The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-02-20
Lunatic Asylum, investigation

From House Proceedings Of Tuesday, Feb. y.
Mr.. Pintard moved that the Committee to
Investigate the Charges Against Dr. VIM NJ
Compton, be allowed to report; and the Com
mittee made the following report
Mr.. SpEAKER-Your Committee, appointed
to investigate the charges made by George I.
Hackley a citizen Of Kinds county, against
VIM. NJ. Compton, Superintendent of the Lu-
matte Asylum, beg leave to make the following
report:
On the 9TH day of the present month, your
committee, having given previous notice to
William NJ. Compton, of the time and place of
holding such investigation. organized at the
State Capitol, and commenced the examination
of witnesses in supporC of said charges. After
a long and critical examination of twenty-one
witnesses, whose testimony was reduced TO
writing, and is herewith made part of this
report the evidence in support of said charges
was exhausted; and as W n. NJ Compton made
no request to be permitted to introduce any
evidence in rebuttal after having visited the
Asylum, and examined the several patients
still there, who, 1t is alleged. were the objects
of cruel and inhuman treatment, your COM
mittee, on the 18th instant, closed its investi-
cation.
ley's card are nine in number and are substan-
tally as follows, to-wIt:
lsf. That.a patient was so brutality beaten
by an Attendant. thai he spit blood; and that
said Attendant was not discharged or even re-
buked.
81 That another patient, in a crazy fit,
struck his Attendant for which he was severely
beaten by two Attendants; one of whom, in
his, Hackley's presence, struck said patient
another blow in the face.
3rd. That the same Attendant, for a trivial
offense, mistreated and knocked down an old
man two three times.
4th That the head Attendant had often re-
ported the aforesaid Attendant, for his cruel
treatment of patients, to the superintendent,
but that no notice was taken of the matter.
9Th. That an attendant beat an old man,
about so years old, named George Work, so
as to require porous plasters on his
bruises, because he, the said Work, resisted
him.
5th. That the patients were always COM
planning to the Superintendent of the way the
said last mentioned Attendant treated them,
but that it did good
eth. That another Attendant treated man
who stayed in the attic, In a cruel, indecent
and shameful manner; because, in a fit OF in
sanity said patient Uttered his room.
9Th. That the Superintendent discharged
him, Hackley, for being a Democrat.
9Th That the Superintendent harbored at
the Asylum enc of the rioters, who aided In
the murder Of the young men at Clinton IN
1875.
1t will be seen from the above that charges
one, two, three five and seven refer to cruelties
to patients on the part of Attendants; while
charges four and six refer to reports of cruel
treatment to patients by the head attendant,
and to complaints on the part OF patents
themselves. Charge eight is personal to
Hackley, and intimates political preference IN
the selection of employees at the Asylum.
The ninth charge places the superintendent,
not only In the criminal relation of Access
sorry, after the fact, in harboring fugitive
from Justice, but under an lmpntatlon of using
a State Benevolent Institution for improper
and political purposes.
Before considering the above named charg-
es, it Is necessary to give brief explanation
of the internal management of the Asylum, at
least as far as it has bearing upon the matters
under consideration and examination.
The resident officers of the Asylum, under
whose immediate supervision are placed the
male wards, consist of the superintendent,
Assistant Physician Senior Attendant, and
Junior Attendants. Each of these, in regular
succession, from the lowest upward, is subject
to the control of all those thar precede 1t.
The Superintendent is the chief executive
officer, subject, however, to the Board of Trus-
ices. 1t is his duty to = visit all the patients
daily, or learn their condition.
1t is the duty of the Assistant Physician to
attend the Superintendent in his regular
morning visits; to visit, also, the patients
each evening, and such are under treat
ment as much oftener may be necessary.
1t is, also his duty to promptly report all
cases of neglect or abuse on the part OF the at
tendants."
The duties of the Senior Attendant require
him ito see that the Attendants perform their
duties properly, to frequently pass through
the different wards, and especially those con-
tanning excited patients; and to promptly re
pert all Irregularities, or improper conduct, or
unfaithfullness in the performance of duties
that come under their notice, and point out
any neglect that they may discover in any of
the wards.
Junior Attendants have the immediate care
of the wards and patients. There are two of
these to every ward. 1t is their duty, enforced
by the strictest discipline, to be constantly in
their respective wards. Among the patients
entrusted to their keeping are necessarily some
of violent and dangerous types. These fire.
quently require cxertion of force on the part
of their attendants to bring them under
troll. In order to provide for such cases, rules,
as humane as the emergency will admit of,
have been adopted. And under no cir
cumstances will an Attendant be excused for
striking blow or laying violent hands upon
patient, unless in the clearest case of self
defense, or to prevent his committing a seri-
Gus injury to himself or others.n
Thus 1t will be seen that the Superintend-
ent IS forced to rely almost entirely upon his
surbordinates for information touching mis-
treatment of patients. Attendants may often
abuse their charges without the knowledge or
sanction of their superiors. They easily
avoid detection by suppressing the truth. No
other avenue of Information is open, save that
furnished by witnesses reft of reason, or such
indications familiar to the eye and
skill of the Physician.
The first case of violence mentioned
by Hackley, refers 70 patient
named James smith, who now resides in Car
roll county. This patient is represented by
all the witnesses being given to sudden fits
Of insanity, at such times he was violent
and dangerous. On the oceaaion referred lQ !