At the close of 1860 an incident occurred which attracted wide attention and strikingly illustrated Miss Anthony’s unflinching courage and firm persistence when she felt she was right.  One evening in December she was in Albany at the depository with Lydia Mott when a lady, heavily veiled, entered and in a long, confidential talk told her story, which in brief was as follows:  She was the sister of a United States senator and of a prominent lawyer, and in her younger days was principal of the academy and had written several books.  She married a distinguished member of the Massachusetts Senate and they had three children.  Having discovered that her husband was unfaithful to her and confronted him with the proofs, he was furious and threw her down stairs, and thereafter was very abusive.  When she threatened to expose him, he had her shut up in an insane asylum, a very easy thing for husbands to do in those days.  She was there a year and a half, but at length, through a writ of habeas corpus, was released and taken to the home of her brother.  Naturally she longed to see her children and the husband permitted the son to visit her a few weeks.  When she had to give him up she begged for the thirteen-year-old daughter, who was allowed to remain for two weeks, and then the father demanded her return.  The mother pleaded for longer time but was refused.  She prayed her brother to interfere but he answered:  “It is of no use for you to say another word.  The child belongs by law to the father and it is your place to submit.  If you make any more trouble about it we’ll send you back to the asylum.”

Then in her desperation she took the child and fled from the house, finding refuge with a Quaker family, where she stayed until she learned that her hiding-place was discovered, and now as a last resort she came to these women.  They assured the unhappy mother that they would help her and, upon making careful inquiry among her friends, found that, while all believed her sane, no one was willing to take her part because of the prominence of her brothers and husband.  Finally it was decided that Miss Anthony should go with the mother and child to New York and put them in a safe place, so they were directed to disguise themselves and be at the train on Christmas afternoon.  Miss Anthony went on board and soon saw a woman in an old shawl, dilapidated bonnet and green goggles, accompanied by a poorly dressed child, and she knew that so far all was well, but she found the woman in a terrible state of nervousness.  She had met her brother coming out of another car where he had just placed his young son to return to boarding-school, after a happy vacation at home, while his sister with her child was fleeing like a criminal; but fortunately he had not recognized her.