The Nevada journal., 1857-03-13
dgt Nebaoa youtnal.
FRIDAY MORNING, MARGINS, 81.
THE STATE INSANE ASYLUM.

into the condition OF the State Insane
Asylum at that place. Charges of
serious nature had been preferred against
DR.. Reed, the former resident physician
of the Asylum, which it was made
portion of the duty of the committee to
investigate. The committee spent sew
eral days at Stockton, in the inspection
of the institution, and the examination
OF witnesses in reference to the subject
of these charges.
On Tuesday of last week. a report,
signed by four of the committee, was
submitted, speaking in the highest terms
of the present: sondition of the Asylum
and fully exonerating DIR. Reed from all
the charges brought against him.
On Wednesday Senator Waite, pre-
sented a minority report, substantially
agreeing with the report of the majori-
ty of the committee, in regard to the
management of the Asylum by thepres-
ent incumbent, DR.. Langdon, but differ
ing widely from its conclusions with res
pect to the innocence of DIR. Reid.
1t was charged against this man, that
he had "drawn pay from the State for
certain persons as employees long after
such persons had been discharged or
absent" and that he had removed and
appropriated to his own private uses,
property belonging to the State. Mr..
Waite makes brief statement of evil
dence adduced before the committee
upon these points sufficient to substan-
tiate the charges in the mind of a reason
able man. sufficient, at least, if not
counterbalanced by other testimony, to
have prevented the statement Of unqual-
fled commendation contained in the ma
jority report.
These offences, however, as the times
go, may be classed among the venial
and trifing ones. Swindling the State
is not altogether without precedent in
California, even in high places. We
have known men TO do that thing, and
be considered none the less entitled to
''great credit" afterwards.
But the deductions that would natu-
rally be drawn from the following state
ments of the minority report, are some
what startling in their nature.
One of the grare charges against the
former resident physician, DR.. Reid, is,
that his reports to the Legislature are
false and that the number of deaths at
the Asylum while the same was presi-
ded over by DIR. Reid, were much great
er than represented in those reports. On
this point evidence is conclusive.
The Asylum was removed to its pres
ent site on the Sth day of October, 1858
and from that date the burials upon the
Asylum grounds commenced. DIR. Reid,
IN his first report thereafter, gives the
number of deaths during the last three
months of the year at seren; for the year
1854, t,centy-one /; for 1855 eighteen and
in statement given the committee, for
the year 1856, up to 1st of October,
when he was succeeded by DIR. Lang
don, the number of deaths at the Asy-
lum is stated at nineteen, making the to-
tai of deaths under the entire admins
tration of DR.. Reid sirty:fre, according
to his own showing. He acknowledges
there were sirty or sirty-one graves on
the Asylum ground at the time DR..
Langdon succeeded him.
Now, the deposition hereto appended,
of DIR. Bond, city sexton of Stockton,
shows that Mirty-three deceased persons
from the Asylum were buried by him in
the City Cemetery, leaving but thirty
t,oo to be buried on the Asylum ground
But there are sirty-one graves, and to
make the evidence still more damnable,
the Senate portion of the committee saw
several graves open, and in all but one
there were two coffins or boxes in each
and in each of the four top boxes were
found the remains of two persons, placed
heads and points. These facts can be
attested to by at least fifty citizens of
the city of Stockton. These graves, it
is not denied, were made during the ad-
ministration of Dr. Reid, and the whole
appearance of the graves, the boxes
and the remains seem to preclude the
possibility of design on the part of any
one to deceive the committee.
DIR. Reid, in his sworn statement in
regard to this point, adds the number
sworn to by Mr.. Bond to the number
called for in his eports-thus i'm
peaching the accuracy of his own re-
ports to the Legislature for if both Dr.
Reid's reports and the account of Mr.
Bond be true, then at least thirty of the
insane have been buried alive-a prop
osition too monstrous to be seriously en-
tertained.
There is evidently rank perjury in
this matter somewhere, If DR.. Reid's
report was correct, there has been a
fearful conspiracy against him, for which
we cannot see any adequate motive. If
it is erroneous he has been guilty of