The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-20
Washington Dispatch to New York Times
Cruelty TO Insane Persons.

Grave charges affecting DR.. Nichols ad-
ministraton of the government hospital for
the insane near this city continue to be
made, and these charges are of such
character as to induce the belief that the
management of that institution will under
go the scrutiny of an investigating commit
tee when the Fourty fourth Congress as
sembles. Recently three demented crea-
lures, two men and one woman, were taken
front the institution at midnight by two
officers of the Metropolitan Police, driven
in vehicle some miles into Maryland, and
cruelty abandoned in dense wood on the
edge of a stream of water. Major Rich
ards, head of the Police Force, in a pub
lished card, assumed the responsibility for
this act, and stated that DIR. Nichols did
not know of the removal Of the victims,
and was in no manner connected with it.
The fact that insane persons committed TO
the care of DR.. Nichols may be removed
from the institution and treated in so in
human a manner, without the knowledge
of that officer, shows the utter inefficency
of his administration of the important trust
committed to him.
In justification of the removal Of patients
in this manner, it is urged by DR.. Nichols
that the law authorizes the removal of pa
tients not residents of the District of
Columbia, and not connected with the naval
or military service of the United States at
the time of admission to the hospital, TO
the State to which they belong. 1t is not
possible, however, that the law authorizes
such removal to be made in the absence of
definite information as to the legal abode of
the unfortunates, and turning them loose in
the heartless manner practiced. Since the
three afflicted ones alluded to were tuned
out of the hospital and abandoned in Mary
land, similar instances of this peculiar
treatment are mentioned. 1t is said that
patients have been frequently given in
charge Of the police, taken in the cars to
the larger cities north, and abandoned upon
their arrival at the depot, their custodans
sneeking away and leaving their victims
without even the means to obtain a meal
or nights shelter. To thus treat an in
digent sane man would be cruel injustice !;
in the case of insane men it is monstrous,
and calls for immediate and entire reform.
The public safety, as well as enlightened
Christian settlement, demands that the
superntendents of the government mad
house shall not be permitted to throw maniacs
upon unsuspecting communities to the i'm
minent prejudice Of life and property. The
last Congress appropriated, for the current
yeai, nearly $500, 900 to this same institu.
ton, $3.50, of which Is for the support,
clothing, medical and moral treatment" of
the INDECENT insane committed to it. That
sum should be sufficient to treat all classes
specially named as privileged to admission
to its wards, as we'll as the few INDECENT In
sane who may be discovered here without
known residences and sent there for treat
ment by competent authority. If, how
ever, it becomes necessary at any time to
remove nonresident inmates to the States
to which they belong. the removals should
be made decently and humanely, and the
patients delivered to the authorities Of
other cities, that they may have them
properly cared for in similar institutions
Among the instances mentioned of removals
of patients in the manner described, it it
related by Washington police officer thai
upon one occasion, when a prize-fght was
arranged to take place in the west, Detec.
tive Coomes, unable obtain detail to at,
tend the fistic ceremonies because the chic
and one other officer had already obtained
the required perpission to represent the
Washington police, applied to DIR. Nicool,
to assist him in the dilemma. The Doctor
being ce-President of the Police Board
as well as superintendent of the hospital
selected two insane men then under hi
treatment and gave them to Coomes to b,
set adrift-one in West Virginia, the othel
in Ohio. The two poor madmen were thu
made to serve as voucher for furnishing
Officer Coomes with transportation at thu
expense OF the people of the United States
that he might crafty his desire to witnes
an unlawful and brutal exhibition. One @
the madmen was abandoned at Grafton, w
Va the other at Cincinnati. The trespas
of these officials as well as the madness O
their distracted victims appeals for
speedy correction of such shameful NAL
administration of national asylum 70
the insane