Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-23
Brutality Unearthed
At Insane Asylum.
Testimony Continued
Belts is a Nice Man.
Scalding a Patient
Dead in Few Minutes.
Bartlett Equals Kerr
In Discounting Truth
Dead in Few Minutes.
Bartlett Equals Kerr
In Discounting Truth
TSpecia, TELEGRAM to THE GI,oBr

lu.UloCOullulllS II ul1I
Especial Telegram to The GLOBE.
ST. PETER March 22.-Among the witnesses
examined by the committee and not fully re-
ported, was Mr.. c. J. Swensen, former en-
ploye. He testified as follows
Knows John Belts, who was supervisor in the |
building where he was employed. The best
patients were located there, and Belts would
annoy and make them mad; he was always
finding fault with the employees till they could
stand it no longer; we complained to the doc
tor, and sent in petition for him to remove |
Belts, or we would quit our employment;
presented the petition February 10Th, and |
when DR.. Bowers ordered me and Mr.. Turner to
go into the Office and get discharge, for we |
had no business to get up the petition and have /
it signed outside the institution; when en-
ployed in the stable, DR.. Bartlett, Mr. Dyer. |
Gov. Austin, and q gentleman from st. Paul, |
went out chicken hunting; one of the horses /
died few minutes after being put in the
stable. Witness took the horses out of the
wagon, and as soon as he put them in the stable
they threw themselves down-they were
sick witness asked for some Oil for them but
one died the same night; the other got better;
the officers were in the habit of using the
horses for private use and going hunting
DR.. Bowers own horse is kept at the expense
of the State; Mr.. Damrin's horse was kept ut
the hospital while the owner was in the Black
Hills. Witness did not know if Mr.. Damrin
paid for his keeping; DR.. Bowers went out one
day with State horse into the big woods and
came back without it; he said it had run away
and was killed; the horse was in the habit OF
running away; MIR. Belts is hired by the trust
ees of Mr.. Kerr's church to keep it clean and he
is paid for it; he has the patients to help him
sweep and clean; witness had seen them 60 en-
ployed but had not seen them saving wood:
had heard Mr.. Belts say that it was too I'D
that such people as the insane should live, they
we're NO good to themselves or anybody else; it
was sometimes two months between the visits
of DR.. Bartlett to the temporary hospital; John
| Anderson, patient had very sore leg it
smelled very badly; was bad for long time,
but when DIR. James came he cured itin short
time; don't think it had been at
| the leg was sore for three years
Mr.. g. J. TURNER swoRN.
| Said he lives in st. Peter; is 81 years old, is
laborer; was employed from 1870 till this
spring; was at the temporary hospital; know
John Belts, he was hard to get along with; was
| dissatisfied with the work of employees; would
| get mad and abusive, and would annoy the pa
tients; when he signed the petition to DR.. Bart
lett he was discharged by DR.. Bowers; had made
| CONF !hlHG 10 oyer before OF GSLtS con
duct.
| swENsEN RECALLED.
The meat was mostly hard and tough 60 that
it could not be eaten; could not tell the differ
ence between tea and coffee; the girls said they
could not make it better; the quantity given
out small they could not make it last:
the bread was good, he hammered and cut the
meat but could not make it tender.
MRS TURNER SWORN
Lives in st. Peter; is 80 years old; was en-
ployed at the branch hospital seven and a
half years; attendant four years,
sewing the last three and a half
years; when she came Mrs. Everett
was matron; John Bells is supervisor; com
planned lots of times of his abuse to the en-
ployees; always quarrelsome and abusive;
know nothing of Betts treatment of patients
{ he said there would be no harm to smothe,
, those who wouldn't get we'll, the same as the,
: did in England; saw a great deal of vegetable:
thrown away that were bought; the meat was
, better than the patients; Mr.. Belts dined q
/ our table; Mrs. Everetts was discharged becaus,
it was said she drank and was rcugh to pa
tients.
ELLEN o'coNNoR SWORN.
Lives in st. Peter; is 10 years old; am en-
ployed at the old hospital in the laundry
have been there one year: don't know nythin
: about the patients, but Belts treats the EN-
: ployees abusively; has a bad temper AM
a tyrannises over every body; heard him say SUI
7 fering patients should be killed rs in England
n provisions at employees table pretty good
a Belts was always scolding; he growls wit
+ everybody.
~ ARTHUR PHELPS SWORN.
Living in st. Peter; is nineteen years old
t. lived here twelve years more; is working a
| thn oc1,ln faki ooef
y tients; has been 30 employed q month; d
Ie Bowers is the physician; he visits the patien
once day, at times oftener: DR.. Bartlett b,
y been there twice at least since he has bee
70 70 there: has twenty-three patients to put to bt
~ and twenty-six to attend in the dining-roon
=. "a some are very crazy; some nearly we'll; Bar'
~ Roberts, of Shakopee, patient is quite wei
,; has not shown any signs of insanity since wi
~ ness has been there; know hr. Bells; get G
"a +, ders from him; he has not shown any bad ter
~ per- patients get good food; all get the san
- food; we sometimes get pie and the patien
Al don't; that is all the difference; everything
all right as far as witness knows. but the gener
opinion of patients and employees LIS that the
fs would rather have some one else; no one ik
him; they say he is overbearing; coffee is q
good; almost clear water; tea is as bad rs t
coffee; made complaint to the doctor last wee
one of the patients goes to the church to Gle
asst lamps.
1t W. TURR1TAN SWORN.
Lives in st. Peter; is 30 years old; has be
ar, three months working in the asylum as after
4 ant on the patients; coffee is nothing but wa
water and milk; get very tough meat; not
MS .Is ter than it was two months ago; not enough
''l it and pretty tough bread il pretty go,
:. know Belts; patients don't like him, but he
p ~ little better; does not growl SO much; do
Us like him because of his temper; don't
- friendly to anybody, patients anybody ell
n n Belts has been in the habit Of taking pate
oin to work at the church; one day he took fou,
q. five up there; he is the sexton of the chur
o. DR.. Bowers visits patients every morning .
sometimes again in the evening; when an
lor tendant takes patients out he is RESPONSE
,or- - .aass 70 cover ~. oct &c ',at.; ~. ~
cen back; the meat is sent up on waiter and '
ness has to divide it out among 46 patients;
is hard to make it go round, there is SO litti
ent it; employees take out what they want and
vide the rest; patients complain Of not gett