Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-21
HORRIBLE BRUTALITY !! !!
At st. Peter Asylum.
Shocking Tale IfTrue.
Employees Statement.
Investigation Ordered.

When the Senate opened it's session YES
terday, Senator Rice sprung genuine SEN
sation by presenting letters making most
serious charges against the management of
the insane asylum at St. Peter. If true, they
Senate promptly ordered an investigation,
and Senators Doran, Rice, Edgerton, Morton
and Drew were appointed the committee.
The following are the charges
ALLOW u.s. the undersigned, to call your at
tention particularly to some things which
ought to be very important for the Leg islaturc,
but which also, perhaps will be very difficult
to investigate without any personal knowledge
about it, viz. The method and practical way in
which the hospital for the insane is managed.
But we have been employed at the hospital for
several years (some of six or seven years.
and have seen and abhorred the treat
ed to by those who are hired to
serve, assist and care for the afflicted.
slider it our duty not only to inform you of it
memer of the legislative body and one of
our countrymen, (the majority of us being
Scandinavians,) but also to beseech you to
have the kindness to offer our petition to the
Legislature.
TO give you some idea about this we will
give you few facts which TRANSFERRED while we
were employed at the hospital
At the branch hospital in st. Peter is a man
by the name of John Bits, employed assist
ant supervisor. part of his duty is to see
that the patients are served with wholesome
food, clothing and other necessities.
The least we say is that in regard to food,
he has been very negligent. The meat partic-
nlarly, has not only been tough and dry, such
as is obtained from old, over-worked cattle, and
unfit for food, but it has frequently happened
that when distributed among the PATIENTS hair
and manure have been found boiled together
with the meat.
1t is also his duty to administer the medicine
to the patients Occasionally it is necessary to
compel the patient to take the medicine. To
facilitate this, wooden plug is placed between
the teeth so as to open the mouth while the
medicine is poured in.
But Mr.. Bits not only forces the mouth open,
but when the patients are troublesome, he be-
comes angry and forces the plug down in their
throats SO far, and with such rudeness, that not
only the patients mouth, but the plug also is
covered with blood.
Frequently to avoid the trouble to compel
them to take the medicine he simply pours it
outside the mouth so it runs down their
clothes and not drop goes where it ought to
go.
Yet still worse: Last summer we had a
patient who had to be compelled to take his
lood In the same way as was ust related about
and kept open with the plug, while the soup
prepared for the purpose poured in his
mouth.
After time the attendant was ordered by
MIR. Bits to take this patient to the table
during meals, not to feed him. but allow him
TO have his own way to see how long he would
persist i'll refusing to eat. This lasted for three
days, the patient touching nothing. not even
drink Of water. After this Mr.. Bits seemed
moved to feed him again, and at the third
meal after his three days fasting. the as usual
sobstinate.
After u time Mr.. Bits became very angry
and ordered the attendant and few of the
other patients to lay him down on Il bench and
hold him. While he was thus lying down Mr..
Bits takes this plug, puts it into the PROSTATE
patients throat and thus prevents him from
swallowing; then MIR. Bits poured the soup in
to the poor fellows mouth. The conse-
Iuence was that he choked. The at
tendant tried to draw Mr.. Bits attention to
this fact, but he answered that it not dan
gerous. He afterwards did see it was danger
GUS, though. Then Mr.. Bittssordered the pa
tient to be lifted up and shook but all to no
purpose. The patient was then carried in and
laid upon q bed and the doctor was sent for
but when he came in the poor drew his
last breath.
Those that were present on this occasion be-
lieve that this was the reason of his death, but
OF course it was not to be understood in that
way or let out in that light.
Mr.. Bits has also of late been insulting,
overbearing and ungentlemanly against his
subordinates at so many different times, too
many to here repeat.
In one word, he has been so unreasonable
that we could not remain any longer as en-
ployes at the branch hospital, and sent to the
superintendent and steward asking to have Mr..
bltts removed, or else stating that we were
compelled to leave. To this the steward and
superintendent paid no attention. We then
personally applied at the Office Of the hospital
but they would not even listen to our trouble
but the assistant doctor told the steward to pay
n us on na+ and a,.oni let us ego, CO. as the.
We then started to put our things in order t.
leave While doing this, the superintendent cam,
down and said that it we wanted to leave h,
could not prevent us, but we could not get any
money unless we first gave notice Of our leav
ing, and then staid one month after that will
the exception of twoo of us, who were discharged
Immediately.
1t may seem strange that we did not appea
to the board of trustees, but we knew that i
would be useless, as the trustees, the doctor
and officers of the institution hang together il
ring, so there can be no change in the man
agement before there is change in some of tn
office-holders.
We want to except Mr.. G. w. Dyer. He is
gentleman, knows his business and tries to d
his duty as far as he can.
Mr.. Bits has also an Office as sexton in
church, the hospital trustee and treasurer, Rev
Kerr, is teacher, from which we think he ais
draws a salary. Much time and work is needle
here, as the church is large and often used
But Mr.. Butts has the patients from the hosp
tai to do the work and saw the wood which
needed at the churches. VIVA
those to find out whose business it is to see
it. careful investigation is needed in regar
to the hospital, before stated. Therefore
we think it our duty to inform you about il
and ask MIR. Rice kindly to lay this before tn
Legislature.
Very Respectfully,
st. Peter. Feb. 10, 1873.
P. S.-If it should be anything else that W
could inform about, we are willing to answe
any questions. Address
N. A. LILYQUIsT,
Box 26O. St. Peter. MINI.
Signed:
CHARLES SWANSON,
DEWITT @. MORTON,
- X. H. MCMILIIN,
ANDREW HERBERG,
L. A. L1LYQUIsT,
s. ]. TURNER
SWAN GUsTAFsoN.
Senator Ahrens also sent up the followin
letter, which was read:
ST. PETER Mimi, Feb. 10Th, 1875
To the Honorable Henry Ahrens, Member c
State Senate:
DEAR Sm-Knowing and believing that 20
are man of word and character, would mos
humbly make the statement following belop
to you, illustrating how I have been treated b
&. w. Dryer, steward at the asylum for tn
insane located at st. Peter, Minnesota:
Bids for furnishing good mutton and beet