New-York tribune., 1872-09-17
ASYLUM HORRORS.
oIrTRAGEs COMMITTED IN THE HARTFORD
INSANE RETREAT.

Tpr,rNrNT-A SAD STORY OF SUFFERING
am wRONG-THE REFORM IN CONNECTICUT.
rbe following communication Is pubhSheu
reely A. reaches us, in order that every reauer may
indigo of tho intelligence and sanity Of the writer "hoso
name IA appended in flL The communication is eVl-
ontlv written more in sorrow than in anger; and
painful revelation which ought to insure at once aeuOh
r,ius, The Hartford Retreat management Dy 'o
Legislature. s-,, ,trpYnvN Sent
I'd Sfor Of The Tribune.
DEAR SIR: friend handed me THE TRIBUNE contain
lc, a. account Of Reporters" experience IN the Lu
pstic Asylum at Bloomngia le. which nave re"u WI"
s interest as my own erper fence seven years ago, IN
Hartford Insane Retreat" in Conn Tor the term %
three months comes viyidly to my mind can but re-
ioicc and thank my heavenly Father, that man OF '-
ent and common humanity has been influenced 10 hVes
tratc the subj, imprisoning men. and women VIII
ont trll by udcc, jury. In those prisons WhlCn III
many respects worse than ielons cel' sum- t, T M
sane Ny pleasant, and once happy nome, was s .,h @
broken up by evil, and designing persons, anu iv & r
pose. two physicians were consuted, one tG -
rrcd ss he afterwards told mel by what Others tOiu
him. and both Of them signed oSt even pS' consult
iuc INV parents and other friends, living IN the same
fSom NV home forced into the cars with the promise
nom this stranger an tnae IL of me- Re-
fr,a" that might return with him on the next lfah
49, dsV WHEN he saws 10 me, "You cannot so home
aud viii yOu believe you must 20 10 Hartford II lsneW
you the have got to take yog there on magine
nv feelings II possible wifeand mother OF four ch-
rtn 70 the power Of another with strong arm 10
force me- contrary TO my Will had NOT lhe ieds sus
pcon OF being caTeerated %h anaIS to m bu ase by
& ,strnn INTO lie Reception ROOM" TO lay my
sRaSl' ana bonnet when as 1 told them, expected to
u.c "What have YOU got in your pocketP strange
question thought. bat took out pOItenone, Pepom, P
trys and pearl handled knife "a CHRISTMAS glIl, On
MS dear sOn which have never seen since. She heiu
mem and m ~ T nsng Sbered Hio Boitory hail." where
ten beds, hve on each SIDE, ana seNen!Seh
ue ieit,t tendency 10 insanity should have been
.sing maniac for that was Tie nrst moment h.u INC ho
ltrou cannot stay here, she began to Introduce
b ITre ewes staring from their socket 10 me,
wIu-Ing her bands saying, Lave you sHen au9 s nnns
e natron says. on, don't be afraid OF her she per
crty harmless Itook seat by the window ana ana cSl %
5,d a ee.en In having me placed inside these prison
walls without shadow OF Trial. or one single word OF
tcuon brought as showing insanity, "Oulu uS anu anu
make myself useful there, ny comforting those aIOuu
me- ici Jesus was with Ine' and gave me grace
Lc patients seemed quiet as that was the suicidal ai
and In the euug they gathered around me talked
them Of saylors love- and now We nus try " % UIar
fl our trials with Christian resignation, Knowing lhey
aic signed for good when this same woman VINO
cat good To- hear You talk Of Jesus" On the power Of
noness and sSmPSi&ny & e 20 C m control Ihelr reason
But do they as general t6lDg ma tils Is IN lh 5nCr @
Nness fact that kindness and sympathy are rare
Sraces insane prison. as 1t proves TO De 10 A9hoIeus
who thrust IN 10 get them out OF the Way Ntn0uI M
shadow Of a Trial or the least insane hel0lleI eau van
a
and Imprisoned within those boiled d0ois ana oaIISu
windows, having all communication with friends outside
on II the doctor wills It, and iorbdSlng Parents
1rothSis' OF e ~ tr M 'tSSet6er and refusing TO
hear the SIMPLE truth respecting my wrongs from my
Two brothers, who immediately TO my rescue as
soon as they heard OF my imprisonment on, how little
do friends outside know Of The sunerngs within those
prsOu-walls; Tor patent shOuIu NIlte oue t WVLu
about ms suferngs TO his friends outside ,hat etIer
never would be sent to them but doctor might write 10
them, Tue patent IS gaining anu gv''irs os
