Daily globe., 1878-03-22
Rev. Kerr is a Failure.

On the Goth of February last, the Mime
sofa Legislature being in session, Senator
A. E. Rice, of Kandiyohi county, announced
that he had received the following docu-
ments making charges against the insane
asylum management at St. Peter, which he
sent to the Secretary of the Senate to be
read:
"Allow us, the undersigned, to call your at
tention particularly to some things which
ought to be very important for the Legislature
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 us six or seven years)
and have seen and abhorred the treatment the
patients have been subjected to by those who
are hired to serve, assist and care for the
afflicted, we consider it our duty not only to in
form you of it as a member 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
employed ut the hospital.
At the branch hospital in st. Peter is man
by the name of John Belts, employed as assist
ant supervisor. A part Of his duty is to see
that the patients are served with wholesome
food, clothing and other necessities.
The least we can say is that in regard to food,
he has been very negligent. The meat, particu-
larly, 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 medi-
cine to the patients. Occasionally it is neces-
sary to compel the patient to take the medi-
cine. To facilitate this wooden plug is placed
between the teeth to open the mouth
while the medicine is poured in.
But Mr.. Belts not only forces the mouth
open but when the patients are troublesome,
he becomes angry and forces the plug down in
their throats so far, and with such rudeness,
that not only the patients mouth but the plug
is also 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 on their
clothes and not drop goes where it ought to
60.
Yet still worse: Last summer we had a
patient who had to be compelled to take his
food in the same way as was just related about
the medicine, /. c., his mouth had to be opened
and kept open with the plug, while the soup
prepared for the purpose was poured in his
mouth.
After a time the attendant was ordered by
MIR. Belts to take the 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 in refusing to eat. This lasted for three
days, the patient touching nothing, not even a
drink of water. After this Mr.. Belts seemed
moved to feed him again, and at the third
meal after his three days fasting, he as usual
obstinate.
After time Mr.. Belts became very angry,
and ordered the attendant and few of the 9th
er patients to lay him down on a bench and
hold him. While he was thus lying down, Mr..
Eetts takes this plug, puts it into the prostrate
patients throat, and thus prevents him from
swallowing; then MIR. Belts poured the soup
into the poor fellow S mouth. The consequence
was that he was choked. The attendant tried
to draw Mr.. Belts attention to this fact, but he
answered that it was not dangerous. He after
wards did that it was dangerous, though.
Then MI Belts ordered the patient to be lifted
tient was then carried in and laid upon bed
and the doctor was sent for, but when he came
in the poor man drew his last breath.
Those that were present on this occasion be-
llCVe 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.. Belts has also of late been insulting
overbearing and ungentlemanly against his
subcrdinates at so many different times, toe
numerous to here repeat.
In one word, he has been SO unreasonable
that could not remain any longer as en-
ployes at the branch hospital, and sent to the
superintendent and steward asking to have Mr.
Belts removed, or else stating that we were
compelled to leave: To this the steward ano
superintendent paid no attention. We ther
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 pa,
us off and let us go, they could get twenty t.
fill our places.
We then started to put our things in order t.
leave. While doing this the superintendent
came down and said that if we wanted t.
leave he could not prevent us, but we could
not get any money unless we first gave notic
Of our leaving and then staid one month afte
that, with the exception of two of us, who wer
discharged Immediately.
1t may seem strange that we did not appea
to the board of trustees, but we knew that