Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-31
The Insane Asylum Investigation.

THE TESTIMONY CLOSED TO DAY.
The Committee on the Expenditures Of the
Interior department resumed their investiga-
tion of the management OF the u. 8. Insane
Asy lum this morning.
the asylum, testified that he saw Hetter-
nan, the head attendant OF White Ash
ward, strike the patients with broOmstick,
MS Mas there
Witness on cross-examination deniei that
he was discharged for drunkenness. He
said he would not have told the doctor of
an attendant cutting patients throat.
In answer to question Of Mr.. Tufts wit
ness said the meat furnished the patients
was tainted as often - two or three times
DR.. Aorrea was recalled, and gave testi-
m0ny in regard TO Wallace:-He said Wal.
ing absent without leave; thought ~ that
Hetterman was q kind attendandant; has
watched him pretty closely Of late; thought
down than to lock them up In strong roo@ s
case in a hundred.
Charlotte, Ohio; is engaged in the lumber
business. Was formerly q CLERK In the PEN
sion Office, and accompanied Mrs. Ambrose
when she visited the Insane Asylum to see
her son. Went with her upon the invitation
OF DR.. DAILY and Mrs. Ambrose. Waited If
teen minutes to see DE-. Nichols. Mrs. Am
brose spoke to him. She said to the Doctor
TSs 10
warm, and finally DR.. Nichols said he did
not want to talk longer on the subject. Mrs.
towards the room in which he was kept. DIR.
Nichols refused to allow witness to accom-
pany her to see the boy. After waiting q
little while the boy was brought down to the
reception room. He was ragged. dirty, and
very much emaciated. Think he wore blue
soldiers clothes. Did not examine him very
closely. Mrs. Ambrose complained very Bit
terly of the treatment of her son, asking why
was not the clothing that she sent her son
furnished him. Cannot recall the details of
the visit Did not examine his body at any
with allowing vermin to get on her son. DIR.
DAILY and Mrs. Ambrose visited the room in
which young Ambrose was kept. The physi-
clan in charge refused to allow witness to
accompany them. They said it was against
the rules for persons not relatives OF patients
to visit the rooms In which patients were
kept.
In cross. examination witness said he re-.
signed from the Pension Office in September,
1865. Dr.. DAILY Is the uncle of young Am
broee. Knew that he had been at the asylum
some considerable time. Young Ambrose
was taken away soon after witness visited
the asylum. The assault on DR.. Nichols, by
striking him over the head with the vermin-
covered shirt, by Mrs. Ambrose, did not take
place on the occasion of the visit of witness.
It may have occurred the visit afterwards,
Witness only visit; the asylum once. Do
uOt tQluk tQdt tQo occurrences referred 10 OY
Mrs Ambrose took place when witness ac-
cOmpanied her.
Letters from q number of prominent citt.
zens of Chicago, endorsing Mrs. Van Kewan,
were then placed in evidence. One OF them
was from Prof g. Thayer, Of the Jackson
Vile GID Female Academy, denying the
statement OF DR.. Mcfarland in regard to
Mrs. Van Kewan. Another was from w. J.
Mayo, Of Chicago, denying DR.. Netherlands
statement, and particular ~ the part where
Mcfarland gives Mayo as authority for GER
tain rumors.
DR.. Nichols then read statement of the
causes of the large number Of patients-755-
now in the asylum. He said q very careful
ascertaiDment had been made in Massachu-
sets recently, when IL was found that there
was one insane person to every AT Of the
population. The last census does not give
half that number, and il very far from the
truth. During the past year there were 4S
army patients admitted to the asylum.
Inconsistencies is the greatest cause of insan-
tty In the army, and navy. The ratiol of
insanity in the navy is less than in the
army, as most sailors make 1t q life business.
Last year there were admitted II patients
from the navy, and on the previous year 25;
before that 1t averaged about IA.
Dr. Chase, assistant physician of the asy-
lum, then made q statement, deny ing that
he ever attempted to BRIDE the witness, Will
Jams, or that he inhumanely treated the
witness, Clarke, while patient there.
tee, In answer to question said the COM
mittee would have q session to morrow but
would not examine any witnesses. He said
he did not know that any more witnesses
will be examined.
The committee then adjourned,