thry are enduring inc most lntCnse s'G'Ips, &
bodily mentally. made up my inlnd 10 40 an tIaI
TeGured OF me If possible ana soipo6c % JHS
M"uu @ 80 ',V r ,Iu.iI. 1'f oiteT had been there two
months he wrote 10 my cousin Il nave the IetteU
have not as yet been able TO decide respecting Mrs
E,ces mental iacultles She pleasant agree
aOle woman; she makes complaint OF any person nor
anything about the Institution" Reporter KNOWS t ~
wOu1 bc hald place iora person 10 De kept Week ater
week. when the doctor could not discern Ihe est vo
VI insanity but must ~ % DaCh "T ~" SIN informed tba1
that caused me intense sunelng was vas m au6 o,%"
every day tie patients tat couid get up alu frt
10 @o' ia ia Irfiir lad aI ininry in my limb and went
WITH cIutches year. and the nerves were 80 weak
never had able 10 walk but short distance and
Lax my nervous system asked him 10 let me write to
ny rends and get tner testimony, or II ne would h1o ~
wIto 10 them, as they WOud elI nm Mas nOt aiT -
OiL "NO," replies, sterny, 1T Is your crazy DO
non" sald q" cannot do il many times 1t viii pros,
kepI IN bed iye day ied on sOls ana t9ok a pow
80 ~. .Ir,.n,tI al nv nerves While was in he
wrote 10 lly lricuds ana they told him not able 10
10 up ANA down stars, walk out with the patients,
ss suppose, being required 10 do it atterward;
ana m iact Il never would nave done it. ior from that
tue / never all day, nor stood ON my feet nVe
minutes time for seven months IL ala seem haiq
10 DC tnus treated pa DVd gave ine sLaCe aI4 a.
e that yOuld trust Him. IL would Dc OVefIuleu LOT
good, ana probably permitted LOT some "lso PI-
one Of the patients ian intelligent LADY,, who
ought not 10 be kept year after year, said 10 me
Mrs. Rice believe you were put IN here To- expose he
doings iu ,ese asyuIns" resolved while there II Cod
spared my lfe aud was again permitted TO ENJOY my
feedOln do ali that was capable OF DONG 70
nave altered that others need not sller as
nave suffered. A1ter Dr. Butler had been the means
,f my scOmlng feeble, he would not release me, as
ly had been prepaid for three months; ana no
would allow father or mother husband OF IIIehd 70
sist me untl ten long weeks had expired. Had my
lear father known he could have gone 10 lawyer ana
lad me taken by writ Of hGbedS eoTpuSj he WOuIu
laye done il immediately but lie was expecting
he doctor would see l was not insane, anu
WOULD course, release me, not even susPectlng
he foul play practiCed in these "Instltuuons" The
mnorIngs my dear parents can only De imagined as
.ber nrst-bOrn daughter, who had always AFed Wlthh
fpur miles Ot them aud whom they had such cOnn-
ieuce, suddenly away ana imprisoned Win
anics beg perfcctly sane mind Suffice IL TO say,
alter l3 long weeks was released from prison. broken
strength, and better IN mind lLlugs were
G1y eaT e, !, ian that asked and obtained divorce
from NY husband, have bought pleasant tenement III
south Mcrden, have regdned my Strength nave seven
and reason TO thank my heavenly
Palmer daily Tor the blessings lie is cOnfeung upon me-
1 am ready and willing 10 give my testlmOhy re-
snertug The treatment of patients witnessed while ~
'H.rtford Insane Retreat" under the superintendent
Of Dr. John Butler -Four years agO drew up petluOh
-, ,reent Ia our state Legislature late 10
have t reoeiyeds 1wO years ago made another en0rt
had 70 printed ana sent them 10 persons ia 1ieI
eut parts Ol TIC state, 'kug them 10 sign anu Uota
signatures, and send them back 10 me by the l5th OF
April. but few responded. aud solicited what names
could amounting Ia all TO ljG sent II IN 70 the Legs
afure Nd wac read and referred TO the Judiciary Com
Iulttee was brought before the House 10 form Oi
baIl," and huay put over 10 the next session
s permitted appear before the COMMITTEE ana make
statement The present year. az there was almost an
entire change n Representatives. had 210 more
struck OF ON the send YOU won't 10 the Leglsla-
ture distributed aDd left them 10 Oe chCudtedj Dlt
thoIe other business Of more Importance II seems
passed without its being called up on now many
more must suher before Inc peDLc nlHu @ VIZ I I s' ~