Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-31
who belonged to No. Is hall, telling her what
had happened aud to call the doctor.

who belonged to No. Is hall, telling her what
had happened aud to call the doctor.
Drs. Palmer and Marshall camo up i'm
mediately. I went into the room, and when
they came in l started to tell what had hap
pened, but was interrupted by Miss Emma;
and DIR. Palmer, with an aggravating shake OF
his fingers, said: ''Never mind Mrs. Kewley
never mind; 60 to your room"
IF you will examine her head, doctor you
will probably find her skull broken" said L,
| hoping to arouse his sensibilites and be di-
rected to tell my story.
Mrs. Kewley is very much excited, doctor, "
said Miss Emma.
go to your room, Mrs. Kewley," said DR..
Palmer; you are excited; go 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, a
large room which was originally intended tas
sitting-room. Mrs. II. was carried awayha at
night, in accordance with the usual custom,
and buried-or her body sold never knew
| tragic incident occurred in the fourth wear
of my stay. Mrs. Rittell was n patient who
| had bad melancholy SPELLS but no violent Ones
| She used to wash dishes, mop the floors, sweep
and make BEDS She had long, auburn hair
| that reached nearly to her feet. One day Miss
| Lemon, one Of the cruelest women ever saw.
told DR.. Palmer q heard herr that the woman 3
| hair smelled musty, and asked leave to cut it
| off. 1t was given, after some remark that it
| seemed too bad. But Mrs. Rittell objected and
resisted desperately; but three of them Miss
| Lemon, Miss WEIGH and another, after putting
! the muff on her hands, throwing her ON the
| ing, cutting and slashing managed to get it
| off. do not know whether they sold it or not.
1t was popular color and beautiful hair.
During the struggle poor Mrs. Ritte,l was
| bruised black and blue, her face and neck
swollen and distorted. They would hold her
| lctr IL how.
| and slam her head down against the floor. Be-
| coming almost frenzied on witnessing the suf-
ferings of the unfortunate woman, I seized a
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 shut
the door.
When they got done the poor woman was re-
duced to idiocy, and I believe never improved.
| saw her clasp her hands before her face in an
! attitude Of supplication, and say, "Pease, 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 have seen her come
into the room (there were four beds in the
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. Rittelps hands till the blood would run
have examined them in the morning and seen
the 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 Isup-
posed that she died, for one night heard them
come to her room and carry her away, just as
they always did those who died of disease or
were killed, and I saw her no more.
One custom in the asylum was that of carry
ing medicine to the patients and forcing un-
willing ones to drink it. This was natural
enough, but it led to this tragedy: was fold
ing clothes in the hall near the room of one of
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 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. I never saw
her afterward, and I heard the usual heavy
tread Of the pail bearers the next night. The
death of patient was never told to other
PATIENTS