Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-10-13

oont ult win The authorities az the ssv-
iunn, and ne dtd az On July cen the
supeIintetdent OF Metro lollisn police %
ported 20 US that he d ~snt 10 their houn.-S
ab-Dt twenty Don- p slnent insane patients
VITO were icing supported at the Gov sTnment
Insane HnSnital a. the expense OF the Dis
uicf IN tha IN sc Ehor Qair-t % had ben
sccumpshstd by tfloIts. The sUperin enc q G
Oi police had been instructed To leave these
rstlents in charge OF their friends or OF the
proper authorities ct their respective homes
Under cate OF August sih ue requested I'm
formation nom that ofiisr a. 10 whether
toese Instructions had been complied with;
, - s er ne was aware OF any unkind
art 81 tie officials whom be charged win
&c duty OF returning them 90 their bones
intendent to these inquiries Is hereto m
pended marked r. Toe comm InicaIloa IA
Ih one addressed 70 yourself, by the super
lntendeut of the Government Hospital fpr
the Insane, under date OF August I6th. show
that most of these patients were but slight
ly dersngod, were familiar with the routss
40 their homes, We're DESTROYS OF being per
mitted ~ 60, and could safely BE- allowed 10
co so without escorts But after careful con
snltstion betu cen the superintendent OF pIe
Hospital. The Physicians sabcr ina 20 hin
and the Superintendent az Police csc. rrs
We're sent In all those cases in Viii IA thai
precautionary measure seemed tn be ia anV
q gree advisable. In 30 iistsnce. IA our
krowlodge, has any complatat been made by
tie friends OF any OF these patients. With
reference 10 three CD persons who were sent
% Prince Georges county, Nd, the place OF
their residence, a distance of some NJ Ntee
(l6) miles. there were. however. some crit.
ciSms from Ofher sources than the friends ~
the individuals. These three persons had 10
be sent 10y private conveyance. and the Su-
perlntendent of the Csovernrn~nt Hospital
and the Superintendent OF Police both stat
that the night Was selected because the heat
OF The daytime would have caused suffering
both 10 the patients and the team. The re-
ports Of both the officers above mentioned
SHOW mat these three patients were 10 well,
both mentally and ply sicslly, as 60 be able
10 90 10 their homes without escort, IL they
had simply been discharged from the aSy-
lum; but conveyance was provided in or
der 20 make their return more comfortable.
The letter of the Superintendent OF Police
states that these three persons became sepa-
rated from their escort while on The way 20
their bones IL was culpsble neglect OF
duty on the part OF the Officer accompanying
them 10 permit this. Perhaps the condition
OF the patients and their acquaintance with
the locality led him to be less careful than
the nature of unl<ind treatment or neglect
has come % our knowledge.
IL appears from the report OF the supertn-
tendent OF the government asylum for the
insane that these three persons were well
acquainted with the locality and its inhab-
1tants. that their insanity was OF mild ard
harmless type, and that they reached their
homes In safety. Two OF them and friends
OF the third have since visited the hospital,
and have made no complaint
Most OF the circumstances above stated
baNe come 10 our knowledge tnrOugh the
reports OF the superintendent OF the govern
ment hospital for the insane and the super
intepdent OF metropolitan police, and oral
communications made by them. Our own
connection with the matter was, FIRST sim
ply 10 discharge the duty imposed upon us
by the statute, of taking measures % ascer-
tain who were the friends and what Tue for
mer places Of residence of these non. resi-
dents, whom the law permitted TO remain a.
the hospital temporarily until such discovery
should be made. and next, To entrust TO the
proper municipal officer lln whose discre-
ton, humanity and intelligence we had aud
have confidence that return OF the patients
To their friends or places OF residence which
Use law by its terms requires 10 be effected
a acticablen