Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-07-23

iinued him IN that ofhce during the re-
mainder Of his ssprintendency. This AP-
pOintmont. as might be naturally expect
ed. opened the door for fraud and chicau-
cry, upon the rart Of some Of the officers
Of the institution. At Burlington, in July
1872, Joseph A. Stockton, a person con-
fined in the asylum, as insane, was
brought before Judge pierrOint on a writ
Of H0beds Corpus, and at that hearing
William II. Rockwell, Jr., on behalf Of
the asylum, produced what purpOrted
TO be the Certificate of DR.. Rockwell, SEN,
certifying to StockIon's irsanity, which
paper was dated. as Of the date Of Stock
toms admission as patient and claimed
through counsel, that the statute Of 1855
was bar to further proceedings. Judge
Pierpoint SO held and recommitted Stock.
ton, without any examination as to his
sanity or insanity. Stockton, being a
citizen of another State, applied to the
United States Court for relief, which was
afforded him and he was discharged. DR..
William II. Rockwell, Jr., in his testimo-
ny before the committee, admitted that he
dated the Certificate back that it was q
copy; that the original was not in his
possession; and that in fact he never, to
his knowledge, had seen the original, and
that this paper on which Stockton was
committed was made after he (Stockwell)
had escaped from the asylum. We deem
the foregoing fact a sufficient commentary
on the statute of 1855. Wo.believe that
legislation looking to the guarding of per-
sons against improper commitment to the
asylum, should he had; and would sug
gest something like the law in Massachu
setts providing in substance that no per
son resident of this State, except only
such as shall be brought by virtue of tn,
Certificate of u Court Of Record, and un
der seal, shall be admitted ss a patient
without the Certificate Of two physicians
one of whom shall b. the patients famil,
physician, and further, that said cirtH
cate shall not be received without the ad
ditional Certificate of Justice Of tn
Peace, that the physicians signing sue
Certificate are physicians in good and rec
ular standing, and that medical examir
ers be elected by the Legislature to ez
anime all persons brought from othc
: states for admission as patients in sal
: asylum.
We arc satisfied persons have been az
I, mitted to said asylum who were not il
g sane, and who we're admitted on the ci
r tiicate of single physician hence II
necessity Of some law guarding and pr
tecting the rights of sane persons.
Your committee find that the supple
of food at the institution are sufficient
3 quantity and quality, and a re unanimo,
i in the opinion that the food is well cooke
and d:operly served.
At the time your committee visited Il
!. asylums at Northampton and Concor
6 they were accompanied by tho suprintc
}. dent Of the Vermont asylum and his a
, torney. From thorough examinati'
l. of these institutions, we are confirmed,
G our opinion, that the modern improv
i ments have not yet been adopted in Il
@ Vermont asylum, but we found on Il
f. Oath of june that extensive changes a
is being made. Two additional wings a
h in process of erection, each 35x40, o.
a Of which, when completed, will be thr
d and the other four stories high. The
3. wings, we were informed, would give Of
v hundred and twenty additional rooms t
d patients, each room being SxlO and nj
1t feet studd;ug. Each room will be fu
ID nished with two hues for the reception
~ pure air and the expulsion Of foul a
At and it is proposed to warm the entl
,e buildings, new and old, with steam, a
of ventilate them by the most modern
t. ventilating apparatus, the fan. wa
IL the new buildings are completed, the o
S. GERS propose to remove all the patie'
W now in underground apartments to mo
Sc comfortable quarters above ground. The
t. changes and improvements have been
It progress since the appointment OF |
n- Draper, superintendent Of the Institute
j. DR.. Draper was appointed ed upon the
ID sienation Of DR. William Fl. Rockwell Jl
m and took charge Of the institution
cr February last.
It. Your committee we're shown the reco
re of vote in 1862, by which the trust'
VS. voted to putin steam heating apparatus
ID that time, bu. the fire of that year P
e. vented tho carrying out Of the vote at Il
a time.
cd We feel that we cannot conscientiou
m close this report without earnestly rece
ty mendiug the erection Of State Asylum
on be under the watchful eye of the good P
1t. pie Of this State, that private intere