Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-04-13
The Insane Asylum Investigation.

The Committee on the Expenditures in the
Interior department met again this morning,
at 10 O'Clock, and DR.. Nichols continued his
testimony, as follows:
THE LAND OF THE INSTITUTION
is worth sbout SEQ an acre; ii is useful both
Tor agricultural and sanitary purposes; on
an average, IS or 10 men work In the field; il
would not be cheaper TO buy milk than to
Eeep cows; the manure used for fertiliZing is
mostly purchased from the livery stables;
did rot think il the poorest kind OF manure:
manure not well rotted and ploughed in the
ground does more TO tighten aud drain a CLAW
soil than well rotted manure; In regard to
THE HIGH PRICE PAID FOR CATTLE,
and the reason tor paying $50 for q pig In
as the animals were of excellent stock; dive
Jersey heifers were purchased for Si,O1O;
thought the price not extravagaut, as they
were very valuable, aud have laid the fOun-
datiOn for very valuable herd of Jersey
cattle; thought IL unwiSe to experiment in
The raising of blooded stock and had not
dOne so; simply desired to obtain the best
food for the patients; these cows are still on
the grounds, and are considered OF much
more value than ordinary cows for the rich
ness and amount of milk they give; at one
lime sold a little of the live stock from the
place, nothing except some pigs, became
there were more than they could well feed
there; sold very few, and those mostly to
employees; have not been in the habit OF rails
ing stock for sale. AS to the large amount
(SS1i) paid for
LIQUORS LAST YEAR,
whisky and sherry had been purchased for
medicine; frequently administer liquor to
insane persons, as n tonic and stimulant;
couldn't state exactly how many patients
receive liquor daily, but probably ABOUT 50,
and then it is administered three times a
day; have purchased considerable catawba
wine, butnot more than sherry; consider the
administering of liquor TO persons who have
disease of the brain prod ucing low forms OF
insanity, advantageous; not pint of the
liquor purchased has been used by any one
N rnrn Garih aI ffn lob
employees. AS TO the
WORKING OF PATIENTS IN THE WATER on
RIVER WALL,
in March, witness said that he had not known
Of IL; had made inquiry since yesterday, and
found that he could learn nothing oflit; and
cOnld SAT ely say that nothing Of the kind had
irg been dumped in Pitts6urg, Ohio, or New
York.
AS TO MRS. GRN MERRILL
being discharged in New York, witness
stated that she discharged herself; her real
name is button; she is a native of
Ludlow, Massachusetts, and, as far as
witness could learn, she had previous
selling books by subscription, then to "rais-
ing notes or checks" and finally got into
prison at Springfield, Mass; she had had
some children; miscarriages, end probably
abortions, had been produced, and she got
into the habit of taking opium in large
quantities; she came TO Washington and
stopped at the Arlington, for the purpose,
she said, of obtaining divorce, calling her
self Mrs. Waldrop; while there she present.
ed drafts on Chicago, which were all dishon-
Ored, but her skill as a confidence wo-
man was wonderful; soon she was in
The Columbia hospital. where her habit of
taking opium was first learned, and she was
then taken to the government insane asy-
lum, while her Child was put in the children's
hospital, where il still is; in the insane
asylum she was gradually weaned from the
habit OF taking opium: and she got in
pretty good condition, but not into an en-
tirely sound state of mind, but, as she he'd
no place to go, she remained awhile; one day
she made her escape, but was overtaken and
brought back; second time she escaped,
and in about ten days il was heard that she
was in Alexandria, in the almshouse; she
soon went to New York, where she said she
had been enticed on tug and violated by
the captain; the superintendent of the asy-
lum ON Blackwells island wrote witness
that she was there, think under the name
OF Metcalf, and denied ever having been in
The government asylum. There was
A CONGRESSMAN NAMED MELLISH
in the institution; he died there from ner-
vous exhaustion; did not smother or choke
himself TO death; have eight vehicles be-
longing TO the institution; the horses and
carriages used by witness are private; the
horses are fed by the government, but all
else Is done at his private expense.
The committee postponed the croSs-exami-
nation OF the witness till Saturday morning.
AN EX-ATTENDANTS TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Alfred Lynch testified: Reside 10 Tren-
ton, n. j.; was employed in the government
hospital for abo1t eight years, off and on;
left last August; was employed as a slperin-
tendent; was discharged twice for drinking;
used TO come over TO the city to drink; the
food was good generally; sometimes the
meat was little tainty; gave patients
liquor when they were sick; the wards were
generally kept clean; witness ward was
clean; have seen vermin occasionally on pa
tients; when found out would clean them;
had seen attendants strike patients, but
never saw any abuses from DR.. Nichols;
never complained OF abuses TO the superin-
teDdent; the attendant that witness had
seen abuse patients was discharged for in
humanity; patients coming from Soldiers
Home witness thought spread the vermiu;
witness knew nothing OF abuses except by
attendants; didn't know who had him sub
Tpnaed.
The committee then adjourned the inves-