Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-02-06
hoping to arouse his sensibilities and be d.

hoping to arouse his sensibilities and be d.
ected to tell my story. zs@se-zs<sezzzszase-e4ss
Mrs. Kewley is very much excited, doctor"
said Miss Emma ..~sf
Go to your room. N rs. .Kevley,' said Dr..
Palmer; ''you are excited; 60 directly, or shall
have you taken there and put under restraint.
They led me away: as also all the other
patients, and locked US in the dOrmitory,
large room which was originally intended tas
sitting-room Mrs. r. was carried awayha at
night, in accordance with the usual custom,
and ssi,b buried-of her body sold never knew
A tragic incident occurred in the fourth year
of my stay. Mrs. Rittell was patient who
had bad melancholy spells, but no violent ones.
She used to wash dishes, mop the floors, sweep
that reached nearly to her feet. One day Miss
Lemon, one of the cruelest women ever saw,
told DIR. Palmer q heard her) that the woman's
hair smeIled musty, and asked leave to cut it
off. 1t was given, after some remark that it
seemed too bad. But Mrs. Rittell objected and
Lemon Miss WEIGH and another, after putting
the muf on her hands, throwing her on the
toor and struggling with her, pounding, chok-
Ing, cutting and slashing, managed to get 1t
OIL do not know whether they sold it or not.
1t was popular color and beautiful hair.
bruised black and blue, her face and neck
swollen and distorted. They would hold her
nose and strangle her; they would raise her up
and slam her head down against the floor. Be-
coming almost frenzied on witnessing the suf-
fer1ngs of the unfortunate woman, l seized
chair and threatened to strike if they did not
stop. But dared not strike, and one OF them
came and showed me out of the room and shu
the door.
When they got done the poor woman vase.
duced to idiocy, and believe never improved
saw her clasp her hands before her face imam
attitude of supplication, and say, "Piease, God
let me die Please, God, let me die"
She was Catholic, and previous to this used
tr pray and sing in the night quite loud. This
| Annoyed Miss Lemon, and have seen her come
room) and choke her to stop her. Some times
she would throw the quilt over her head and
smother her to stop her. Often she would bite
Mrs. Rittelrs hands till the blood would run.
! have examined them in the morning and seen
tn marks.
After the cruel hair-cutting experience only
saw Mrs. Rittell for two or three weeks, during
which time she did not know any thing. They
had made her ten times as insane as before. lsup-
posed that she died, for one night heard them
| they always did those who died of disease or
| were killed, and saw her no more.
! One custom in the asylum was that of carry
| ing medicine to the patients and forcing m
willing ones to drink it. This was natural
enough, but it led to this tragedy: 1 was fold
the patients who always objected to the medi-
cine. This night Miss Lemon: Miss Caffrey
and Miss WEIGH were together. Miss Lemon
was in haste it seems, and was intending to go
down town. When the woman refused, she and
assistants threw her on her back put a wedge
between her teeth, and poured her medicine
into her mouth She strangled and expired.
heard the words, II believe she's dead, say
nothing about it till morning. 1 never saw
her afterward, and I heard the usual heavy
| tread of the pail bearers the next night. The
death of a patient was never told to other
| patients.