Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-12-21


srriblcr who signed himself TX" in regard
to the hanging of the Rev. Alexander Bell
in the Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum:
"a CARD.
"COLUMBUs, o.. Dec. 8, 1867.
"To the Editors of the Ohio Statesman:
"GENTLEMEN:-In your columns of the
Woodsfeld (O) Spirit of Democracy, which
reflects very severely upon the management
of the Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum, in
the case OF recent suicide in that insti-
tution.'
In our article we said:
Persons send their friends, aoho through trou-
bic haze become derdnged, to our State institu-
tion for the purpose of having their reason re-
stored, and the managers send them home in their
cotins.''
Which the defender, "X." of the officers
of the Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum,
makes very feeble attempt to excuse, but
not to disapprOve:
"The spirit of the Spirit is easily explica-
BILE by reference to the files of your paper
about the Doth of January last, in which
among the locals may be found q notice OF
an amputation performed by Prof. Hanil-
ton upon patient in the Asylum, and men-
tion of the fact that the patient, with two
others, had been confined in the Monroe
county jail to await removal to Columbus,
and that all three had their feet or other
portions of their bodies froz-n whilst thus
in jail"
We distinctly recollect the affair of Mar
tin and Kaibtieisch, and the attempt of the
officers of the Asylum, through the local OF
The STATESMAN, to faSten the freezing OF
those men upon the Monroe county off :
cials.
We asserted at the time that those men
were frozen before they came here, that
they were never confined in the Jail OF
Monroe county, that they were taken to
the Asylum by the Sheriff and his Deputy,
and that they Informed the Superintend-
ent that their feet were frozen, and that he
replied that it was a common occurrence
for lunatics to escape from their relations
and wander about the country until their
feet and hands would be badly frozen.
Mr.. "X" informs the public that he has
been allowed access to the books of the
Asylum:
THE officers of the Asylum have paid no
attention whatever to this item from the
Spirit, knowing, as they do, that to any one
acquainted with suicidal insanity the
charges made against them will appear
simply absurd; but for the benefit OF those
who have confided their friends to the care
of these officers, l beg leave to state the
following, which have gathered from the
books of the Institution. to which l have
been allowed access lately"
We are well aware. as are the friends of
the Rev. Alexander Bell, that =" the officers
of the Asylum have paid no attention to
this item from the Spirit (P)," but we insist
in behalf of those who have friends in the
Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum, that "the
officers" shall explain to the public why
the Rev. Alexander Bell was permitted to
destroy his lite. No doubt it appears 'ab-
surd" that friends should ask questions or
1.-THE officers" but they do, and demand the
full particulars.
Here is the result of s.X's" figuring:
During the year ending Nov. 1st, 1867,
there were under treatment in the Asylum
fue hundred and one patients. From this
number there were discharged recovered
onehundred and t,oenty,fue, and only fifteen
died. Since the 1sC of November, 1863,