The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-21
From an Occasional Correspondent
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Government Hospital for the Insane-The
Claims Fraud-American Tea.
WASHINGTON, Oct. IS. 1875.

hueTiCdu lbd.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S, 1875.
Editor Of tie Globe The charges made
last August by the New York Times against
the management of the " government hos
pital for insane aud the police authorities
of the city has resulted in recent commu-
nication from the district commissioners
to Gen Cowen, assistant secretary of the
interior, of most ingenious character, in
in which the commissioners appear as the
responsible actors in the scene and the
managers of the asylum and police as mere
subordinates. The grave charges made by
the Times that insane and demented pa
tiens were given in charge of policemen
and transported to different parts of the
country and dropped or deserted by the
way side without money enough to buy
meal or a lodging, are not denied, but in
that connection is very adroitly put for
ward law found upon the statute which
provides that nonresident insane may be-,
upon application of the governor of the
district, admitted into the hospital of
the district until the governor can discover
who the friends of such insane persons are,
or from whence they come, with the view
to their being returned to the same.
The Times charges that in one instance
three inmates of the asylum were taken
into carriage and driven over into Mary
land, some sixteen miles, and lett in the
middle of the night upon the bank of d
brook. Concerning this, the communica-
ton states that the night was selected be-
cause of the extreme heat of the day time,
end the report innocently states that "these
three persons became separated from their
escorts while on their way to their homes
and just here the spirit seemed to wax
indignant for an instant and, as if devoid
of compassion for the poor tool of police
officer, we find the only censurc exprossed
or implied by the report against any one
connected with the strange proceeding.
They say ''1t was a culpable neglect of
duty on the part of the officer accompany
ing them 10 permit this" No mention is
made of the instance charged by the Times,
in which member of the police force
wishing to attend certain prize fight in
the west, applied to DR.. Nichols, who is
vice-president of the board of police COM
missoners, as well as superintendent and
| grand manager of the insane asylum, and
was gwen alunatic TO take out west, and a
| chance to attend the mill at government
| expense. The reason given for this strange
proceeding is that the District government
had previously been called upon to pay o
bill amounting to $1,3l2.84 for the treat
mcnt of this class of insane persons.
The insane asylum is one of the most ex-
tensive institutions OF government at
Washington. The immense architecture
which rises from the hills beyond the
anacostia is more suggestive OF giant
castle or the coliseum than anything else.
From the first brick up 1t has been de-
signed and controlled by the present man
agement, and kept as much close corpo-
ration from the outside world as possible.
The different wards are immense brick
structures, and named after the characters
most in favor at headquarters tor instance,
one is called the "Dawes building" another
the Garfield building" and so on after the
different chairmen of the committees on
ways and .neaps and appropriations in
congress. ,.
Congress has usually appropriated very
largely for the support of this institution
but last year in the interest of economy
and reform the immense sums asked for
were not granted, and only the beggarly
pittance of about $150, 900 given according
to vague terms of the act, "for the support.
clothing, medical and moral treatment Of
the insane" which being interpreted means
in effect appropriated to be used at the
managers think best. Congress will doubt
less ask somebody to rise and explain, and
when the light is turned on the public
will perhaps see the mysterious hand so
apt in expedients yet so invisible.
| THE CLAIMS FRAUD.
| Witowski, the Jew, succeeded in getting
a claim of $4,000 through the department
which had paid once, and is in fair way
to pay dear for his little game. To-day
the principal officers of the department
were before the grand jury and the pros
poets are that one member of congress, a
claim agent, and two employees of govern
ment will be indicted. BY u recent deci-
sion of the I'd comptroller certain classes
of claims, heretofore audited by the quar-
ter-master general and the treasury depart
ment, are barred according to acts of con-
gress of 1878 and 1874. This is preliminary
to an important move in the matter OF
southern claims growing out of the war.
| AMERICAN TEA. tI.!l.4.
The superintendent of the agricultural
department is in receipt of reports an
nouncing the successful cultivation of
Chinese tea In many parts of the south.
Native tea in North Carolina is not only
taking prizes at fairs, but is also carrying
of first premiums of prai,e at the dinner
table. When the thrifty house, wife learns
that she can grow the beautiful shrub with
her roses and lilacs and pink, her tea as
she does her sage and catnip, there may
not only be saved million and a half OF
monthly revenue to the country, but an In
fintely better article of tea drank.