Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-18

the asylum did give birth to such child II Is sad
some eleven years ago. Smith says no strap Is
ever used to beat the insane, and that he never
told any one that strap with a brass buckle had
such straps, used for combining dangerous
MANAGES, and assured us that they were used for
no other purpose.
This, however, is Smiths own story. We have
Information from other sources which leads US TO
believe that he docs sometimes treat those dis
posed to violence with unnecessary cruelty. At
least suchis the testimony of some Of the police
officers who have taken maniacs out there.
THE rooD
of the donates Is precisely like that furnished TO
the paupers, and appears to be satisfactory to
them, though they re,of course, more cnpriclous
In appetite than the well paupers. We saw them
at dinner and some ate raveHousy and others
scarcely locked at that furnished them
ONE SERIOUS CHARGE
against the management is that they discharge
luuatics unfit to BIO ct large. Men and women
are sometimes arrested In the streets of this city
who are evidently entirely unfit TO DO at large.
They are brought before the Mayor, or other
committing magistrate, and 1t being evident that
they are insane they are committed to the insane
asylum. 1t is the only thing that can BIO done,
as the officer has no right TO send them to jail
The officers deliver them to the keepers and they
receive them 10 due form, but, it Is alleged, dis
charge them almost as soon as the officers back
is turned, so that they are sometimes back In the
streets again before the officers get back. We
recently inquired of the Mayor If certain crazy
woman was at large, and he said she was. We
related TO him an incident showing that she was
really dangerous character, aud that she had
violently huiled large stone at the head of a
lady few weeks ago. He said he was aware of
the fact that she was dangerous character, unfit
to be at large, but 1t was out of his power 10 do
any thing. He had no right to send her to Jail,
| because she was insane, and when he had sent
her to tae asylum she had been let out so soon
that she was back in the city again almost as soon
as the officers. This Is state of affairs that
evidently demands q remedy.
| But while real lunatics are thus improperly
discharged from the asylum, we found
| SANE WOMAN CONFINED IN THE ASYLUM.
| She Is an old Irish woman. at one time kept a
| dsordery house In this city, we believe, at q
place called " Whisky Bridge" Her establish
| ment was. III course of time, broken up, and she,
being deprived of her illegal means OF support,
| finally found her way TO the aims house. There
| she was kept for some time, but she refused to
| submit to any regulations or do anything that
was required of her. and manifested generally
| such vicious disposition that the managers OF
that institution declared her unmauageblc, and
| had her transferred 10 the asylum. She Is said
| to be bad, vicious woman, and. being sane, she
has an influence over the insane women, with
| whom she is associated, which 1t would be I'M
| reasonable TO expect that sha would exercise Tor
| good. The proper place for such woman
| would I've IN - House oil COrrteliOO. nut sne
had better be 10 Jail than in this asylum. But
probably one of the greatest faults here as in
the colored department of the alms house, Is the
FAILURE TO PROPERLY SEPARATE THE sExEs,
and this is probably as much due to the utter in
fitness of the buildings as TO any careessness on
the part of the keepers. Men and women con-
fined In such close quarters, so many In so small
| space, can not but have opportunities for ming
ling together and, as already noticed, we found
one women In the mems sitting room. There
appears TO be no ground for the charge that any
children have been born of insane parents in
this building for many years, but those whose
opportunities for observation surpass ours assure
us that there is need for greater care there.
THE REMEDIES
for the existing cases seem to us to be the EN-.
poyment of a careful Intelligent and humane SUI
perintendent who has had years of experience in
some established and reputable asylum and
for the present the heating of the building by
steam and probably the devotion OF u greater
portion of the building TO day uses. Any remedy
of this kind can, however he but partial and
temporary. The building chiefly used for asylum
purposes is totally and radically unfit for the
purposes TO which 1t is put aud should be re
placed by structure in which plenty of heat
light and air could be had. The Trustees, we ar,
informed, will shortly appoint n new supern'
teudcnt. This is probably wise, but the Trustees
must make some Improvement themselves, as thl
best superintendent in the world cannot max,
the insane comfortable In such miserable build
ing us that now devoted 10 their use A Christian
humanity, rather than close calculating mig
gardly ECONOMY, must characterize any effort
that arc to result in real Improvement.