New York Daily News

MENTAL TEST ORDERED FOR FRAN FARMER

January 15, 1943

Dr Thomas Leonard, a psychiatrist , obtained a Superior Court order for a hearing next Wednesday to determine the sanity of actress Frances Farmer, who received a 180 day jail sentence yesterday as the result of a 24 hour spree.

Miss Farmer was immediately removed from jail to a hospital pending the hearing.

The actress' sister in law Mrs. Ruth Farmer, was present in court when Leonard filed the request for the hearing, but she refused to explain the action.

Leonard said that he filed the papers at Mrs. Farmer's request. The request pronounced the actress was mentally ill, "hyper-emotional and dangerous to others and probably to herself."

Leonard examined Miss. Farmer yesterday and said his examination convinced him the actress is subject to manic depressive psychosis which is "probably the forerunner of a definite dementia praecox"

He said the actress told him:

"I hear voices day and night and they bother me. People were putting things in my food and drink and this caused me to be ill and distracted"

The actress' father, Ernest Farmer of Seattle, was reported flying here to seek release of his daughter into his custody.

Miss Farmer spent a quiet night in her cell, drank cup of jail coffee which she eyed with distinct disdain and asked:

"Well, where are the instruments? When are you going to start the torture? I thought you would brand me with a hot iron."

Provided by George Snow