Batavia, Genesee County, NY Batavia Paper (unknown name) June 27, 1898 BERGEN MAN BECOMES INSANE William Barr Attacks His Father’s Hired Man With a Crowbar William BARR, son of James BARR, a well known farmer who lives about two miles west of Bergen, is a raving maniac confined in a cell in the county jail awaiting examination and commitment to the Willard State Hospital for the Insane. The young man was taken violently and suddenly insane at the home of his father early yesterday morning and made a murderous attack with a crowbar upon a farmhand employed on the place. Luckily for the man attacked there were others in the immediate vicinity and BARR was overpowered before he was able to inflict injuries upon his proposed victim. It was only after a fierce struggle, however, that the crowbar was wrestled from his grasp. BARR was at once taken before Justice McPHERSON, who ordered him committed to jail to await examination as to his mental condition. He was brought to Batavia in a wagon yesterday morning by Deputy Sheriff KNAPP of Bergen. He made no trouble during the trip and was quiet for some time after being locked up in a cell in the jail, but last evening and several times during the night he suffered violent attacks. He imagined that he was being attacked be a large number of men, who were endeavoring to choke him. During these spasms he would choke himself. It is said that the unfortunate young man’s condition is due to the excessive use of liquor. While on his way home from the West a few months ago he stopped off in Batavia and got drunk and was jailed. His father paid the fine in Police court the following day. Drs. TOWNSEND and JOHNSON of Bergen will come to Batavia this afternoon to examine him, and it is probable that Judge NORTH will at once order him committed to Willard. ******************* Submitted by Joan Falcone Arnold - Jma8763@aol.com Copied from Obit books at Genesee County History Department (distantly related through marriage to above mentioned BARR)