, 1875-08-08
CRUELTY TO THE INSANE.


nall>route schedules OF E4e county.
-&
CRUELTY TO THE INSANE.
INSTRUMENTATION OF 1HK GovEHyMExr usARE
ACKNOWLEDGMENT LUSATIc3 ABANDONED At
SfoHI. WITHOUT NoEET Oh FOOD. IN 4 WILDER
HEss-aov LUNAT1ca ARE "DRuEpEp" IN D1s-
TAN7 c1r1Ks-THE LANE EXCUSES or THE aoV-
XRHEEaT OFFICERS.
From Our 0wa Co.7espondent
WAsH1KoTos, D. G., Aug. 3.-The world has
always treated with tenderest consideration it's
insane poor. It has not mattered much to
civilized folk whether great career, like that Of
Dean Swift, has gone out in IN awfnI downfall
and 1uin, with brain 'dying atop or whether
common pauper has gone mad. The same hu-
manity has cared for both. When silence and
night have closed over human intellect it
ahall 70 hard with people who do not pity and
protect the poor, brainless body that 1s left.
II was in this spirit that the Government
Hospital for the Insane Was built and it is in
this spirit that the people, by whose money it
is maintained, expect that it will be managed.
Circumstances have become known, within the
last few days, which seem to cast dishonor upon
The present management Of that institution. and
to 90 d d.ssrace to American humanity.
/ nRuTAL sToRT-
The story, in brief, is this:
On the night Of the 26th OF June, two
Of the officers Of the Metropolitan Po-
lice Force we're taken in one of Knox's
Express omnibuses to the United Staten
Lunatic Asylum in the District Of Columbia,
and, after receiving from Dr.. Charles Il. Nichols.
the Superintendent Of the institution, three OF
the insane inmates, the omnibus WAS driven
into Maryland. and about midnight halted in a
wood in the neighborhood OF Upper Marlboro,
Prince Georges County. The patients we're
then taken from the vehicle and left to make
their way az best they could, the team and Off
GERS being driven back to Warrington.
bEAU11FuL SITE OF THE ASYLUM.
Tie location OF the Asylum rendered this trans
action very pract,cabie. The building is si.ua-
ted on one Of the beautiful wooded heights Which
skirt the banks Of the Upper Potomac, at the
south of the Nayy-iard 1ts battsemeDts aud
castellated towers which 30 greatly resemble a
baronlA castle, can be seen crowning the wood
ed slope, from all points OF the hull country
around. That curious trait in human character
which shows its regard for the unfortunate and
the lost BY placing cemeteries ard bllnd asvlu1ns
IN the most beautiful and elBhtliest spots, se-
lectcd TINT chai mug site for those who ate hv-
ing in the eternal death Of tue nad-house.
The Maryland lire lies short distluce south
is very thlnly populated. The roads at night
arc very rarely frequeuted> except bv traugs.
A twenty-minutes' sharp dive would have
brought the omnibus TO the Maryland boundary.
4 SCENE IN THE MARYLAND WOODS
How this was done Ii told In the affidavit
which follows, which was made by Frank fuin-
bo,ke. the driver Of the wagon:
Be It remembered that the 29th day OF July 1875,
personally appeared before the subscriber Jnstice
Of tue resce fsr The City Of Washington, b. c., Fr1n
ciA TpIubOrke, and, upon being sworn on tho Holy
Evaugeiy OF Almighty God. deposeth and ssith: TAat,
on or about tue ~ ay 9f 3une - he w,a - aifse
With Othcers John Conneu aol - BerkeIy, IN two
horse omnibus belonging to kno1s Exprcss Company,
that time designated. That he the driver Of
the team, AMI left Washington City on the evening
OF the said 18th day Of june about dusk, and after
entering the wagon, he ordered to drive to tie
Government Insane Asylum In the District Of Coluu-
bia, which reached about o'clock. That, acting
under the orders Of Officer Council witness drove into
the grounds Ut the Asylum, and, Hfter few minutes
delay, three Of the inmates Of sd institution were
brought out Of the building from the front entrance
ing. Two Of these persous werc tnaies sud the re-
u1ining one female and one Of the former.
That the three persons placed in the sid vehicle
wa1e to the best bef Of Witness insane, which they
indicated Dy singing md talking inooheFentl5 during
ing the officers MENTIONED above. and the three insaue
persons referred left the Asslun grounds. driven
named ubove,-the orders given by OlHcer Council to
witness Icing TO drive in the direction Of Uppar MARI
horo, Prince Georges County Md, via The Marlboro
rnad that after getting fur the National Race
changed bis mind, aud dlrocted witness 70
fnss f 's*Sa ass4ss s Upon fesssiaS broaa
Greek Hill, witness declined to proceed further in the
direction Of Pacataway, account Of the steep gra
and having no brake Oh The stage Thst the omnibus
vas then stopped the bill, about SO yards from the
creek, and the officers dis1nounted taking the three
insane psreons with shen It was at this time little
A11u n ufRr6 f1 ia
oHcers proceeded III the direction Of tie creek and
passed out Of right Of witness. They we're ab-
alone and remarked thAt they had left the three per-
the creek Officer Berlley remarked TINT he
aked being compelled to leave the insane persons in
auch a place and In such hour Of the night, but
that be waa compelled to do so.-rcnarking that vt
shame to put the poor devils out In the wilder
1t that hour Of the night" words to that effect
That after the officers returned to the stage, witness
saw more Of the insane persons and has no know-
edge Of what became Of thsm The creek was about
u fest wide, ut times quito deep. That tho Wit
ness left the creek about 1230 o'clock aud Washing
ton reached about O'Clock. officer Hesk1ey was
driven Fifth street. Witness then returned to Kno1s
Express office, And, after dsengaginR the horses from
The sage left It there and drove TO the stabis of Mr.
Gearey, On Jackson Hill aliey. CHAR&s WAITEn,
Justice Of tho Peace.
HowLINa LunA11cs-
What became OF these poor creatures ia told
by local Maryland newspaper. 1t says:
4 few days afterward, = poor crazy negro camo
rushing through our streets; and, 2bout tie Ba1ue
time, Crazy woman appeared in the neighborhood,-
so:h utter strangers to our people On Tuesday,
white man passed through town Like the ono who
came first he had Shoes but walked in his stock
tng-feet hrandishing cane, and scting IN = most
centric manner which left doubt the minds Of
thosa who raw him thar he was insane
THE POLICE STORY.
The Chief Of Police OF this District c&n give
only this information about the matter:
Officer conncli, he understood, had superintended
their removal from The Asylum. The Asylum de-
signed especially for the iuaAno OF the District Of Co
u1noia but for sone time PAST natives Of different
States had been sent there, having been found nsane
in Washington. The District Commissioners had
questet Dr.. Nichols To furnish list at I'll non-tesi
dent patients who were Of the District, since when
they had been removed from time to time to various
States opportunity offered Some bad been sent to
North Carolina being provided with f1ee transportA
ton their f1iendA aud pAced on the caIs. A. far
n he was xwarc, the three referred 10 1bove
ware the only removed from the Asylum into
Maryland.
THE SUPERINTENDENT sToRY-LUCRK DID IT.
DR.. Nichols himself admits the substantial
facts, and says, in justification:
Some few weeks Atnce, he requested BY the Com
unissioners Of the District furnish List Of the In
ases Of the institution who wers there as the expense