Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-30
Tie Insane People Sent from this t;ty to Maryland
Maryland Only Getting Her Orn,
yaliO state rnents OF the Affair.

GERS of the Metropolitan police force were
driven in one of KUox's express omuibuses
To the government asylum in this District:
and that, after receiving from DIR. Chas H.
HlChoi>, the superintendent Of the institu-
Ton iree OF The insane inmates. they were
driven into Maryland and about midnight
matted In woods in the neigh bOrhood of Up
Per Marlboro. Md, here The patientS were
taken nom the vehicle and lett there, the
team and officers being driven back to WASH
iugton The order for tEeF press wagon, ac-
corCing TO the statement vi ThoS C.. Gearv
livery stable proprietor In the city, came
nom police headquarters, and two officers.
Cornell and Berkeley. of the police force. ac-
cCmpa.4ied the Crivcr in the stage The dri-
Yer says that insane patients were placed in
the stage and driven to Broad Creek, where
| the patients We're put of in the darkness of
| doned.
AFFIDAVIT OF THE DRIVER.
The driver, t. Francis Turnburke made an
affidavit yesterday before Justice Charles
! Walter published in the Baltimore GdsGtte
| this morning., in which he sets forth sub
stantially as follows: That on or about the
employer, Thomas c. Geary, TO proceed with
| Officers John Cornell and = Berkley in a
| twO-hoTse omnibus belonging to KnOx's ex-
| press company, to some point beyond the
| limits Of the city, at that time not designa-
| ted. That he was tie driver of the team and
| left Washington on the evening of the said
2Nih day of June about dusk, and after en-
| terlng the wagon he was ordered TO drive TO
! the government insane asylum, ia the Dis
! trict OF Columbia, which was reached about
. o'clock. That acting under the orders of
tt1cer COnneil witness drove into the
grounds OF tie asylum, and after few min
uteS delay three OF the inmates OF said inSti-
tuition were brought Out OF the building from
me iioht entrance, and placed in the wagon
which he (WltuCsSl was driving. Two Of
these persons were males and the remaining
one was a female, and one Of the former wit
ness believes, was white, the others being
negroes. That the three persons so placed IN
me sald venice were, 10 the best belief of
witness, insane. which they indicated by
singing and talking incOhcrently during the
| journey into Maryland. That the wagon.
containing the officers mentioned above and
The three insane persons referred 10, left the
asylum grounds, driven by witness. between
ana 10 cock on the night named above.
me order given by Officer Conncil to witness
GelDg 70 drive Ia the direction % Tpper
Marlboro, Prince Georges county, Nd, via
| the Marlboro road, that after getting IS tar
| rs the National race course Officer COnn4l
said he had changed his mind. and directed
witness to drive toward the village of
Il>cataY @ %, in Prince Georges, county.
Upon reaching Br' al Creek lIiII witness
declined 10 proceed further IN the direction
OF ElScataWay, on account OF the steep grade.
ana aVlng no break or The stage. That the
| omn!Lu us was then stopped on the hill about
| three hundred yards from the creek, and the
officers dismOunted, taking the three insane
PERSONS with them. II was at this time a
little past midnight, and utter darkness pre-
vailed That tie officers proceeded in the
direction Oh tue creek, and soon passed out OF
sight OF witness. They We're absent about
ten minutes. when the officers returned alone
and remarked that they had left the three
persons near the creek. Officer Berkeley re-
marked that he dislikCd being compelled TO
leave the insane persons in such a place and
In such an hour of the night, but that he was
compelled 10 do so, remarking that IL was "a
shame To put the poor devils ont i'm the will
derness al that hour Of the night, )" or words
u that effect. That after the officers returned
10 the stage witness saw 10 more of the
insane persons and has no knowledge OF what
become OF them: the creek was about forty
ieel vice and at time quite deep. That the
witness left the creek about L. 90 O'clock and
washington was reached about O'Clock
Oiicer Berkley WAS LEFT on Pennsylvania
avenue, and Officer ConHell was driven to
2lh street. Witness then returned to KnoX's
Express Office, and after disengagIng the
EoTSeS rom the stage left II there, and CiroIe
alley.
WEIT Or. cox SAYS ABOUT IT.
! me Prince GeGTgjGli. OF the sd inst. says.
About ten days ego a crazy man appeared
upon our streets VINO had been cOnfiret in
he ST. Elizabeth United StateS) UoSDi,aI
| be stated that he mad not escaped, but, TO-
| gether with several others of the inmates,
| thorltIes at night, brought into our county
and then turned loose. His relatives in
Washington were written to, and the result
1 Of their INQUIRIES went to confirm his state
ment. a few days afterwart q poor crazy
negro came rushing through our streets, and
about the same time a crazy woman ap-
Ht<tltu N Ille nGI2lDOInCOt, both utter
strangers 10 our people. On Tuesday white
man passed through town. like the one who
came first, he had no shoes, but walked in hlS
| stocking feet, brandiShing a cane and acting
| in most eccentric manner. which left no
doubt on the minds of those who saw him
that he was insane. Finally the Board of
Health In Washington was written to, de-
talllne the state ment given above, and ask
ing II the poor creature could not be returned
| TO the 81. Elizabeth Hospital, as he had ORR
giHaliy beeu committed from that CITY for
4 insane "a White -
threats uttered there against the President.
BOARD OF HEALTH,
| WushiHgiCgl, u. e., July ., IS76
| M DeI' 81: find that d number OF insane
persons were sulumarily discharged. as i'm
| properly charged TO the District Of Columbia.
ana presume the young man alluded to in
your letter among them. There seems to be
no provision for beneficiaries from any of
me ,hers states; TIE proper place for him is,
lum, near Baltimore. In consideration OF
| Inc pecuniaTy assistance the state renders
that insti tuition, provision is made for a GER
| tam number Of INDECENT patients within it's
| wards from Maryland. In haste, very truly
yours, CHRIS. c. Cox
| STATEMENT OF MAJOR RICHARDS.
| Major Richards, Superindent of Police
was called upon by the Baltimore Gnz0tte'S
| representative, who stated the ca e TO him
| and added that as there was much interest
being felt in Maryland in reference 10 the
| matter. he desired To know if he had any ex-
| planstiOn 10 offer. Major Richards, In reply,
said substantially that personally he was
hot familiar with the case referred to. He I'M
uerstOOC, however, that there had been some
patients removed from the Asylum lately
| and some of them had been taken TO Mary
land Officer Council, ne understood. had
superintendent their removal from the Asy-
lum. Major Richards further stated that
the Asylum was designed especially for the
insane OF the District OF Columbia, but that
Tor some time past natives OF different States
| had been sent there, having been found in
sane in Washfn gton. The District Commits
| siOners had requested DR.. Nichols to furnish
/ a list of all non resident patients who were
OF the District, since when they had been re-
moved from time to time TO various States
as opportunity Offered. Some bad been sent
1 To North Carolina, being provided with free
transportation to their friends, and placed on
| the cars. AS far as he was aware, the three
| cases referred to above were the only ones
removed from the Asylum into Maryland
| In reply to an inquiry as to why they had
been removed in such an extraordi nary wav
at midnight and abandoned in t he manner
above described. Major Richa rds replied
that he knew nothing about 1t and that DR..
Nichols had only, as far as he was aware,
obeyed the instructions ofthe District Conn
mfssioners in causing their removal from
the institution.
The Truth OF the Matter,
STATEMENT OF DIR. C. II. NICHOLS
A STAR reporter called on Dr. C. II
Nichols, superintendent at the asylum, to.
day, and called his attention to the above
Qrf nv nhDlc