Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-31
A TERRIBLE HISTORY.


soo-d Story That Should Haze Been Told
Sia Years Ago Published No,v to Call At
te:etton to a Continuing WronD-A Solemn
Vofce of Protest and Of Warming. -
Port Huron (Mict.) Sunday Commercially
The story published below is not intended as
newspaper sensation. It is plain recital,
made and published wholly in the interest of
the poor, dependent inmates of the Michigan
asylum for the insane at Kalamazoo.
Inasmuoh as the lady, part of whose expe-
eicuce there it is-and who was never violently
insane-was a resident of Port Huron before
she was sent to the asylum, and has resided
here quietly with her son and daughter for six
years since her escape; "a she has bought her a
home and paid for it; has gone into the circuit
court and by virtue Of her own unshaken testi-
mOny sustained aud c0rroborated reclaimed
property which rascally husband had endeav-
orsd to filch from her: as she has demonstrated
her sanity in many ways; and because her story
now told is corroborated, in so much as is at
present possible, by her daughter and by other
persons, and because by every rule of reason
ing and all forms Of analogy,
II WEARS THE AIR OF TRUTH,
and appeals to human reason and the human
heart, we feel called upon to publish it in our
columns. This is the account given by Mrs
tiGury AeWley, OIL EOEI uIOu, Nllcu, OIL uer
FIVE YEARS INCARCERATION
in the Michigan insane asylum at Kalamazoo
in answer to questions put by reporter for
the Commercial:
l was taken to the asylum about eleven years
ago. l was really insane at the time, though l
was improving, and probably never would have
been sent there if my husband had been loyal
honorable man.
One cruel practice the attendants INDUCED in
that of reaching down and jerking
patients feet from under them.
Sometimes the fall occasioned the patient
great pain. I will tell you my first experience
of that. About five weeks before l went to
the asylum l accidentally needle into
my right foot, and it remained there. It
often caused me pain, and was anxious to get
rid of it.
Some two or three months after entering the
asylum L was standing looking out of win
dow. 1t was the beg inning of very cold day,
and we were about to be called to breakfast.
AS stood there felt the needle pain me, and
the idea occurred to me that perhaps 1 might
be able to force it out. so rasped my foot
against tho base mop-board two or three
times, with that object only in my mind. I
had not noticed that my glove-kid shoes had
made marks on the white Dashboard but one
of the attendants-a grass widow, Leety Ogden
by nsme-had.
what are you doing, Mrs. Kewley?" she
For the first time now observed the marks,
and stopped little to examine them, when the
attendant quickly jerked my feet from under
me, and struck fairly on my back. The shock
almost stunned me, and l could not have got
up Immediately if left alone. But Lecta called
herself on my chest. The two put ON the
Heather muff' to secure my hands, and buck
led g heavy belt around my waist, drawing it so
tight as to interfere with my breathing. They
then assisted me to rise, and, as gasped for
breath they forced me to walk, pulling and
draggi ing me distance of about forty feet to
bedroom known as Mrs. Readers room.
The room was known as Mrs. Readers room,
because she was kept in that room and strapped
down to that bench in the day, and often to
the bed ut night, for two and half years.
Her hands became defoimed from the constant
more violent hall, and died there.
Doctor Hurd, now Of the Pontiac asylum,
told that she did regain her senses before
death. Once in while I loosened the belt
which confined her hands and let her work the
muH off herself. did not dare to be seen
touching her. They did not feed her enough,
and she often asked me to bring some food
from the table. did soseveral times, but was
put under the 'restraints,' and ordered to de-
sist. This was not done by the doctor, but by
Mrs. Ogden and Mrs. Caffrey.
!NoTE-The ''muff is something like q lady's
lYsI
Inside that room they fastened me in sitting
posture near the open window. could move
my feet, but not my hands or body. A mixture
Of sleet and snow was falling, which blew in at
the window and settled on my shoulders I was
given my breakfast. I saw no one and was
given no chance to explain, and l was left there
until o'clock in the evening with
out food. The snow on my
back. on the seat beside me- on the floor about
my feet, was more than half an inch thick
when was released. At six Mrs. Ogden came
Il I'd offered me food. but would not release
hands nor loosen the band around my wal st.
objected to eating ont of her hand, and said
that could not eat any way unless the belt
around my waist was loosened. She refused to
do either. 1 offered to clean the marks from
the Dashboard if she would release me, but she
said she would show them to DR.. Palmer, and
he would order me kept where was month.
then asked her to lower the window, and she
said l deserved what I was suffering; she
would teach me not to do so again. When she
finally did release the belt around my waist at
P. NJ, the rush of blood that cnsued caused
me to fall to the floor helpless she grasped me
by the hair aud dragged me out of the room.
She then called her sister, and they proceeded to
take off my clothing. Their violent behavior
attracted the attention of another patient,
Mrs. Blakely, who never appeared insane, and
did lots of knitting and sewing. She grasped
chair and struck them, saying: You have
let her alone; you shan't tantalize her any
longer" They then left me, jerked her feet
from under her. jumped on her, pulled, mauled
and pummeled until they had subdued her.
They then put on the muf and the restraint
belt around her waist and jerked her into the
have done 80. She was left in the room and
with the restraints all night. I afterward
asked her whether they kept her fastened on
the seat all night, but her answer has escaped
my memory.
Every day the atrocious conduct of the vixen
no day passed in which some act of tyranny or
brutality was not pract ICED which should never
be seen in the treatment of criminals, much
less in asylum for the insane.
1t was in the fall that went to the asyl UNI
During the winter new hall WAS finished off,
Is to the new. or No. IA hall. Not many weeks
afterward I saw horrible crime committed.
Between 10 and II o'clock one spring morning
l was sewing side Of the hall. It wa
Ihilly, and was on bench near the steams
coils, which ran alongside the wall. Beside
This lady was very melancholy always, and
had habitof chewing paper as gum. She was
doing so that morning, when an attendant,
Familiarity known as Miss Emma, but whose
surname forget noticed her and said:
Mrs. Hamilton, what are you chewing?"
Paper"
Have not told you not to do that?" (box-
ing her ears violently.
Il don't know as it does any harm, and will
chew it whenever can get it, (rising and
showing Miss Emma).
The latter jerked Mrs. HIS feet from under
her, and as she fell her head came in contact
with the iron steam-coils, making noise that
seemed to me to sound as loud as the report OF
pistol. Mrs. II. gave shrek of anguish, and
any woman deserving of place among human
threw herself on tho woman's chest and called
to another attendant, her sister, to bring the
restraints. Mrs. Hamilton struggled 80 fran
tically that they desisted from their efforts to