, 1875-01-28
fuaet Sound Dispatch
For the Dispatch.
The Asylum Investigating t?'
Committee.

Committee.
The Committee appointed by the Gov
ernor aud Auditor to Investigate affairs
Of tho Territorial Asylum for the In
sane. have made report exon rating
Mr.. Harmon and endorsing his man.
agement Of that Institution I am
charged in that report With making an
affidavit that cannot be recnnciled with
my report to the Leeislafnre. I am
charged with fsisehood. lam prepared
to meet the charge. Let the people
Judge between us.
This Committee Of Investigation in
their report take particular and special
paine TO risrepresent the grounds saw
proper to take against the present sadly
defective management Of the Insane. in
my report to the las Legislature. and
would have the public helieve there is
an irreconcilahle difference between the
tenor Of my report and an affidavit since
made by me alleging specially brutal
treatment Of patient by one of Mr.
Harmon's q attendants.
One Of the main objects Of their mis-.
sion seems, i, steady Of honestly exa H.
lining into abuses perpetrafed by some
of the attendants upon the patients. to
be to assail both my private and profess
sional character.
The actions and report Of the Com
mitter. in my Judgment. are Of such q
character as to justify the belief tha,
their deliberations were Influenced more
| by the interests Of the contractor than
by humane regard to the proper sail
| iary treatment of patients under his
! shurCe.
Legal gentlem n were employed by
Mr.. Harmon to look after bis interests
and TO destroy or pervert any testimony
against him. This Mr. Harmon hnd an
undouh!ed right ~ do. But that com
mittee should b.. been so constituted
~ to sift the evidence for themselves
and reach their Cwn conclusions uuail
ed by lawyers and unembarrassed BY
the hospitalities of Mr.. Harmon.
learned rem an eye witness of the
proceedings that Mr. Harmon counsel
who managed the Investigation for him
used their utmost Ell deavors, and sue
! ceeded in n great measure. to have al
evidence tending to exculpate him aud
bis attendants. received bv the commit
tee. and all. or nearly all having con
trary tendency rejected or no motto,
taken of it.
Thus the public will discover how ut
terly futile it would have been to bring
evidence before such a committee.
! l. is not true tns' was present dur.
ing most Of their sit,ings," not ever
ten Minutes. 1t is not true that re
peatedIy refused to he sworn. / WAS no
asked by any member of that committee
to appear and be sworn. remarked
however. to DR.. Wilson, that I would
under the circumstances. pay no stten
tion to TIE committee and let them dc
as they liked; that if they desired t.
make an honest Investigation they woull
do So; that if it was their intention Il
protect Mr.. Harmon. they would d,
that at all hazards. regardless Of wha
testimony might be brought before
them. And further. that if Mr.. Har'
mon was not afraid of an honest an6
thorough investigation. could not un
uerstaRd why be had so many law, erl
employed to defend him.
1t is not frne, as the committee ~onli
have the public believe. that KEEP
matters of outrageous abuse of patient,
concealed. never attempted any suct
thing. This Is u gross misrepresents
tioD. But I WAS fully aware Of on.
thing, that if had preferred charge.
and entered complaint against Mr.. Han.
mon or any of his ATTENDANTS. he pos.
sessed the power. and would speedily
nse it. too, to crush it ont; and finally
when reported unfavorally to the 1t
gislsture on the very defective and un.
satisfactory method o. management nnc
treatment # the Insane he gave unmis
taxable proof Of the power lie possessed
to eject NE from rny position.
THIS investigating committee in tbei'
report accuse me Of lAipg. Now let ns
exnm, ne into he fac and see il there
art amy condicIing or Inconsistent state
men:s made In my Asylum report and
the affidavit since made.
II wish to have it distinctly under.
stood here. that Desrly all the evidence
of abuse of patients during my term Of
service at the Asylum. has come to lighl
since my expulsion therefron,. through
former attendants and patients-)
In my report to the Legislature adj
mitted that MIR. Harmon and most Of
his attendants and assistants had done
everything in their power to render the
patients comfortable. also stated that
wholesome food had been faithfully
served. and that my instructions ESQ fal
as raw fit to communicate them II
certain attendant. having charge of pa
tients) regarding the medical. moral and
sanitary management of the Institution,
had b. en- generally acquiesced in, and ]
believed. without exception. cheerfully
executed. -
stated. nevertheless. that / was
fully convinced, from the experience |