The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-22
III ,MIClDE IN THE CENTRAH;sLlrNA-
TIC ASYLUM. 80, 80
4 FEMALE PATIENT sTR.fNGEED. BT HER
RO0M-MATE


discovered that a patient named Mary
Frances Robinson had heen Strangicd to
death during the, night. This asylum is
tenanted exclusively by colorcd patients. 1t
is located just beyond the corporate limits,
and is under the superintendent of DR.. d.
b. Conrad and Board of Directors ap-
pointed by the Governor. The resident
members of. the Board are Colonel Albert
Ordway and Mcssrs. Charles Campbell and
Powhatan WeiSiger.
On being informed Of the occurrence Dr..
Conrad at once notified the resident direct
or< and OH their application an inquest was
ordered by Justice Washington Williams
(cclorctl'. of Fairfield township, Henrco
county. The Justice is hand in Pem5er
tons tobacco factory. but he promptly left
lis rolllngstnnd aud repaired to the court
| house to issue Il warrant in accordance with
| law. The following jurors, being summoned
| by Constable Lctelicr, assembled at the asy-
! lam last light and held the inquest: I. L.
| Duke, VI. I. Handy, George NJ. Flcck, '.
licchler. Jr.. u. l.. Hobson, Ii: c. HeclIler.
William Mundn. William Ferguson, w. IL.
Randolph. W. +. Hechler, L. Wagner, and
J. Z. Cropper. -Four of these are colored.
The directors and officers manifested their
Interest by their presence.
Lewis Baylrr (coloredl, an attendant in the
female department, was first sworn. tie
testified that the room in which the death oc-
CURED was also occupied by woman named
Rose Warren. When he opened the door i'll
the morning. Rose dragged the dead body of
her roommate out and said, "Here, take
that d-d dead corpse and carry it out Of
here" He found Mary dead, with a short
string tied so tightly about her neck that he
could hardly get his knife between 1t and the
flesh. Mr. W. l.. Whccwright, one of the
supervisors, and DR.. X. G. Cabell, Dr., the
assistant physician. were promptly nn the
SPOT, but were of course unable to do any
thing, except TO inquire into the ciicum-
stances, and put the supposed murdcress in
custody. Baylor was on duty from II to jt
o'clock, and heard no unusual disturbance
during the night. The deed must have been
quietly accomplished The body was laid
out with care. and was neatly covered with a
blanket. The head was swollen and the
face ,li>cololcd. Nltnes. did not LOOK into
the room during the night, but passed II
sever / times. Rose Warren Is rather vlo.
lent, and the deceased was of Il quiet dcmea-
nor.
Nelly Wood (rolorcd>. another attendant.
testified to the same effect. 'Shc was on duty.
f and heard no noise during the night. Mary
wa, put into that particular room because
her own had recently been painted. Wit
nr>~ never knew RCSc To hurt any one scrl-
: 0llSiv.
Lucinda Johnson and William Singleton
(both Colurrd) were the attendants on duty
in the fore part of the night. Singleton was
{ present when the deceased and Rose War
: rem were u-si-ucd TO quarters together. and
IA, lao, ~ NJ, n hp on
f They went quietly to bed aid during the
Ii night there WAS no reason TO believe that any
VI thin" wronw was goin" Oh i'll the room. III
Il deed Mary WAS thought to hc safer with Rose
e than with the patient with whom she had
u tctcrc roomcd. the latter having q,mfrrllcd
e with her. When there is Il disturbance ut
night the female attendants generally cali
:. upon the males aud the supervisors to assist
them If necessary.
:, Mr., ". /. Whcclriglit, Ole NJ the super
/ ,isrls. dclW>cd that il is a part of his duty
4, to 20 through the wards ~ occasion NAV re-
{: ,Iulle, every night tn SEC that the attendants
!: lrc Watchtul. that the patients are properly
cared for. and itlat order is preserved. HC
:. | went through the female department on The
t night in question ut about Quarter past =
A: and a@aiu at hai.paS , o'clock. At a quar-"
= ter past , he was called by Baylor to ste the
= deceased and found her dead. Rose is Il bad
character. but he had never known her to he
. Very violent at night. None hut officers OF
: the asylum and attendants have access to the
. Patients rooms at night. Rose said to wit
a: HESS " "D--n you. can You put breath in her
!. now" and admitted that she did the deed.
/ She said she clluled her with string torn
from her chrlns., hut it really seems to be Il
t piece OF hcd-tic!ling. The ward was I'M
e usually quiet on the night Of this occurrence.
:. Edith Faunilrroy and Agnes White (culul-
. | cd attcndant$l testified rs to shroudlI% the
/, body. They found no marks Of violence cx-
ccpl the print of the string on the neck and
II ui>coorItiun> on the face.
/. Alr. y. \. Maryc. the supervisor, on duty
J. in the early part Of the night, testified that he
y hld 10 reason to suspect anything wrong III
II any OF the rooms.
The next witness, Dr.. II. S. Cabcll, Jr., i,
c the assistant physician Of the asylum, and
|. his medical charge OF both departments. On
Tuesday night he made his round in the
female ward between 9 and 10 O'CLOCK, ad
@ miDisiered opiatcs to some restless patients
aud retired With no suspicion of Il disturb
;. mlcc. lie did not know that the deceased
, waSthcn alive, hut had no reason TO think
:, otherwise. BEN" told Of lrr death very
early in the morning, he at once viewed
the body, and found that death was produced
J by stranguIalion, as intimated by other wit.
ne>Ses, The Doctor said he had never no
ticcd any homicidal tendencies on the part Of
: Rose Warren, although she was quarrel
, some. She came to this asylum III 1869. Her
insanity is paroxySlnal, but she has teW, il
any, entirely lucid intervals. The deceased
. came here from Williamsburg, Her record
. OH the asylum books is as follows; InceD,
diary, 1S41, one years attack; lS49, one
a year 1851, 1897, 1869, attacks, the duration
of which is not given; in Eastern Asylum
for one year in 1851" Her physical Health
has not been good of late, but she had no
; serious disease, and was improving. :,
DR.. ID. B. Conrad, the Superintendent. .oi
the Asylum, made Il most interesting state
mcnt of the regulations for the preservation
of order, particularly at night. One male
and one female attendant are always awake
in each ward, and they are held to strict ac-
count; the supervisors also 60 through as
!, often as occasion requires, and DR.. CabeIl
and the Superintendent personally inspect
the several departments and sec that their
instructions are carried out. Tie Supcrin-
tendcnt and assistant know all the patients
and their characteristics, and personally
supervise and direct their assignment
to their several rooms, being careful to
,, prevent their being Improperly paired. The
asylum is so excessively crowded that it IS
, necessary TO put two or more patients III
each room. If necesSary-that is, II any dis
position to violence is sbown-tlle patient is