New-York tribune., 1872-11-08
CITY NEWS.
ASYLUM HORRORS.

AcAINSr TIIE WARDEN AND OTHER oFFI-
CBRs. ..,
Coroner Hermann concluded yesterday, the
inquest ON tho body OF Louis c. samues patient III
Ward OF the New-York city Asylum IOr sno i.<'uo'
on Wards Island whose death. on Monday OCT 20 was
ALLEGED 70 have been caused by nltreatment at the
hands OF his keeper James Mcdonald His predecessor
FARRELL is now awaiting trial for manslauRhter IN inc
cases deceased patients, Ornell ana seyi inou
A COMMISSIONERS TESTIMONY.
Isaac Bel President OF the Board OF Commissioners
Of Charities and Correction, testified am and nave
been one Of the Commissioners Of Charities ana CoIIo0
ton during hepast Is or Il so far as the uus u
Samucs is concerned, tho Board OF Commissioners 10 NV
responsible; wei thank the Coroner Tor hVeSusa'ns
the subject and we would be thankful to haVe Ooro-
pers doctors laymon or any one else, give us any III
formation which will enable US 10 improve Tue oo"u'O
OF the unfortunate persons c0mmit'eu 10 ou' 0Io'
We have between 5000 and 9OW people uhuer o oH"iSo,
and we feel that would be impossible Tor us 10 proceeu
thor making some mistakes; the printed regulations
~ tho Wards Island Asylum are the same as those AT
,ba p,acNwes Island Asylum; when they are not car
r,d ont we remove the offender whether no occupies
beh or low position; all appointments are made by the
Roard acting according TO its best information and udg
ept OF course improper person may at times, be
appointed. hut when any such are brought to our
notice we take immediate action delnQuents are some
times removed, and sometimes simply reprmanded;
we try 10 deal with them mpartally and according To
the nature their ouscs the Resident Physician and
the Warden have Joint control Asylum under the
direction OF the Board.
Coroner Hermann-why should not tie Resident
Physician have supreme control under the supervision
of the BOardi
Commissioner Bell, in reply to this question read
formal statement regard TO the Asylum regulations
which was placed in evidence.
Commissioner Bell, cOntnuing-Althoughth the Resident
Physician has appointing power, he has supervisory
power and can report any dcrelctiOn of duty on the
part Of other officers and attendants have found
ono ,ftor Of
pacnts are better fed and clothed than in other similar
institutions and much less expense. We have pur
chasing agents for procuring supplies; our meat
formerly supplied by much OS19a ao
petition among butchers who supplied large hotes Oy
contract & od SS sepd II alter Sg hep hotel contracts
so that patients got all The bone and but little meat
during the the fluctuations IN gold caused US 70 IN
sert a clause in contracts giving either sl9e the
option OF Tt9dFs%ms eoay e' took advantage
Of this clause and all threw up lher contracts We nov
SopI buys our beeyes siaugnters them. and delivers
our meat at wharf. where our own men weigh II
tsbie of he Asymm was made by DIR. Eccheverna; !;
ii gives less quantity Of food than is allowed at
the BackwelPs Island Asylum, but lhe Board
competent to Judge the proper quantity Of food; Dr.
Eccheycra wrote TO the Board on OCT 20 'Ia1 nay le OUG
had not heen dispensed IN accordance WIN tne
regulations for several days; that the QuanS served
S1rng the days IN question: il reply to this, Warden
Eurke informed the Board that the food had all been
except day when there we're no potatoes sup,
ply which had npurchased not having Deeh delNerea
IN good time; have many applications for appoint
nent. and the wages paid are sufficient TO secure INC
ants sos aT wear and supply them with everything but
clothes; consider these wages ample ana ti9k an
attendant ought 10 be able to show something nndOme
the savings bank at the end Of the year. we nave %
Coroner Hermanu-Have you found Dr. Eccheverria
to bc good and capable mani mean, was he Gompe-
tent for his position Resident Physcianf A. An Cor
oueT can't crtcse, for au only one OF the Board
examining the subject and 1t would Mt 10 Tor
Juroi-Has your Board ever had occasion to md
fault with DI. Ecchevera A. We are not prepared TO
that question; We are not able to answer IT. iOr
this matter has suddenly before he public and We
make the same answer in regard to the War
den and all other employees We are exam
lining the matter thoroughly on account OF lhe ehalss
made by the public press ogons the management OF the
made in the newspapers keep file OF all such
charges which may be Of sufficient Importance TO de-
1IfR ASSISTANT RESIDENT PHYSICIANS TESTIMONY
Dr. Guy ID. Daley testified: am physician in the
Insane Asylum at Wards Island, and was in charge
during the absence Of the Resident Physician, in Au
gust; deceased was admitted Aug. 10, while suffering
from acute mama a quieting mixture was pre-
scrbed by Dr. Hayden; deceased continued to
severe Inflammation Of one of his feet;
the medicine had no effect; deceased became less Yo-
aud six OF rice daily in addition 10 the regular
diet; he became violent again, and the extra diet was
discontinued by my orders; 1t, IS customary to
keep violent patients On low dieti Dr. Leche-
II had 10 effect IN controlling the mental
disorder Of the patient who sleepess and noisy; no
darrbea four five days ms appetite was yoia-
Ous and be would frequently ask for such dinners
as aio supplied at frstclass hotels; at one time
he complained TO me that an attendant had en-
tered his room al night, and tried to murder him;
examined the patient, and nndlng no MARKS OF
violence concluded that the complaint was ground
less aud only evidence OF the insanity Of the patient
complaints from patients are OF almost daily occur
renee. aud are regarded as evidences OF insanity
deceased told that he had been forced into cold
bath; had such been the case thluK ne would
nave shown subsequent symptoms OF brOn
little and my opinion died simply from nervous ex
haustOn caused by brain disease and not by darrhea
the same ward were Dubbed WIN ularuea put 10 was
epidemic nor considered dangerous nave Deen con-
Hected with the Asy lum since June o. =, was was
physician Of an insane asylum before
formerly County Physician OF st. Pau's County,
Minnesota where had frequent occasion TO treat In
emgrants, OF whom great many arrived at that
place; when had charge OF the asylum dismissed two
attendants for neglect Of duty and nsubordnation re-
member only one instance IN which have seen an at
tendant under the influence OF HquOr that attendant
was discharged among the 45O patients at the asylum
have known OF scurYy, ana these were
not attributable 20 lack Of sufficient vegetable diet
THE RESIDENT PHYSICIAN RECALLED.
Dr. NJ G. Eccheverra, Resident Physician, testified
Tie attendant Calvin testified the other day that did
not visit Ward several days prior to the death Of
samuels and i wish 70 contradict that statement;
visited the ward every day, and made notes
OF my visits in my diary diary read. showing
newspapers and elsewhere that exaggerated the fact
IN stating that the patient Cassidys was broken;
he been sufficiently sane would have brought him
here to-day that my statement was perfectly
correct: Gov Hoffman visited the Asylum last Monday;
was very much displeased with It's management,
and said the evils should be remedied (; = on
leaving Asylum he told me that be did not envy my
position; Calvin testified that the food was suhcleni
but last sunday he reported in writing Deter pro
duced that the patients Of Ward had no milk they
are allowed i've quarts per day. but he said that ne
airy table from 46 dietary tables OF English lunatlc
asylums y has been examined Dy seNeIat We a.