The New York herald., 1872-09-17
What the Commissioners Know About Cruelties
to Patients Interview with Farrell He De-
mics Having Ever Exercised Brutality
DR.. Echaveria's Course in the Matter
Censured-several Opinions ..,5..
as to Farrells Guilt sa a,il

THE INQUEST
did not take place yesterday, as It was generally
supposed it would Coroner Keenan, states that 1t
was originally fixed for to-day Tuesday), and he
does not know how the general error existed as to
Bupp0sing 1t would take place Monday. To-day,
then, the body Of Ornen will be critically examined
BY the COroner's jury, and 1t will decide whether
Farrell was really guilty OF the crime assigned to
him or not. There win be present Coro-
ner Keenan, and his Deputy, Dr. Wooster
Beach, who made the post-mortem examination;
Mr. Bnrke, the Warden of the Insane Asylum;
Dr.. Echevaria, the resident physician Of the asy-
ium, the discharged lunatic Candat, who is said to
be possessed Of facts proving the guilt Of Farrell
two or three other lunatlcs who are ready to tes
thy to the same purpose, and to having seen Far
rell commit brutaties against the patients, and
Also the two attendants BAH and Mclaughlin who
worked In ward M, with Farrell, and who are ready
u; swear that no such assault took place as al
legged. ld no 7ot Ml aai
INTERVIEW WITH FARRELL.
reporter interviewed Farrell yesterday. He is
confined still In the prison attached to the Harlem
Police Court He Is Indifferent as ever about the
charges against him, and denies them in toto. The
following conversation took place.
REPORTER-I understand, Farrell, that you deny
the charges against you of having caused the death
Of Ornell.
FARRELL-I most certainly do can say truth
fully that never set hands upon him in anger.
The charge is q trumped up one, and is unworthy
Of consideration as coming from lunatics, whose
statements should certainly be taken with great
deal Of allowance If any sane person made the
charge against me that these lunatics do then
am ready TO be punished. But don't believe there
was ever such o howl agains. any man as there
is against me, all originating In the statement OF
men who are out OF their minds.
REPORTER-Have you ever seen any brutality
used towards the patients in the asylum by any
OneY
FARRELL-I have never seen any brutality; no,
our ward that ward M Is the dirtiest ward in the
whole asylum. We have the nlthiest patients to
take care or ana sometimes know hardly how to
act when they do the dirtest things imaginable. It
Is a.,asts not an an uncommon uncommon thing to nave the
have hay . slapped Their sss ears '-'l bn. 10 gently @
them Ornel was helpless cripple. l used to
carry him about from one place to another in my
never In the least il-treated him. claim that l
have as humane heart as another man, and
would consider myself worthy of being hanged II
REPoRTER--How came you to enter the Asylum
ried. work got dull and had to do something for
my wife's and my own support. then applied to a
letter to Sherif Brennan. The sherifY gave me
another letter to Commissioner Nicholson, who
appointed me about six weeks ago. Since that time
RHPoRTER-Do You know anything of the case of
Rusch who committed suicide about q week ago.
saying he had received injuries in the Asylum.
FARRELL.-Rusch was in our ward, and one day
another lunatic threw plate at him and nit him In
the head. That's all know OF any brutality to him.
You see lunatic when he gets injured always puts
It on keeper They are cunning enough to know
and they consequently do it as a regular thing.
But it's hard on us. have heard so many stories
Ofbrutality to patients when have known none to
exist that looked on it as one of the necessities OF
the position.
REPORTER-You expect to get of, l suppose,
then .s .--t II
EARRELL-Certainly. | don't think this charge
Will stand investigation. / am confident OF ac- |
Ouittal. The only thinp which M ia hain
confined here while my wife at home is in criti-
Cal condition. hope they win hurry up the in
quest.
JUSTICE McQUADEs OPINION
Justice McQuade before whom the proceedings
Farrell, stated yesterday that he didn't think
there was anything in the charge" This is some
The police Of the twelfth precinct, who have had
contempt for Echeverria's charges, and openly saw
ne has only acted the part OF a busybody who
wanted to get his name into print in this matter.
WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS SAY.
The HERALD reporter called at the office Of the
Commssioners Of Charities and Correction. AS
usual, Mr.. Brennan was the only man on duty. Tie
reporter had very interesting interview with the
Commissioner. He said that he first heard Of it
ing Wards Island ran down In great hurry to
him one day and ton. him the circumstances ofthe
was not much I in t but e told the doctor THAT that
II he had any doubts whatever about the
y@@s certificate "a to Place It It II M the
and he siceS IN 'eHs esadshns 5 HeS
sO m Il ppsa sp % RBas Bsnns sa
tnat Farrell was no longer keeper In the Asylum
when he was arrested. He had been dismissed be.
fore on Echeverria'S representations ana was CON-
Ing back for his clothes when he was arrested Mr..
Brennan thinks the simple fact that he came back for
guilty Of murder would think Ills clothes q small
matter compared with his danger.
kEPoRTER-But Is IL not rather hard, Mr.. Bren-
nan, 70 alsssIs.aY man from your employ before
he Is proved guilty.
Mr. .B BRESNAN-%e you see that is necessity; Ssn;sGn
to Tes..nan with u.s. Il we kept people against
whom charges were made, no matter ny MON; MON we
cent must sometimes suffer, you see, and perhans
gu:;y as It is said he ought to be Sent to State
-''''A '' : COMMITTEE APPOINTED.
About weekago Messrs. Irear and Bowen were
the Insane Asylum. Trey had discharged Farrell
from their employ,ss we'll as several others VINO
report to the beard that matters were as general
thing In a very satisfactory condition at tne
or s@a fey IN he sp on %
These two gentlemen are still acting as commit
tee and daily visit the Asylum to inquire into mat
ters Both OF them think. as0 that there Is MOTH
ing In the case about which much has been said.
The only thing which can convince them that Far |
jury. Two ont OF three Of the COMMISSIONER
do not seem to have much confidence m
any statement which Echevaria may make. They
think he is rather inclined to be oicous ahi TO 20
beyond his duty in his zeal to appear before the
public. Echeyara was appointed little over a wear
ago as visiting physician OF the Asylum. His
speciality Is epile,pc ss and paralytic patients out
iunatics aud their treatment.
WHAT KEEPER sAYS
The HERALD reporter had an interview with one
Of the attendants at the Insane Asylum yesterday
His opinion Is that Farrell Is o mucl-abused man.
REPoRTEB-what are your grounds for this be-
uef9
KEEPER--well you see I know OF lots of these
cases where men have been accused OF all sorts OF
sruelties, and IL isn't one In dozen that will
stand water. In all the institutions It's the
same thing Some enemy makes charge
against man and he's discharged. and