Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-23
The Insane Asyiaa Investigator.
THE TESTIMONY ro-pAY.

The Committee on the Expenditures of the
Interior department: resumed their iuvestI-
CATION OF the management OF the u. 3. In
sane asylum this morning.
Mr.. Mutchler, chairman OF the committee,
announced that tAe committee would hear q
Few more witnesses against the YUM upon
some poi nts entirely rev. and which had
Just come TO the knowledge Of the commit
tee, one case being that of q coiored man
whose less were badly frozen while an In
An sff1davit made by Mrs. Sarah Bontz,
WHO Is SICK and unable to appear before the
committee, was presented by Mr.. Mutchler,
that she placed her son, George w. RonfI
thirty years old, In the Institution in lS5s,
and he remained there two years, and be-
came SO reduced he was unable TO walk She
therefore obtaining an order from the secre
tary OF Interior took him home He was
then covered with vermin and carried the
marks OF having been terribly beaten. She
kept him st home about l6 months or more.
by which time he had become very neshy
and dangerous, so much so that she could
not take care OF him any longer, and was
compelled to return him to the asylum, be-
cause she had DO other place. Her son was
violently insane at times, at others rational
enough TO inquire about different members
OF the family. While In this Condition ira
tional) he asked her not TO give any cloth
ing or anything else that was intended for
nm 10 bis attepSsnt' Price, because be
would put on her sons clothing aud wear
them as If they were his own. Deponent
kaW some 6rtlclSS OF ner sons Clothing EOn
Price. All the clothing and bedding nee led
was furnished by her aud his name marked
One day deponent went 10 the asylum aud
obtained admission TO the ward 10y ste alIh)
I'm which her son was placed and asked the
attendant (who seemed 10 be new for George
Bontz. Her son was lying upon the fio1r,
with two old blankets under him (which
were wet), directly under an open window.
de was shiveriDg with cold. As soon as he
saw her he cried, 'Oh, mother" The at
tendant on learning he was her son became
cHn
would lose his place for allowing her 20 come
into the ward. A rough character occunied
her sons bed, and was covered up with his
bed clothing which she had given 10 her son.
Her son pleaded In be taken away from this
most horrible place =" this iron coffin -
After DR.. Nichols became cognizant of the
facts, and that she had found her son In such
condition, she and her family were never
permitted TO visit the room where he was
except at the last, when he was placed in an
upper room 10 die. He died In the morning
April 3, 1863, and she asked for a loan OF the
old matteress upon which he was lying 20
carry his body home, promising 10 return
Niehols) claimed that the feather bed
and mattress she bad given to her
son could not be found, for a long
sons hair was cut short; his head and boiy
were covered with vermip; scraped at least
as many as would Ill a large tablespoon
from his head and ears. The skin OF the ears
and behind them were eaten off by yermin;
his shoulders, under the arms and around
his neck were completely honey com bed by
vermtn. The body was bruised and discoi-
ored by the lashes which had been given,
and marks OF former lashes and bruises that
had been healed were visible. His entire
body was also covered with yernin.
George r. adams testified that he resided
at No. 1880 18th street. In 1853 was chief
messenger OF the Commissioner of Pateuts
Left there in 1s6l: George w. Bontz was his
brother- In law. he became insane In Flori-
country. He had lucid moments at times.
ne was sent TO the insane asylum on appli-
by Drs. w. b. Magruder aud Stone, both of
whom are now dead. Frequently visited
hlm at the asylum, every two or three days
or week he was always brought down 20
the reception room when he called to see
him. he always complained of being hun
cry and asked for something 10 eat. O1e
time bis sister and Others saw him when i'm
MS own room, he was in very filthy condi-
ton. In couple OF years after he was
brought home having failed very much in
he was brought home he was covered with
head and body vermin. During the whole
TIME ne visited the asylum he never saw
Or. Nichols but once. About Is months
afterwards he became so bad that
they were required toreturn him to the asy-
lum. Saw hIm about a month bsfore bis
death, and he looked very badly for the want
OF nourishment. Sent him back to the asy-
lum as matter Of necessity, not choice. The
vermin had eaten parts OF his ears off, under
and behind them. While home he gained
ment OF DIR. Magruder. Did not make any
complaint against DR.. Nichols at the time.
as ne feared TO do so, as DR.. Nichols infiu-
ence was SO strong that he would have been
discharged from the Patent Office If he did
so. The only complaint he had against DIR.
Nichols was that he was careless and negli-
gent in regard to the patients at the asylum.
knew IL was no use TO fight DR.. Nichols sin
gle handed; that he (Nichols) would get the
best OF it.
The committee ordered that DIR. Earle,
physician now at the insane asylum al
Northampton, Mass, (who had charge OF
Bontz) be subpOenaed forth with.
DR.. c. II. Nichols was further cross .ex am
ined in regard to the Van Kewan case, and
In relation to a letter sent FIR I'm
the asylum and signed by young Van Ke-
wan. DIR. Nichols said he supposed he saw
the letter before il was sent, but did not re-
member. Took the answer to the letter TO
the Pension Office and showed IL TO the Off
Gals there. The object was not to prevent
Mrs. Van kewan from drawing any more
pension, but to inform the Pension Office
that young Van Kewan was being supported
by the government at the asylum. Have no
papers that were taken from the Pension
office under promise to be returned that
never have been returned.
AHf0rrnpd