse and worse until the Colona home became a veritable bedlam.  Some two to three years ago complaint was lodged against her charging insanity and the trial was held before a jury in Denison and the verdict was that Terresa was not guilty as charged but that she was a victim of an ungovernable or uncontrollable temper.  After this she practically abandoned her home, declining all care and responsibility of her children.  Mr. Colona supplied her with money until everything except the bare cottage was exhausted.  Terresa then returned to Italy, taking with her the youngest child. She remained a few months with relatives of Mr. Colona and then came back to America.  Her father, who was mining in the Indian Territory, thinking probably he could control her, or restore her to reason, took her to her home, but in a few weeks she was worse than ever.  At times she would act like a wild animal. About a year ago she left her father's home and for some time he nor her husband knew anything of her whereabouts.  She had taken the youngest child with her to the Territory, but when the husband learned of her conduct there he went up and brought the baby home.  All trace of the woman had been lost until a month or so ago a letter came from the State Board of Control of Charitable Institutions of Iowa stating that she was in the asylum for the insane at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  It appears that after leaving the Territory, Terresa had gone to the home of relatives at Albia, Iowa, from which place she had been conveyed to Mt. Pleasant.  Dr. Robinson, chairman of the board of control, learning of her legal residence in Texas took the Matter up with our state authorities but as the law governing or relating to the care of the insane in Texas is so crude or obscure nothing could be done. On Friday night of last week Dr. C.F. Applegate, accompanied by his wife and warden from the Mt. Pleasant asylum, arrived in the city bringing Terresa with them.  Dr. Applegate stated that in his long experience with hundreds, if not thousands of patients, he had never before had his sympathies so much aroused.  He was very desirous of keeping the patient at Mt. Pleasant, but, acting under the orders of the board he was compelled to deliver her to her husband in this city. Judge Pearson was called upon and he took the matter in hand, with the results as stated above.