Slowly, through an ocean of tears, Jessica’s hatred for her mother and sister grew and her resolve to avenge herself became a hard, tight wad of bitterness wrapped around her heart. If she gave the impression of being serene and saintly, in truth Jessica was becoming an avenging angel who thought of nothing else but her freedom and the reclaiming of her child.
Jessica had been admitted to the Callan Park lunatic asylum based on the evidence presented in a report by Hester and the Reverend Mathews and prepared in the presence of the police magistrate at Narrandera.
The day after Joe’s funeral, Jessica’s wrists were tied with tent-rope and she was taken from the manse to the Narrandera police lock-up and kept in a cell for three days while the papers needed to have her committed were sent up from Sydney. Thereafter she was handcuffed and placed on the train and escorted to Sydney by a cheerful young police constable named Tommy Holbrook, a cheeky young lad who had gone to school with Jessica. The moment the train was out of sight of Narrandera station he’d removed her handcuffs. ‘She’ll be right, Jessie,’ he’d said, comforting her.
Upon arrival at Callan Park, Jessica received a cursory examination by an ageing, overworked, unshaven and exhausted physician in a dirty white coat trying to cope with the shortage of medical staff over the Christmas period. He was doing his best, with the help of generous libations of Tolley’s brandy taken from a bottle in the bottom drawer of his desk.
His questions were peremptory and his impatience soon apparent. Jessica, who was still in shock, simply stared at the wall while he interrogated her in a voice devoid of enthusiasm. It was plain enough to see that he had long since lost any sense of compassion for his patients. Unable to get her to respond, the harassed doctor turned to Tommy Holbrook. ‘How did the patient behave coming to Sydney? Was she violent? Hysterical? Constantly weeping? Did she shout out or scream? Curse the other passengers?’ he asked, holding the nib end of his fountain pen upwards and repeatedly tapping the cap fixed at the other end of the stem on the surface of his desk. Perhaps this was intended to intimidate Tommy or was merely a sign of the doctor’s frustration — whatever, it escaped the young country constable’s notice.
Tommy Holbrook shrugged. ‘She didn’t say nothing all the way, sir. Nice an’ quiet and mostly slept.
Didn’t need no handcuffs neither. If you want my opinion, sir, if Jessie Bergman’s a loony, then I’m the Police Superintendent.’
The doctor sighed. ‘Medical science is greatly obliged to you for your diagnosis, constable.’ Then, turning back to Jessica, he announced, ‘Miss Bergman, if you refuse to talk to me I will be forced to make a decision based only on this.’ He picked up the report from Narrandera by its corner, lifted it and then let it fall from his fingers back onto the desk. Then he reached down into the open drawer for the brandy bottle and, leaning back, withdrew the cork. ‘Well, what will it be?’
‘They stole my baby,’ Jessica said in a voice barely above a whisper. ‘They stole my little baby.’ Then she brought her hands up to cover her face and started to sob uncontrollably.
The doctor watched Jessica for a few moments. He took a generous sip from the bottle, sighed, then corked it and replaced it in the drawer. Looking over at the young constable, he pointed to a chair against the wall. ‘Bring her a chair, constable,’ he commanded.
When Tommy had placed a chair in front of the doctor’s desk, the physician instructed, ‘Sit down, Miss Bergman.’ Then he looked at her, hard-faced. ‘I have no time to waste and you, I assure you, will have lots of time for tears later, so I’d be obliged if you’d spare me from them now.’ Then without further ado he began to write.
The Hospital for the Insane Callan Park
* MEDICAL REPORT*
Patient Name: Jessica Margaret Bergman
Sex: Female
Age: 19
Examined by: Dr J. C. Warwick — Admitting Physician Date: I January 1915
Comments: The patient appears from the report submitted by her mother and the local Anglican minister
(report included) to be suffering from an acute delusional psychosis, as well as an advanced state of hysteria. She believes that the child born to her sister is her own.
This delusion may have been triggered by the death of her father on the same day as the birth of her sister’s child. It is understood the patient was very close to her father.
The patient has shown a tendency to violence and needed to be physically restrained when she attacked her mother at the funeral of her father, accusing her of stealing her baby. Her sister was known by her church community to be pregnant for the appropriate time leading up to the birth of her child. The patient is said to have suffered a nervous condition for several months prior to the birth of her sister’s child, a condition that was diagnosed by a doctor at Narrandera Hospital. The statement submitted by her mother refers to this in her own words as ‘a bit of a nervous breakdown, but we thought she’d got better’.
It would appear that the patient comes from a good, working-class home with a caring mother and sister, both respected members of their local church congregation. They agreed to commit her only after she had made frequent threats to kill the mother and sister and it was feared she might harm the infant.
I have been unable to communicate with the patient to ascertain her point of view (if any), as she is so preoccupied with her delusions. I recommend she be committed for treatment pending a further examination by the Medical Supervisor.
Signed: J. C. Warwick, MBS.
At the completion of his report Dr Warwick looked up again. ‘Miss Bergman, my recommendation is subject to verification by the Medical Supervisor, who will not be returning from his Christmas holidays until January 10. Do you have anything to say?’
‘About what, sir?’ Tommy Holbrook asked, speaking for Jessica.
The doctor sighed. ‘I am recommending that you be committed to this institution,’ he replied, as if the question had come from Jessica and not the young police constable. ‘Do you have anywhere to stay until you return for a second examination?’
Jessica appeared to be very frightened but gave no other indication that she understood the question. The doctor turned to Tommy Holbrook. ‘Constable, does she have anywhere to stay here in Sydney?’
‘No, sir, I don’t think so. We come down in the train and come straight on here.’
‘Very well, Miss Bergman, you may stay in one of our minimum-security wards until your committal is confirmed.’ He reached over and picked up a small brass bell and rang it. A sullen-looking nurse of indeterminate age appeared at the door. ‘She’s to be placed in a low security ward until further notice,’ the weary physician instructed, scribbling an admission slip and handing it to the woman.