The New York herald., 1872-09-19
THRILLING TESTIMONY.
Particulars Of the Identification Of Farrell
'ar by His Victim.
The Post -Mortem Examination
Of the C0lored Patient.
ERDICT OF TIE JURY AGAINST FARRELL.
The Prisoner Sent to the Tombs
to Await the Action of the
Grand Jury.

10 Await LQ0 ACC1Ou OF CI10
Grand Jury.
Yesterday there was great excitement in the
city regarding the inquest which was to be held on
tne deaths OF John Ornen and Horatio Seymour,
both inmates of the Insane Asylum on Wards
Island, and who died, as was alleged through vio-
lence received at the hands Of Thomas Farrell, one
OF the keepers Of Ward M. A considerable number
Of curious spectators gathered in the once Of the
Coroner and before the hour for the opening Of the
proceedings large number Of people were
lOungtng about the benches in the City Hall Park,
feeding upon the suspense which precedes the first
climax In sensation.
THE PRISONER.
A few moments before eleven O'Clock the
prisoner was brought into the room by police
man, and took o seat in the corner, near the desk
Of the Coroner. He had been In the Tombs since
his arrest, yet although he wore o look Of slight
pallor his expression was quito bright and buoy
ant. He is not person of very prepossess.
sing appearance, and has q large lump over
his left eye, which will add to his evil look
There is q vestige Of sinister motive in his eyes,
and the whole contour Of his face is OF the deter
mined, unscrupulous type, which never conveys q
very pleasing impression. On several occasions
during the investigation he betrayed some ex.
citement, rising excitedly In his scat and
asking to be heard. But each time he
was silenced. When the verdict was at
length given o sudden flush overspread his fea-
tures, and ne looked about the room with nervous
perturbation. Apart from these incidents his
demeanor was stolid and Indifferent and he lre
Quently gave play to q cunning smile, intended to
create profound impression on the jury.
Coroner Keenan, soon afterwards made his ap-
pearance, accompanied by Dr.. wooster Beach, his
assistant, and the proceedings were formally
opened. The jury were by this time all in their
seats, and the Coroner in few words explained to
them the salient features Of the case, as they pre-
sented themselves before Investigation. After
they were sworn the first witness was Immediately
called His name was Edward Burke.
TESTIMONY OF EDWARD BURKE.
In answer to questions he aid:-Iam warden In
the Lunatc Asylum on Wards Island; know very
little about this case as was absent at the time Of
Its occurrence; Dr. Echeverria had inquired into
Is, and on Monday, on returning from Philadelphia,
understood that some patients had been abused
by an attendant whose name was Thomas Farrell; !;
the patient who was injured was John Ornell; I
was told that he died In consequence Of abuse.
O. Did you take any action in the matter A. No;
she resident physician took all the action and had
already taken the dispositions OF the keepers in the
case had Farrell arrested and locked up in the
Twelfth precinct station house; notified the Coro-
u
cation, and stated the supposed cause of DEATH
~ THE DEATH OF SEYMOUR. 't
e Have you heard OF any other death sncef A.
O. When was that' A. 1t was the evening be-
fore last-Monday evening.
.Q DID you know anything about the cause OF
his death A. supposed 1t to be the same as that
OF the other patient that Is from injuries indicted
By Thomas Farrell; ornell was admitted to the
asylum May %, 1872 and he died September IL;
seymour was admitted July 81, and he died Sep
: n Mynnx ~ro.. A
q Both A. Yes, sir; not all the time, however;
they had been In other wards and were transferred
TO that some weeks before.
a. Edward Ball was one there were three at the
time OF this occurrence-Edward Ball, Patrick
Mclaughlin and Thomas Farrell.
q How long had Farrell been attendants A. He
was appointed on the Goth Of July, 1872
Farrell heore Ss me any complaints against
rel; there had been q complaint against man In
the same ward, named Faulkner, for assaulting one
O. VINO made the complaints A. made the COM
plant, but 1t was on circumstantia! evidence;
that he had done it in sei-defence; recommended
bis discharge and the commissioners restored
n BRUISES ON PATIENTS
but as far as could ascertain they were Indicted
by other inmates; sometimes black eye or q
Q. You have not been able to trace by whom the
wounds were in6ctedf A. No, sir.
z. What is the duty OF the attendant A. To
see tha$ patients are kept clean; attend to their
meals; regulate the hour Of their retiring, &C.
They are all on duty at the time; we have two
Is the hardest ward to take care of, and where the
nthiest patients are confined; the keepers must be
on duty in the hall, and are not permitted in the
ward they are on duty one at time.
q. 10 they have any directions IN regard to
RESTRAINING THE PATIENTs2
physician, and, without Instructions patients can.
not be restrained; they have no power to pun
tsh or TO strike them, except In the most extreme
O. Is 1t left to them to determine when they shall
use volence' A. Well, II is left to be judged alter
port them TO the resident physician, and they are
dismissed If guilty.
The jury did not wish to ask this witness any
questions and he was sent away. Their foreman
was reading copy OF yesterdays HERALD during
the foregoing testimony.
The witness said further, before leaving the
STAND, that woman who works in ward
"a had told him In the morning that she had
seen 10 one OF the patients kick ornell; her name
DIR. GONZALES EcnEvERnIA
vas next called to the stand He said IL am the
Asylum at Wards Island; have been connected
with u since the opening Of the asylum In Decem-
q. What do you know in connection with this case
A was absent ron the institution during the
month OF August and returned on the ist OF sep.
tember; then heard that charges had been pub
iished in some OF the daily papers concernina the
brutal treatment received by the patients in ward
some OF the relatives OF tho patients and the
patients themselves; found that the condition of
s inc patents IN ward was very dinerent from
were very filthy and covered with marks In the face
and body, decidedly proceeding from violence;
demonstrated with the attendant, Wall or Ball
(Warden Burke-his name ls Wall, but we had him
on our books as Bali about the condition OF the
ward, and told him that
THE PATIENTS WERE EVIDENTLY ILL-TREATED
and that he should prevent IL; on Monday morn
ing, the 9th OF September, as was passing along
on on my visit, my attention was called by
BAH TO the condition OF John Ornell, who was
then lying In bed perfectly naked; ] had
seen Orneli tno day previous, and he looked very
well; found him in bed In state OF collapse; he
was quite cold, perspring, with cammy moisture
on MS nesh, and bearing, In one word, all the signs
q on2 he l.ad ~ Oh