The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-30
Adventures of Reporter i'm New
York Eunntic ASy startling EN'
position. &c.

wv
The New York TrIbunC has been investi-
eating the management of the Bloomln@d;lc
Lunatir Asylum in Il novel way. One of its
reporters having, by direction of his cm-
ploycr placed himself under restraint in that
institution a> Il pretended lunatic, makes an
rrc1sc of the institution and its management
which is startling. The T1'ib,me editorially
SAYS:
On August l4th Julius Chambers, a re.
porter OF the TVjune, was consigned to
BIoomin"dalc Lunatic Asylum by regular
process of law. and was placed 10y the assist
ami phy>iciau in charge in the wards for eH-
cited patients. being thought dangerous
mani,c. Al the end of a week he appeared
lhv instruction from this oiticc) to be SO much
improved that he WAS removed to the Wartl
for quiet patients, and encouragement was
held out hv the same physician that III six or
seven weeks he might be discharged. On
saturday last, after writ OF hGbedS corpus
ior his release had been served, DR.. David
+. Brown, superintendent of the institution
talked with him for an hour or two, ana
| being familiar with the disease which he
simulated, at once saw that the reporter was
sane. On Monday, ii the earnest solicitation
Of the phy>rian and the legal adviser ot The
a>yllln consent WAS given that he be released
| without further public legal proceeding
Tuesday. however, Mr.. John ID. Townsend,
in whose name the application for release
WITS made. explained in the supreme Court
| his connection with the case, and the tact
| that the person committed was reporter OF
! this paper.
The reporters story Of his incarceration
| IN the asylum will he told i'll detail III to-
| mnrrow'> it9t"nc. accompanied 10y his sworn
affidavit of the truth of all he states.
In making this investigation OF this in>tl.
| tuition the Ii1hUHe was prompted 10y no mo-
| lives IT idle curiosity. no purpose to mis-
! represent. 40 object other than to arrive
ut the WlIol" trulh i'll the mcst direct way
and in Il MANNER Which would satisfy and
made in fixed and dcarCtully-claborated plan
to test the LEGAL issues involved. and the trutl
of charges previously put forth hy former
ciupluyC< Of the asylum. To have bIlbct
Two physicians to certify falsely his madncS.
would have been to prove only that there
| were fu.ups in the profession; hence it wa:
decided to leign insanity and test the scientific
| knowledge of the committing physicians
| wv l'l'kltNiIN lIi,t q hiN"iNN'' 'e'
dent. aud a professional nurse pronounced
the man "a violent lunatic, dangerous tc
| himself and others" 1t was charged that
strangers to patients sometimes committed
them. II was therefore decided that abso
ll!ie strangers should lie employed. 1t was
said that police justices committed mel
| without examination.
The Justice who sent our reporter tc
| BooninrtlaIc never saw him at ail, and doe:
not know the names Of the persons or physi
| clans who made the application. The gov
| crnor OF the asylum, to whom application wa:
made for admission. declared that the phySi
| cIlns at the asylum would receive no patient
without his Endorsement. Ii was therefore
decided to avoid this governor altogcth"r
and IN spite of the strict regulations the ply
Sicians in charge received the patient, ant
without even asking the name Of one Of the
! gentlemen committing him, and after an eX
animation of less than one minute consigned
| him to the ward for excited patients. The
reporter was directed to study carefully the
| character of the attendants and physicians
| the condition OF the apartments, nature O
| the general treatment, whether cruel or Kind
| the character OF the meals supplied, and tt
obtain the statements of any persons whom
he had reason TO think sane.
1t was also charged that the physicians
connived at the removal of patients fol
whom wrts Of hubeds had been procured
having some means OF communication with
the court ly which they were advised in adj
vance of such proceedings. To test this
question writ OF habeas corpus was served
but the prisoner had not ueen removed, and
no. suggestion was made of removal. But
strenuous efforts to keep the matter from the
courts were madc, and finally with success
The detailed story of these adventures to be
told by the reporter will be plain, unvar'
nished tale, without reservation OF names OF
facts, and we are sorry to say that it Will bl
adverse to the institution, and reflect pain
fully on the law of commitment and It's at
ministiation in this city.
p,,S,suMEST IN TIE NAvY.-Two marines,