Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-05-24
GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER
Mad House Horror.

Mad House Horror.
At the meeting of the Comm ttee of Expen-
ditures in the Interior Department, the couu-
Sci of an old lady by the pame of Mrs. Bon'z
who was too i'll to appear before the committee,
presented the following affidavit III regard to
her son, who was formerly an inmate Of the
asylum:
% the 22d of May, 1876, appeared before
me, T. j. Gardner, Justice of the Peace, 10
and for the city and District aforesaid, Mrs.
Sarah Bontz, who being duly sworn and quail
fed, deposes and says that she placed her son,
George w. Bontz, aged thirty years, in the
Government Iusane Asylum under the charge
OF DR.. G. H. Nichols in the spring Of 1858.
About three or four weeks after she had placed
him il, the asylum, she called to see. her son
and was kept waiting two hours or more before
she saw him. She was in the habit OF visit
ing him every two or three weeks; On every
visit had to wait the same length OF time. he
remained at the institution about two years; be
had become 50 reduced that be was unable to
walk; she became satisfied that he was starving
and would die if he remained any longer; she,
therefore. obtained an order from the Sec
rotary of the Interior and took him home.
He was then covered with Vermln and
carried the marks of having been terribly
beaten; she kept him at home about six
teen months or more, by which time he
had become very f,shy and dangerous, so much
80 that she could not take care of him any
longer and was compelled 10 return hlm to the
asylum, because she had no other place. Her
sou was violently insane; sometimes rational
enough to iuauire about different members OF
H. w bila in thiS ocnHlfI0n irufl0nal
he asked her not to give any clothing or any
thing else that was intended for bim to his at
tendant, Price, because he would not get them
if she did. Price would put on her sous cloth
ing and wear them as if they were his own.
Deponent saw some articles of her son's cloth
iug on Price; all the clothing and bedding need
ed were furnished by her and his name marked
thereon. One day deponent went to the Asy-
lum and obtained admission to the ward, by
stealth, in which her son was placed and asked
the attendant, who seemed to be new, Tor Geo.
Boniz; her son was lying upon the floor, with
Two c;d blankets under him which were wet,
directly under an open window. He was shlv-
eripg with cold; as soon as he saw her, he
cried "Oh, motherl' The attendant, on
learning that he was her son, became alarm
ed, fearing. she presumed, that be would lose
his place for allowing her to cone into the
ward. A rough looking character occu-
pied her sons bed and was covered up with
his b, d clothing which she had given her SOD.
Her son pleaded to be taken away from this nor
ribIe place, this iron oofho.' Alfred d. Nichols
became cognizant OF the facts and that she had
found her son in such condition; she and her
family we're never permitted to visit the room
where he was except at the last when ne was
placed in an upper room to die. DR.. Earle,
who was 10 the asylum at that tune, saw the
condition her SOD was in and sent for her to
come to the hospital as soon as possible, as nc
was dyiDg. She went over and found him
nearly gone, and asked permission Of DR.. Mich
ols for herself and daughters to remain with
her dying son all night. He refused. DR..
Earle interceded, and after Speeding some
hours in the effort, succeeded 10 obtaining per-
mission for her to remain, but refused the SIS.
ters, who were with her at the time. One did
remain in lhe room, but DR.. Nichols ordered
her out, and she was compelled to 60
Before her 500 died, she said: George, did
you wish to see me?' He answered: " es /;
| am about to die when leave this body,
what do you intend to do with it p He asked
not to be left at the asylum to be buried. but
''burry me beside my fathers grave. !"
He died the next morning, April 3, 1868
and she asked for loan of the old mat
freSS upon WOlCn ne WAS iyluS w caiIy uis uouy
home, promising to return it promptly. but
was refused. DR.. Nichols claimed that the
feather bed aud mattress she had given her
son could not be found, for long time, f.
naly it was found and used. Her sons hair
was cut short; his head and body were covered
with vermiu; scraped at least as many as would
fiji largo spoon from his head and ears. The
skin of the ears behind them was eaten off by
vermn; his shoulders, under the arms. and
around bis peck, were completely honeycomb
cd by vermin. The body was bruised and dis
colored by the lashes which had been given,
and marks of former lashes aud bruises that
had been healed were visible. His entire body
was also covered with vermin. She regrets
that Dr. Magruder is not living to corroborate
her. She made complaint to the Score.
tsry of the Interior in person. He requested
her to present it 10 writing and be would in-
ves,igate it. She was told DR.. Nichols had
SO much Influence 10 the Department that no
attention would be paid to any complaint and
she abandoned it. Has been resident of the
city thirty years with short absence. Her
residence is No. 1880 Fifteenth street north
west. Her age is eighty years; she is now sick
in bed, entirely unable to walk or move, and
she desires to place her statement on record
before she dies SARAH BoNTZ.
Sworn to and subscribed before me,
T. j. GARDNER, j. p.