The Indiana State sentinel., 1879-01-29

Rittell objected and resisted desperately, but
three of them, Miss Lemon, Miss Welch and
another after putting the mnff on her hands
threw her on the floor, and struggling with
her. pounding, choking. cutting and slash
ing, managed to geti off. / do not know
whether they sold it or not. 1t was popu-
lar color and beautiful hair. During the
struggle poor Mrs. Rittell was bruised black
and blue, her face and neck swollen and
distorted. They would hold her nose and
strangle her; they would raise up and
SLAM HER HEAD DOWN AGAINST TIE FLOOR.
Becoming almost frenzled on witnessing
the sufferings of the unfortunate woman,
seized chair and threatened to strike if
they did not stop. But l dared not strike,
and one of them came aud showed me out of
the room and shut the door. When they
got done the poor woman was reduced 10
idiocy, and / believe never improved. /
saw her clasp her hands before her face in
an attitude of supplication, and say: "Please,
God, let me die. PLEASE, God, let me die"
She was Catholic, and previous to this used
to pray and sing in the night quite loud.
This annoyed Miss Lemon. and l have seen
her come into the room (there were four
beds in the room) and choke her to stop her.
Sometimes she would throw the quilt over
her head and smother her to stop her.
Often she would bite Mrs. Rittell's hands
until the blood would run. / haye ex-
amined them in the morning and seen the
marks.
After the cruel hair-cutting experience 1
only saw Mira Rittell for two or three weeks,
during which time she did not know any
thing. They had made her ten times as in-
sane as before. / supposed that she had
died, for one night heard them come to her
door and carry her away, just as they always
did those who died of disease or were killed.
and / saw her no more.
On asking about her the next morning /
was told by Miss Lemon that her brother
had come and got her and taken her to De-
troit. then thought, and think now, that
she died, and that her death was entirely
due to the horrible treatment she had un-
dergone, for she was constantly sick and
vomiting after it. and never did any work
again in the asylum.
RETRIgUTIoN.
One victim of Miss Lemons cruelty,
whose name forget, was in the habit of
singing at night, and Miss Lemon would
choke and abuse her. She told me of this
abuse. Once when Miss Lemon was chok-
ing her. she bit the end of the middle finger
on that ladys ring hand. A few days after
erysipelas set in and the finger had to be
amputated at the end joint. The poison
followed mp and an amputation took place
at the second joint. Even this did not save
her, for erysipelas followed into her hand,
which got spotted, purple and black, and her
arm and hand swelled up terribly. She had
to go to Ann Arbor, and the finger was taken
out up to her wrist. Her punishmsnt was
/ great, but l think not greater than her deeds
/ merited.
Once she saw me watching her motions
/ for did watch her as l would snake. She
wanted revenge. for she feared and hated
me, so she picked up a large new Bible which
! lay on hot air flue in the wall and threw il
out of the window. This was about the time
of the morning visit of DIR. Palmer. She went
down and got the Bible, wet, wracked and
ruined, and told the doctor that threw thai
book out of the window. / told him that
did not; that she did. He said, Lob, nc
Miss Lemon wouldn't do that" He ordered
the restraints put on me, and they were KEEP
on two or three days.
ANOTHER TRAGEDY.
One custom in the asylum was that of car
ryiDg the medicine to the patients and forcing
unwilling ones to drink 1t. This was natura
enough, but it led to this tragedy: ] wa
folding clothes in the hall near the room
of one of the patients who always
objected to the medicine. This
night Miss Lemon, Miss Caffrey
and Miss WEIGH were together. Mis-
Lemon was in haste, it seems, and was in
tending to go down town. When the woman
| refused, she and assistants threw her on he
back. put a wedge between her teeth, helc
her nose and poured her medicine into be
mouth. She strangled and expired. 1 hear(
the words 81 believe she's deadr say nothin,
afterward; and heard the usual heavy treat
of the pail bearers the next night. Th,
death of patient was never told to othe
patients.
can not pretend to tell the half of tn,
| inhumanity that was practiced on the str1ck
en- inmates of the Michigan Asylum for tn,
Insane during the five years of my incarcer
alton. The history would fill volume, ant
would startle proud and intelligent Michigan
from her reverie about peace and progres
and charity and prosperity which our goot
governor seems to feel peryades the State.
| do not know what
CRIMES AND WRONGS
are hidden in the secret histories of the othe
halls. My experience only gave me a knowl
edge of three or four halls. No. 2 hall mus
have been even worse than any knew about
Often / could hear cries for mercy, 30 d.
stop beating me-" do not kill me;' "StoI
mailing me-" with shrieks and cries tha
made my hair stand on end.
But l do protest against the asylum re
naming under DR.. Palmer. beg, / implor
the governor and legislature to relieve tn
poor inmates from his charge. / demand i
IN the sacred name of helpless and Athletes
humanity. plead in the name of woman
hood; in the name of manhood; for the SAX
OF Christianity ana civilization, that steps b
taken to prove or disprove my story. DR.
Palmer is unfit, in the most essential partic
ulars, to administer his trust. He is crue
himself or needless; he is superficial; he will
trust the stories of vicious attendants. II
will allow tyranny, brutality and Murder +
occur and pass by undiscovered, or at leas
unexposed.
escaped when the leaves were falling 81,
years ago. passed through misery and ha
my trials and escapes. but arrived hom
finally to find my daughter anxious and We
glad. She had received letter from tn
asylum telling her of my escape, and admit
ting my ability to take care of myself.