The Placer herald., 1865-06-24
From the San Francisco Spirit OF the Times
STATE INSANE ASYLUM.

The Stockton Independent, Of juno 10th
states that the i'll treatment and death ol
James Lilly coming to the ears of the Direc
tors Of the Asylum, they invited Coroner
Bond to make an investigation into the mat.
ter. The statement ia not correct. The first
that WAS known Of the death Of Lilly by vio
ence, was through the columns Of this paper,
and in the article alluding to IL. We asked
the citizens Of Stockton to investigate The
matter, and it was taken up by gentleman
named Murray, who during the investigation
was treated with every discourtesy by Cor
oner Bond. The whole object Of the nves
tigalon seemed to be to place Knapp, who
Informed Of the circumstances, in bad posi-.
ton, and relieve Drake, and SO In NIL pioha.
biliiy will it terminate. But the testimony
Of Knapp. who possibly may be guilty with
Drake, goes to show that the latter PLAYED n
most prominent part in this horrible affair.
This paper, defending the people Of Stock
ton, demanded the Investigation; for the IN.
dependent has not deigned To notice that
murder and brutality was a common occur
renee at the Asylum. Coroner Bond is n
bitter enemy to DIR. Tden, and 80 were soy,
eral Of the Jury, and the attempt made to
prove that he had anything to do with the
matter, was disgraceiu to say the least. VIII
Coroner Bond, of Stockton, do US the favor
to inquire into the deaths of All Fat, Chi,
naman, and n man by the name Of Benney,
who at one time were inmates of the State
Insane Asylum at Stockton. Ugly tumcfs
are afoat that the Cbinaman was beaten To
death, and that Benney died from starvation.
These are mere trlhes of course in their way
and on that account we feel a reluctance ig
troubling a gentleman who has no much
work 10 do for the Asylum as Mr.. Bond has,
but Mr.. Bond will agree with us that the
American people are very iDquisilne, aud
particularly SO in compliance with matters
that make demands upon their purse. rs does
the support of the Insane Asylum, and they
are anxious to know how an institution sup.
ported by them is conducted. The mere fact
of a woman being drowned in a bath tub. a
man exhumed and found to have twenty
eight pieces of crushed bones in his breast, a
Chnaman beaten TO death, "a white man
starved, are matters of no moment at ALL but
they like to know how il was done. They ATE
in aSsimilar situation to the question asker,
who was so anxious to know how certain
man lost his leg, and when told (under a
promise that he must ask no further oues-
tions) that it was bit off, almost died from
the effects Of not being able to ask, "who bit
it OFF, They don't care anything about the
beating to death Of patients in the asylum.
they only want to know how il is done. We
can furnish witness, we think, for the Cor,
oner, in the person of man by the name oi
Seifern, but then. Mr.. Bond must not allow
him to be inlmidated as he did the witness
Knapp when on the stand in the James Lilly
investigation. And when on the Ah Fat
and Bennay investigation, let Mr.. Bond cali
upon Mr.. Weaver, an employee In the
Asylum, and question him AS to violence
used to body named Freddy by doing
so, Mr.. Bond may save himself the trouble OF
holding another Coroner's inquest a few
weeks hence. We may not be good enough
physician to prescribe for the treatment of
insane people, but with our slight knowledge
of the science of Materia Medica, we would
not recommend the taking OF a boy up in
the hands and throwing him down until the
blood gushed from his nose and ears, kicking
him and otherwise bruising him, and then
kicking him to the hydrant, with "there
damn you, go clean yourself up, and III
learn you to laugh at me again" These, Of
course are pleasant paslimes, but by no means
conducive to health. We must say to Mr..
Bond in conclusion that he is sworn officer
of the law. That the fact Of his being an
enemy of DIR. Tildeu, the Resident Physician
of the Asylum, is no paiation for bis ex,
treme partiality in the Investigations which
have been going on before him, and which
have been held at our instance. The course
pursued by him is calculated to injure not
benefit Stockton, because il what has been
done in the matter is a fair sample of his
consciencousn ess in the performance of his
office, then the Investigations have been a
broad farce, and nigh: as well not have been
held. We shall recur to this subject again.
We will say, h however, for the information of
the people of the State, that when the body
of James Lilly was exhumed, after the expo.
sure we made, it was found that bis breast
bone and ribs were crushed in by the dread,
ful violence used against him.