New-York tribune., 1872-08-07
THE MIsEsIEs OF LUNATICS.
TIE R1noNlNGnALE ASYLUM

BROWN ABSENT AND DR.. PORTER hhiiChNi'
TRIRuNE reporter visited the BloomhSuale
Asylum yesterday for the purpose OF learning "o" ~
Browp the physician charge or his assistants anu
.mploy6s such facts they might be anxious '"0
nnhlie in yiudication OF the management OF 'a' S"
,ion against the very serious charges ooh'aineu
tu the communication OF J, T. van NIecA anu ~
afndavlts of Mir. and Mrs. irwin published II 5os'o
days TRIBUNE. The reporter was met AZ 'n -
by a venerable gentleman with hoWihe oeai"' ~n0
.,ated that DR. Brown was not at home but tnat III
Porter one Of his assistants, was then ~ anSei ~"
xould not be detained more than few mihu'es' iHe
.tew miputcs' lengthcned into nearly ah ho"r'""' ."
Length DR. Porter appeared in the hail. parting AZ tue
,arlor door with gentleman with whom ne nau Seo "
.sne.t conversation Dr Porter is thin. nervous gen
,leu,an and his face as he threw himself upon solA
wore an anxious and carewOrn expression Inc IePoi
sriefy referred TO the damaging SateinehS Mno" d"
inmate and two former attendants OF the Asylum ""u
made public and expressed the readiness oil lHt Ikib
Use 10 publish as full aud complete statements eA-
olauatop or refutation, he or others lmphcateu
should desire.
DE- Porter replied that DR.. Brown was absent IRON
town and he himself was unwilling to make any s'ae
rnent for publication; the Board OF GOVernors were 10
bola a session at its downtown office, No. 10 west
Ecvenbs In the course Of the afternoon and no reply
"a tbe article alluded to could be obtained except
through the Board In to the suggestion mat
20 satisfactory reply could be obtained from the boru
Of Governors nasmuch the alleged abuses conld NOT
have come under their personal eognzanee' ana Tue
most that they could do would be to express geneLh
confidence in the officers appointed by them and con
souent sbelef in the charges brought against the'
Dr Porter said that information could be
sbtaiued except through them, and whatever tneF
wished people 10 know they would make pubic III Nv"
or three days DIT Brown would be at home after WHICH,
II II we're thought best full statement would be maze
IN regard to the whole matter. In response 10 the sug
cstion that delay IN making general denal oi
tie charges OF abusive and cruel treatment not 10 en
tion criminal negligence and malpractice would Iehu 70
make dOuby difficult the 81 VI ds"Duslhg inc puollo
mind he said that the institution must depend upon It's
wen earned reputation for its preliminary deiehse H.
- seemed probable the matter were forced INTO the
Courts the pubic would learn the truth soon enough.
In answer 10 direct questions Dr. Porter said that MI
Van Week Miss McCabe Miss Drew, and IN tact all INC
inmates of the institution had received in due con-
formity with all the requirements OF law as couu Oe
shown by the certificates aud other documents on ME III
,he office II he chose TO exhibit them, which he dd not
then feel at liberty TO do MI and Mrs. George Irwin
had been the Asylum at the time stated py
them but be declined TO say why or under what crcum
stances they had left. It's Of no USE, ne sad Nhat
ever saw you will print and L don I want anything
printed from me at ALL Come up here after Dr. Brown
comes home and perhaps he will tell you all about IT,
II seemed TO be uncertain, however, when Dr. Brown
Sould be al home; and 10 the remark by the reporter
that absence Just at this time was singular
the reply was made that he had gone away ON account
~ IN health request 10 see John Bennett Robert MIL
er Mrs Stevenson and Miss Capp, employees OF the III
stitution mentioned the aHdavts Of the Irwins was
refused by Dr. Porter and desire TO see some OF the
inmates also implicated, treated in the same man
per He was evidently determined TO wait for instuc
lions and 10 take no action his own responsibility
THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS INDIGNANT.
THE TRIBUNE reporter, after leaving the
Atylum visited the Office OF the Board OF Governors al
NO Is West Eeventhst where, On announcing MS Oo
eet. he was introduced to Thomas H. Falle OF most
Ffthave one Of the most active members OF the Board
and Chairman Of the Visiting Committee. The Board
was not IN session, but several Of the members were
resep and had evidently been discussing the recent
developments, for Dir. Fale was much excited lie
was IN conversation with Dr. BurriI, who had just re-
turned from courtroom where he represented the
Asylum in the habeas corpus case of Miss McCaDe.
"Do MT you think" he said IN reply to the reporters
statement of the purpose of his visit, that you ought
rather 10 have come for information before pub
lshiue the hes OF a crazy snd o. TWO discharged
servants I"
"f you have taken the trouble" was the reply " 10
read the editorial comments on these statements you
would have that they spoken Of as worthy only
Of such credence given TO pare proceedings ana
tnat the probability Of their modification by counter
statements s plainly mentioned"
81 don't care" was the rejonder, " to make any
counter statements We told that we can't live down
the opposition Of the press. Wen see If we can't truth
ran live down all opposition. We don't want anything
Of the newspapers The reporters around picking up
hes in preference truth We don't want anything 10
do with them"
In the present case Mr.. Faile would authorize no
statement except the entire publication IN yester
days TRIBUNE tissue OF lies from beginning to
end concocted by crazy and two discharged
servants. He was asked if Mr.. Van Week was under
stood 10 be insane when he discharged cured but
short time ago. He did not reply directly TO the ques
ton but that Mr. Van Week had been IN the insti
tuition times before and had always gwen them
They had tried TO get rid OF him long before ana
would have been better II they mad done So: M hr ana
Mrs Irwin had been discharged from tnelr SITUATIONS IN
the Asylum. They were now wreaklng petty spite
They were persons whose words were Worth % hGthlng
The Board Of Governors at ths point began ts session
which entirely secret. After the adjournment the
reporter was introduced Nj Kennedy, the VicePres
were strictly private and he could only say that step
i've Y1Sicstob The matter would be discussed in the
courts Thursday and it would have TO rest until then
catye though he declined TO say anything about the
proceedings Of the meeting I'D his view II was the duty
of the Board its official dignity and the past
record Of the Asylum not fly at once into print with
Its vndicaton however annoying The malIs1 jH4--.
. mssI99.%sls or the Board as i2diycae They were
peculiarly situated The Asylum was private nstitu
iion and s conduct apd management were in many re
speet oE family reasons ga, % 1ce Dd TaeS SgR Gi
not TO DC Known Names had appeared Ia the Vi
tbe Irwins which some OF the G9'eTnols % % nsu neT @
heard OF before seeing them IN print Ihere Was com com
pittee Of Elk who visited the Asylum. COnndentIaI
matters did not extend from TINS eNGi G ~ INC %
Board OF Governors lbey Wouu pe Wins W NV , @
Governor state the Mayor OF the city OF any othef
carefly IA might be desired but for obvious reasons
they could not voluntarily the Institution 10 such
hPec1n tSeB taeV would have TO submit He felt
sggrieved as did all the other members OF the Board
thst such statements should he published III the news
papers, but he saw no way 10 prevent IT,
IN COURT-MARY sTANIsLAUS REMOVED TO
BLACKWELL's IsLAND-ANOTHER WRIT OBJ
{, Tanned.
According to the announcement III yester-
aay TRIBUNE the OF habeas corpus IN the case o