The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-16
THE JACKSON INSANE ASYLUM
How it is Conducted.
The Institution Robbed by its Officers.
The Inmates Starved to Death.
The Superintendent Discharged for Max
ing the Disclosures.

istratOrs OF the Insane Asylum OF LOulSian
to the Legislature for the year 1873, printe
at the Republican office. "a Camp street, Ia
been sent to us, and we are not aware thu
the press of the city has either made an
comments upon the administration Of thi
institution. or has had an opportunity
make any,
The Republican. "a Camp street. had tn
report and printed it, and az that press
supported only by forced exactions from tn
people, it no doubt took pleasure in printing
document which proved that the insane coul
be robbed and starved to death, and that tn
treasurer Of this institution was up to average
honesty OF Radical Office holders. We do no
know the names OF the members of the Boart
Of Administrators. The report is signed b.
the President of the board, L. NJ. J. Clark.
The report commences by saying that 18th,
at all satisfactory to the board, but for the fol
lowing reasons it was impossible for them tc
make any change, or to place the financial
management in better hands,
The board, newly appointed, met for the
first time 14th April, 1878: one week prior to
this, the old board elected the present trea-
surer, and gave him two warrants, each for
SO, 500, upon the State Auditor, being one
half OF the appropriation made for the support
of the institution for that year. The board
had grave doubts about the right Of the
retiring board to elect a treasurer. As liti-
CATION was threatened. if another treasurer
should be elected. he was suffered to retain
his position.
The board then say, "under these circum-
stances, and with one-half the entire appro-
priation in the hands Of the treasurer, we
were forced to accept him, no matter whether
it was good or bad to do so. He Teoli7ed the
ad,untoye Of his position, aud, ere regret to say
has made bad use Of it, and has, by the total dis
regard Of the trust co'fded to him. inflicted the
wratious and harlships upon the unhappy IN
mates so fully and 50 Justly set .tortA ~ the
report Of the Superintendent
His report then says Z resolutions and re.
strictons regulating the disbursements of the
funds were passed, and where it suited the
private interests OF the treasurer, he did 50,
and where it did not, he ignored them with
the greatest indifference"
We make some extracts from the report Of
L. A. Burgess, NJ. D., Superintendent.
"The inmates, he says, without excep-
ton, are suffering from marked debility,
brought on for want OF a suitable diet, and by
exposure to cold
Until this year, fresh beef in sufficient
quantity. has always been furnished the asy-
lnm three days in each week-on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays but the butcher,
having unpaid bills amounting to two thou
sand six hundred dollars, and having exhaus.
ted all his own means, both OF money and
credit, gave notice on the twentieth OF Octo-
ber that unless payment was made for the
amount due, he would be compelled to dis. +,
continue the supply OF beef at the end of that
month. No attention was paid to this by the
treasurer, who. perhaps, saw an opportunity |
of selling more bacon to the asylum he hay
ing the exclusive patronage by cutting Off
the supply OF fresh beet, and the entire estab-
including the sick. feeble, debili-
lated and healthy, We're placed upon diet Of
salt pork from the first to the eighteenth of
November, when arrangements were made by
him for taking two hundred pounds of fresh
beef per week. With this addition to our
scanty supply OF provisions some improve
nent was made in the dietetic scale Of the
'ick and very feeble, while all the balance
we're, and are still, confined to the treasurers
bacon, which often ranks high, and is at
lines very rusty. Many Of the patients re-
use to eat it, and We're it not for the yege-
ables raised upon the premises, and mainly
by the labor OF the male patients, such as cab
page, turnips and sweet potatoes. it would
be impossible to fix the limit beyond which
he death rate would not extend. There were
funds sufficient to pay the butcher, and in fact
ne was ordered to be paid by resolution of the
BOARD, passed May 5, but this evidently es-
,aped the notice Of the treasurer, who placed
he balance remaining from that quarter,
hree thousand six hundred dollars to his own
lccount.
The inmates are entirely too scantilv clad !.
or the winter. and. besides this. there are no
ABILITIES for warmn. the buildings. The
,rder for winter clothing was made out early
n October. and. through the representation
VI the treasurer. was given to the firm Of Pr
ard Il We'll. of Bayou Sara. who promised to
i'll it without delay. This promise was not
complied with. and the patients were without
hoes. socks or stockings until the last days
If November, Notwithstanding the weather at
lines was very cold and hard frosts were COM
non. and in spite of every effort to keep the
oarefooted within doors. and protected against
he cold, several cases Of frost-bite occurred.
do not mean to say that all were entirely
Daretooted. but none had socks or stockings.
md fully one-third were without shoes, and
Is these were worn out there was none to re-
place them. There is a mystery about this
Try goods transaction that can not under
tand. The goods were paid for by the asy-
um before they we're delivered at least such
appears to be the case from the entry in the
ash book, while the invoice tor them is made
,ut against the treasurer in his private indi-
;idual capacity, and not against the asylum
IS it should be.
From January until April of this year, the
OF jackson supplied the asylum. it
,eing without funds, and without credit else
where, but strange to say, only those who were
indebted to the treasurer could get their
.laims paid, he taking them at A discount OF
light per cent and charging up the full
mount to the asylum.
The city of New Orleans pays two-thirds OF
Ja1