Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-28

stay Ii ped, ana had To De put IN crlD.
| This is intended to leave the impression that
| he died from natural cause. When the record
made on the day of his death is compared
| with the one made on Aug. 1st, we find that it
| is there stated that che has not taken an ounce
OF food voluntarily for at least month, and
he violently resists all efforts to feed him with
tube. seems to succeed in voluntary efforts
to yomlt up everything that was given through
| the tube" Under the same date he is said stto
go about the hall grooming and bowling all
day, and at night keeps up the same noise"
This record seems strange in view of the testi-
mony given by the attendants, Herberg and
Gustafson, and becomes more SO when it is dis
covered that during the patients steady fail
ing, that three weeks after ends in death from
exhaustion, not single entry is made of the
fact until after his death. This certainly looks
like an attempt to cover up the true facts, as
| appears by the the testimony of two witnesses.
| The testimony OF Herberg states that before
the occurrence on Aug. 23d, and Immediately
preceding the death of McDonough, ssthe pa
| tient ran through the hall and made a great
noise; that he twisted the plug out of his mouth
and that he (Herberg) had to use great power
| to hold him.
| This testimony contradcts the record in
the Case" book. that McDouough had for days
1 DeeA weak, Ll1U ne COutQ only crawl, anu LQaU
| he died from exhaustion
| The witness, Sven Gustafson testifes that
when he went to his dinner the patient walked
around in the hall and screamed; that he was
not weaker that day than he had heen for two
| or three weeks before, and further, that the pa
tent died while he, Gustafson, was eating his
| dinner. This does not agree with the official
| record of death from sheer exhaustion.
| The testimony further shows, and to Ger
tain extent is corroborated by the testimony OF
DIR. Bowers, that there was another and para
mount cause of the death of the patient than
that given or evidently attempted to be given,
| IN the official record, and, instead of dying
from exhaustion, McDoneugh's life was taken
| by the action of either Belts patient
| (OConnor), or probably by the action of BOTH
| In order to feed the patient it was necessary
| to force his mouth open with wooden plug
The plug used is comparatively thin at one end
| and Is placed between the teeth, then twisted
around SO to open the mouth for the purpose
of giving them food. John Belts used plug
OF this description on McDonough on August
23d. There were present at the operation An
drew Herberg, John Belts and patient named
O'Connor, whose testimony of course cannot be
used. In regard to the application of the plug
there is no. dispute nor as to the fact that he
died shortly after the operation. Whether the
death was caused by feeding him soup
at that time was the result of
| natural causes, on this point the testi-
also as to whether the soup was given him from
| q spoon or pitcher. Upon these points Herberg
testifes that Belts put the plug in the patients
| mouth, but that he, the patient, managed to
twist 1t out; that Belts became excited and
pushed the plug down to the root of the pa
| TENTS tongue, SO witness could see down his
throat; that patient, (O'Connor,) who was
| assisting them, poured the soup from pitcher
| into the patients mouth; that McDonorgh was
choked by it, and coughed and seemed unable
to breathe; that he appeared tolose his strength
! the parties took hold of him and shook him.
he breathed slow and short, and within five
| minutes thereafter died.
John Belts does net deny the particulars
above given but claims that O Conner gave the
patient two or three spOonfuls of soup; that he
| then tainted, and that his death did rot ensue
until about twenty minutes thereafter.
DIR. Bowers was called in Immediately, and
| testified that he had found him breathing but
unconscious. That his face was colored like
person in an apoplectic condition, and
| that strangulation would have produced much
the same symptoms.
There is no claim that McDonough had an
attack of apoplexy, and if he had not the most
natural conclusion is that his condition. as
testified to by DR.. Covers was by strangula-
ton. The doctor, in his case book, in CIV
ing history of the case enters the following:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., exhd."
| The Inference is clear from the testimony Of
DR.. Bowers and the records of the hospital that
there was no aponlexy, and strangulatien, pro-
ducing like symptoms, must have been the
cause of his death.
Nicholas Knipe, in his testimony, says that
| Belts was very much excited the day bIcDon-
ough died, and had told him that he (Betts)
was afraid it would cause him trouble; and
| that McDonough's death was caused by O'Con-
nor pouring in the soup too fast. This correb-
crates the testimony of Herberg on this point.
| In the face of all this testimony it is impossi-
| BILE for the com mittee to arrive at any other
conclusion than that hLcDonough's death was
| caused by Belts, the patient O'Connor, Or
| both
That Belts used the patients with gross careless
ness, cruelty and inhumanity, is clear from the
evidence OF Herberg, who says the plug was push
ed into the roots of the tongue. 1t would have
served all purposes if the plug had been put in
one inch instead of three and three-quarte
inches. That pushing the plug in SO far, had
something to do with the strangulation is not
improbable.
| Whether McDonongh died in five minutes or
| IN twenty minutes after, is immaterial. The
death in either case followed SO close upon the
alleged cause not to allow of an argument
| for a natural death. The committee
| do not think there any criminal intent on
| the part OF Belts, but carelessness and cruelty
should not be passed over without condemna-
| ton. Other patients hvae suffered from his
treatment as appears from the evidence of
| Herberg, Sven Gustafson, N. A. Lilliquist
| Nicholas knipe and ID. G.. Morton The COM
mittee are panied to learn that any man who is
capable of such cruelty to the unfortunate
wards of the State, as is developed in character
and conduct of this Nr. Belts, should
still be retained in the employ of the hospital
scALD1Na FEMALE PATIENT TO DEATH.
Another case, which is particularly deserving
of attention, is the circumstance surrounding
the death CT Mrs. Nancy Kidney, who expired
Aug. 9Th, 1876. 1t appears from the testimony
that this Mrs. Kidney was a noisy maniac and
helpless cripple. bath was prepared for her
| and Nancy Meyers an employe of the hospital
ordered an inmate of the hospital to place her
in the bath tub, which was done and Miss
! Meyers left the room to take charge of another
patient in her ward, and though absent but a
few minutes, on her return she found her SO
badly scalded that she expired that evening.
There is no difference of opinion as regards the
cause of Mrs. Kidneys death. Miss Meyers
states that she prepared the bath and ordered
Mrs. Kidney placed in the tub, which was one
half or two-thirds full of tepid water, and
that after she left her some one must
| have let on the hot water in such quantity as
to scald the patient SO severely as to cause her
death. This could hardly be the case, if the
| bath was prepared as Miss Myers testifes
above. The committee are of the opinion that
Miss Myers very much at fault for leaving
so helpless cripple in the care Of an insane
| woman who might cause her death in this man
ner in carelessness of preparing scaldiug bath
for Mrs. Kidney herself. This Miss Meyer is
still continued as an employe of the hospital.
| The Financial Management.
Pursuant to the call of the chairman, the
committee met at st. Paul Aug. IS, 1878, for
the purpose of investigating the financial and
business management Of the hospitnl. The