Eastern times., 1853-09-29
eastern Times,
The Recent Homicide in whiteaeld.


Hospital, taken in connection with the recent
lamentable homicide in this comfy, are enti-
tied to serious attention. The author is one
of the earliest and most steadfast friends of
that noble institution, and his advantages for
watching its operation and growth have been
superior In any future Legislation that may
Be- thought proper, we trust the Legislature
will not make such laws as shall conflict with
the beneficial aims for which the Hospital for
the Insane was established:
The recent homicide of Skehan of White
field, highly respectable citizen with fami-
ly, by Ward, an insane man, is stern com
mentary upon the legislation of our State in
relation to the insane, That Legislation, it is
well known to all dispassionate observers, has
been too much dictated and controlled by par
ty feeling, by the faetious spirit of cliques ex-
listing in the body of the dominant party, and
above all by selfish men attached to such
cliques, prOstituting the interests of the Hos
pital TO the qualification of private spleen and
the advancement of selfish purposes.
Such evils were felt by the true friends of
the Hospital to be pressing upon it from its
inception, with an overwhelming weight and
destroying its usefulness and they set them
selves to work at very early period of its
operations to remedy them. After various
trials and much legislation, feeling that further
enactments were still needed, Dr. Bates, the
Superintendent, by advice of the Trustees,
drew up code of laws for the direction and
government of the Hospital and disposition of
the insane, that was accepted nearly unani-
mously, and without a single amendment, by
the Legislature, August I'd, 1847.
This code may fairly challenge comparison
with that of any of our sister States, or else
where, upon the same subject and it was
quoted and commended by journals abroad as
model one. BY it the best interests of the
insane, their rights and the rights of their
friends, and the security and well-being of So
clety In regard to the insane, were vigilantly
guarded and sodulously protected. Two
years trial had been made of it; all was
working prosperously and benefcially, when,
in August, I849, the factious spirit of inter-
meddlers determined it would seem, to ruin
what they could not rule, procured an amend
ment, which has resulted in the late fatal ca
tastrOphe. The law of Al had, very proper
ly, put the question of the continuance of the
insane In the Hospital at the direction of the
Trustees, to be decided by their sense of duty
to the insane themselves, to their friends, and
others interested, and to the public. The
Trustees, being body of men selected from
the State at large, for their character, intelli-
gence and disinterestedness, would form, it
should seem a tribunal for interests SO impor-
tant, as unexceptionable and as little liable to
abuse, as any other that could be DEVISED
To guard, however, against any possible
chance for abuse of this power in their hands,
provision was made, (Sec. II, chap. 33, acts
of 1919 for an appeal from their decision, to
that of two justices of the peace and quorum,
In all cases Of six months residence Of the in
sane in the Hospital, provided that the friends
and others interested should not be satisfied
with the decision of the Trustees, to detain
them longer.
If the Trustees could not be trusted, surely
two magistrates could be selected entirely dis
interested in the issue. In point of fact, the
decision Of the Trusteesshad never been ap-
pealed from, and no complaint OF their action
in such matters had been formally presented
to them, when in August, I849, (See chap.
l36, acts of l849,) an act was passed, making
the selectmen of towns, mayors of cities, &C.,
the paramount tribunal, and giving them the
power, at discretion, to remove from the Hos
pital all patients Of six months residence,
where friends or persons interested, might feel
aggrieved at their longer continuance Thus
the power to remove is put in the hands of
persons directly interested in the removal; for
towns and cities are according to all expert
ence in the subject the first to complain. Men
not always, to say the least Of it, best quail
fled to Judge in the premises, could they be
divested of partiality, are put under strong
temptation to cater for popularity, and pamper
the prejudices of their constituency, in matters
of the deepest import to society and to human
ity.
Now for the case Of Ward and it stands
not alone in improper removals under the pres
ent law. He had been insane for ten years or
upwards, without having manifested any dis
position to injure others, when, in February,
l848, without any previous warning, he at
tempted the life Of an only brother, and would
have succeeded in taking it, but for the inter-
ference of widowed mother. AS it was he
made him cripple for life
This brother was the only dependence for
the support of his own young family, of the
widowed mother, and of the insane man. A
physician, called to the wounded man, warned
them Of the danger Of living with the insane
one, and urged the necessity of his immediate
removal to the Hospital for safe keeping
The reply was, that they were unable to sup
port him there, and that the selectmen had
been applied to but refused to do anything
about 1t. They were advised to apply again
to the selectmen, with message from the
physician, that if they refused to do the duty,
they should be compelled to do it. The re-
suit was a reluctant compliance. and Ward
tuas cont 70 tho Hosnital Tro,.,ol:.L1 r.