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

by Hackley, he made unexpected assault
upon George Foxton with a chair. In endea-
yoriag to control him lie was thro@ IA 10 the
floor and his face was accidentally bruised
Within five minutes afterwards the matter was
in Investigated by Dr.. Melville, as, also suose-
oueutiy by the Superinte ndent, and Foxton
was excused, on the ground of necessity. At
the time DR.. Neville entered the ward the
patient Smith was still raging and excited
The second charge relates 10 q atlent nam.
ed Blumgard who is still at the Asylum, and
was visited by your committee, 81 Imgard IS
said 10 DE moody ~ all times, and exceedingly
treacherous when In fit of insanity. AT the
time referred TO in the charge, he attacked The
above named Attendant with stick and could
oulv be overcome by force. According to the
regulations of the Institution he was secluded
in his room. He was not abused or mlstreat-
ed farther than was necessary 10 bril- him
under control This case was duly reported
and Investigated. The Attendant was found
not to have exceeded the bounds Of prudence,
aud was therefore excused. The Flow struck
in the presence OF Hackley does not appear 10
have come 10 the knowledge of either the ; +
perintendent the Assistant Physician.
Hackley. on his own showing, never reported
il although it was his duty 10 do 20. And the
Attendant charged with the offence emphati
callv denies its truth.
Tie third charge refers to a patient, named
Davis, who is also still at the Asylum, and was
visited a the same time tle the other patients
were visited. Davis Is an OLD man, apparent
ly about sixty or sixty-tiye years of age. His
malady is of annoying nature, and the
attendant are forced to keepa more than ordI-
nary watch on him to prevent his quarreilng
with other patients. Very often IT becomes
necessary tt seclude him in his room, and at
the time your committee visited him he was
confined a room in the attic. The Attendant,
Foxto who was discharged about year ago,
denies that he used violence toward Davis,
nor is the charge borne ont By any corrob-
Grating evidence. According TO Hackley's
own sworn statement he made no report
- .l.,,t 4
hough, by failing to do 50, he knew
he guilty of gross neglect of duty: DR..
Melville also testities that no report of tie
case made to him. Ii such outrage
was committed here Is no witness known 10
your committee by whom 1t can be proved.
The fourth charge relates to the Head At
teDdant and his reports TO the SuperInten-
dent The Attendant alluded TO this
HackIey's testimony he does not know
of his own knowledge that FOXtOn was
ever reported to the Superintendent or As is
tunt Physician, by Conway, the then Senior
Attendent. Hackley further says, that he
himself never reported a case to the Superin-
tcndcnt, that was not at once investigated.
Conway, the above named Head Attendant,
who, Hackley AYERS, luf0rme him of the mat
ter contained in this charge, was examined.
He testlfies that he has recollection of hav-
ing reported said Attendants but once for cru
city to patients, and cannot say wheeler the
case reported by him was iuly investigated
or not, but that the Superintendent never.
within his knowledge failed to investigate
reported case of cruelty to patients.
The fifth charge states case of cruelty to
an old man. named George Work. Your COM
mittee gave this charge careful and com
pIetc examination. Aside from the absurdty
of applying porous plaster to bruises, this
charge wholly contradlcIs itself Blu as mat
tiers OF fact are required IN explanation and
contradiction of these charges and argu-
ment, the testimony of Hackley and Conway
is briefly stated.
L Al.
George Work resisted any Attendant. that he
learned from W ork himself that an Attendant,
named Pulliam, who Is now supposed TO be in
Texas. had beaten him badly; and that An
drew Kelley, another Attendant told him he
saw PuIliam do the beating. He further
says: That he did not report the matter to
the Superintendent. Upon cross examina-
lion he says; that he knew George Work to
be a violent patient and given to resisting his
Atsen iants. Conway, the above named Senior
Attendant says, that he does not know OF any
mistreatment OF George Work by the Attend
ant that he was constantly complaining to
every one Of mistreatment by the Attendant
and that he had kind of mania f.r making
complaints Andrew Kelley tie titles that
Pulliam came to his ward with his face bleed
ing nd told him that Work had hit him W in
a truss; that he went with Pulliam to assist
him in securing the truss; that Work not
beaten, and that only sufficient force was
used to overcome him til It he was wild and
exc tied.
brought to his ward Immediately after the
struggle; that he was very much excited. but
not hurt or bruised, and that no porous plas-
tiers were applied stated by Hackley" Dr.
Melville says, that he never heard a ord Of
the assault Work charged to have been
made, and neither did tle superintendent,
within his know ledge.
The sixth charge relates to UNDECIDED com
plants to the Superintendent on the part
of patients, about the cruelties and mis- treat-
Pulliam. Hackley, when interrogat-
ed on this point, says that he could not say
that he heard the patients complain to the
of PuIliam but that Conway
him that they complained" 1t
is not at all unlikely that the SUI
perintendent met with complaints on the
part of patients. 1t would be extraordinary
if such were not the case. Some of the very
diseases of patients possibly take this form.
And, even in well regulated communities
than others. This, however, should
furnish no excuse in Institution of the
kind we now considering. All cOmplaints,
unless they are clearly unfounded, should be
investigated as fully when made by patient !
as when made by an Attendant.
The seventh charge, brings your committee
to the disgusting attic scene. The patient re-
ferred 30 is Davis, the same one spoken of in |
Stephen ORbyan testify that. Charles Young !
told them that he had treated Davis as charged |
in Hackley card Charles Young was exam |
ined fully upon this point. He testified with |
great candor, that Davis, in crazy fit, had |
Uttered his room and that after rinsing the |
cloth in bucket of water, that he wiped |
Davis face with it thar he did it in playful |
ness and that the cloth was clean He furth- |
er testified that he did not report the matter, |
as he did not deem it of sufficient importance |
Neithr Hackley nor Rhyan made any report of |
it to any of their superiors. Being ignorant of !
the matter, it of course impossible for the
Superintendent or Assistant Physician to in |
stiture an investigation. 1t will be observed |
that Hackley nor Rhyan testify of their own |
IL In ,f
Young Young gives milder version. Bur |
the whole story is calculated to leave doubt, |
as to whether Young did not mean something |
more than ''playfulness. At all events, his
and displayed temper No blame, however,
could possibly attach to the Superin tendent.
L is one of those cases known only to the At
tendant, and his insane charge, whose absence |
of reason deprives him of credibility. 1t is
Just to Young to state that Conway gives him
a good character for gentleness and kindness. |
The eighth charge is wholly unsustained |
Hackley was not discharged for being a Dem
ocrat, but because he wrote letters criticising |
and rejecting on the action of the Board of !
Trustees in cutting down the wages of the At
tendants and fer lnefhciency. According to |
his own evidence, which is of course the best, |
all of the white employees at the Asylum, ex |
cept two are Democrats. The two included in |
the exception were employed by the present |
SuperIntendents predecessor, and have been |
long since discharged by him for improper
conduct.
The NINTH and last charge, it will be seen |
from the evidence, is fraught with mystery |
The witnesses all agree that there man |
at the Asylum, about the time of the Clinton |
riot, who appeared to be hiding. Gordon, the |
hack driver, testifes that as nearly as he can |
recollect, this mysterious parsonage was there |
in the Spring of the year. Every witness, |
except Gordon, further agree in the statemen +, |
hat shortly after the riot a man was sent |
a way from the ASYLUM, toward Canton, in the !
hack Conway concluded that it was Charles |
Caldwell, Jr., for the reason that he heard one
Of the employees of the Asylum, whose name /
he could not call, address woman, who |
made her appearance shortly after the hack