CHAP. xix. THE CURSE OF CIVILIZATION. 331 



they did so decide in March, 1898. A Mr. Harward 

 quarrelled with his wife, and was rather violent, but did 

 not assault or touch her. Yet she went to the relieving 

 officer and said she was afraid her husband would com- 

 mit suicide or kill her and the children ; and on this state- 

 ment, without any confirmation and without any per- 

 sonal interview, Mr. Harward was taken by force to the 

 workhouse and confined as a lunatic. Being found per- 

 fectly sane, he was soon released; and he then brought 

 an action against the Guardians of Hackney Union for 

 false imprisonment. The jury gave him 25 damages, 

 on the ground that " the relieving officer had not taken 

 reasonable care to satisfy himself that the plaintiff was 

 a dangerous lunatic. " But the judges decided on appeal 

 that there was no evidence to show that the officer 

 " acted from any other motive than an honest belief," 

 and therefore he was not liable and the plaintiff had no 

 redress. On such grounds, it is evident that any pas- 

 sionate or violent person may, on a mere statement of a 

 relative professing to fear injury, without any further 

 enquiry, be captured and confined as a lunatic, and have 

 no redress. This is a mere parody on justice. Every- 

 one found to have been confined unjustly, for any cause 

 whatever, should receive an apology and compensation 

 from the authorities concerned, without being left to 

 appeal to the law, at great expense and trouble, and with 

 the chance of the further injustice of a decision against 

 him. 



In view of such cases as this, and of the recent scan- 

 dalous kidnapping of Miss Lanchester; and of the proved 

 danger of founding legislation on the statements and 

 opinions of doctors and officials in the matter of com- 





