, 1875-01-21

lnget Sound dispatch.
1ERS4H 8R0x:s.:: EDz104l
o.eaaI., W.. saa. n. MS
Report Of the investigating
CommitAee.-
Hw ExcrrlxxcY. E. r. FEsr1. Gov
xxxox, AND Hox. J. n. MuRIzY. HrDsr,a
OF wAsu1xoToN TxlRrroKY: Gentlemen:
Your commission. appointed for ihe
purpose Of examining complaints made
in reference to the management Of the
Insane Asylum At Steilscoun. IN oNeds
sscstD a.thesity csasxan-d In your let.
~ of1epointment. did, on the 9Th DE-,
u January. 1875. proceed to said a.yl.
un. and after patient and thorough.
examination. lasting for period Of i've
days. of all the documents. af1davits
and witnesses produced before Us. beg
leave respectfully to submit the follow
ing report: '.1'hat we hnd no charges
other than those contained in afidavita
accompanying this report. and no per-
SON willing to make or prosecute charR-
=. No. having authority to inforce the
attendance of witnesses. subFmnas were
issued, which the Sheriff refused to
serve, because there vas no provision
made for hia fees; finally DIR. Wil'ison
agreed to notify and procure the Wit
1esses, that in ps instance has the pa
ter. beea roughly or inhumane'y treat
ed. eitkes by tkA direction. knowledge,
or consent of Hill Harmon; that akhs'
in one OF moro cases. more force may
have been used than was necessary to
effect the object sought. no harm result
cd therefrom; that i, was no more than
may sometimes occur in any asylum;
and in one or two instances . patient
vas abused. but against the express or
ders Of Mr.. Harmon; that the evidence
established clearly that Mr.. Harmon'a
express orders were that no more force
should b. used than was necessary. and
tha4ia 10 oass would he pe,mit patients
10 be abused.
Your committee cannot. Of courss.
recite all the svi lence bpought out be-
fore ~. Very much vaa frivolous in
eharsctsr and not worthy of serious con-
alteration. Other of the evidence. par
ticularly that contained in the "ffidavlf".
vss deemed unreliable. Indeed. one of
ths aGants. Kellogg. admitted IN his
sxs mina.ion that he had not road or
heard read the whole of his affidavit.
,andshak i was highly col"red. Again.
the afidavit Of one Goodhue. former
inmate of the Asylum. charges one Al
isn, formerly a. Warden. with offenaes
most brutal and fieryish in character.
committed upon the prrson Of said
Goodhue and others. during the time
Of their confinement. and reaf6fms the
same upon cross enaainstion. snid
Allen was introduced. and fully satisfied
-your committee that all the material
allesations and charges Of sa,d Good
hue were untrue. While ~onr commit
tee cannot believe that Goodhue intend
ed 70 testify falsely. yet they d" believe
that he tesssfird of Impressions made
upon an uuasund mis- d. and that they
were almost entirely imaginary 1u-
decd, said Goodhue. durig the exsm,n>
alton of said Allen. manifested strong
and almast conclusive evidences Of ia
sanity.
Whenever any requests es "ngaestion"
hare been properly made to- Mf. H"r-
mon, We find that they have been com
piled with. We arc Of the opinion that
the enesspt difficulty arose. to-some e1-
tent. frso want of full ana pezfecf un-
derstandlng between thos. having the
.shsrRe of the insane, ~ the law does
not define the relative duties Of those in
charge. The statute provides thai all
coupiaints should be brought before
the Beard Of inspectors. Had that
courss been pursued-iu this c.: %. much
labor. expense. annoyance and ill-fsss-
ing would have been prevented. for We
md that Whenever any change or i'm
provement abont the Asylum became
necessary, the Board has always acted
promptly and favorable. but We find
that none of the charges alleged have
ever been brought to the attention Of
4hat Board.
1t will appear that the offences charg-
ed are alleged TO have been committed
from ono to three years ago. all OF item
during the term of DR.. Hemenway's IT.
tendance spor tho Asylum. and yonr
Committee are altogether unable to ex-
plain how or why considerations msdi-
cal attendant. in the honest discharge
Of his duty could. for no long . time.
keep the fact of such outrageous con-
duct on the part of the wardens. closely
sealed in bis own breast. Your Com
mitbes, ss Ear as &C nsistent with duty
Hnd a proper regard for the object OF
the Commission. would avoid all per-
sonaiities. But We arc constrained to
say that the position of DR.. Bemenway
ia, to saw the least. . most singular and
inconsistent one The Dr. "a his afi
davit (he wonid not appear ard testify
charges gross and serious neglect upen
Mr.. Harmon in the management of the
asylum during his term as physician OF
shat institution. and anterior to the DR.. g
report of October, 1873. II the DR.. can
reconcile that affidavit with that report,
1osx committee will be highly gr.tified.
The faeta. As your committee uuder-