The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-24

GEScRR accompanied Dr. Camden, Super
intendent OF the Stale Hospital for the
Insane, through the county jail yesterday
afternoon, The doctor went for the pur.
pose OF selecting such Of the insane pris:
oners as he had accommodations for, and
the reporter went along TO see thatle did
not gel anybody that was needed here.
Deputy Sheriff Phillips and Tailor Daily
went through the prison at the same time
and Us all the prisoners, who are allowed
TO be- out together, we're In the corridors
taking their daily exercise and the balance
we're called out and inspected, the oppor-
tunities OF seeing the institution were par
ticularly good.
The iail is kept as clean as soap and
whitewash will make 1t, and except the
odors in the prison part, that seem TO be
inseparable from places where many pris-
oners are confined, isn't an uncomtofta-
ble place for h stay oil brief duration.
One OF the lunatics, who was knitting in
Mrs. Daily's room, thought the institution
was good enough for her, and positively
declined polite invitation from DR.. Cam
den TO accompany him home. She admit
ted that she talked too much sometimes,
but thought that in other respects she was
all right, and did not seem TO think she re.
duired any treatment for availing herself
OF one OF the privileges Of her sex.
The lower hall Of the prison extension,
which was pretty well filled with male
prisoners, liyened up considerably when
DR.. Camden got inside, and several OF the
inmates amused themselves by recon-
mending each other as fit subjects for re-
moyal to lunatiC asylum. But Two sub.
jects were seriously examined, however,
one OF them presenting good many EVIL
dences OF possessing an unsound or feeble
mind, and the other one indicating, so far
as the reporter could judge, that he was
only nervous from past dissipation. There
were some violent kleptomaniacs present,
white and culored, and some with musical
talents well developed, but the doctor did
not want any OF them, and the examina-
ton was transferred 10 the second story.
! Here the situation was more serious.
There were about fourteen persons COLI
fined here, in every stage OF lunacy, from
a garruous old lady who seemed able to
talk man 10 death ia good natured way
and whisper in his ear afterwards, down
to an unfortunate wreck who alternated
between ainless searching for supposed
hidden objects, and violent rawlings. The
most interesting, and in some respects the
saddest objects, we're the cases whose
mental disorder was relieved by occasional
periods nj sanity. Some OF these ut the
!, time Of the visit referred 10, appeared at
their best, and talked sensibly and intelli-
gently about their own cases. and yet one
Of them, as the reporter was credibly in
, formed. was at times themost
BILE OF the lot, and the other In her rawlings
had knclt and prayed until her knees
were seriously injured. Religious
topics seemed to occupy the attention oil
several, and u colored lunatic offered To
explain "the difference between the
Christian and the natural man" by some
pictures In an illustrated newspaper. An
other, the Spencer woman, said 10 be
from st. Paul, MIMI, who was taken up
on the streets nearly five years ago, and
who has been in jail here ever since, took
very philosopic view Of her situation
said there was nothing the matter with
+ her except bad cold, and that she was
sure to get out after while, as in time
they couldn't help but find out she was
not lunatic. A large number Of the cases
! were those OF helpless, dwelling idiots
! These are the most difficult to take care OF,
I requiring constant attention 10 keep them
I clearly and presentable, and the scene
would have been depressing throughout
I but for the noise Of the old lady before
7 mentioned, whose talk was enough Ia
+ make an undertaken grin. She said she
had seven husbands, aud excused herself
for Cornering the market in thisoutrageous
manner by reminding her hearers thai
, Mary Magdalene had seven devils. The
dates OF her numerous marriages were
well preserved in her memory, and on re-
; ferring TO each one separately, she request.
ed the reporter not to forget 1t, with an ell
ergy that indicated she thought the occa'
sions were worth remembering
Out OF these untortunates DR.. Camden
) selected four, tMo women and two men,
one OF the latter being colored man. All
were OF the milder types Of insanity and
promised some hope Of improvement.
! They were selected with reference to ex-
listing vacancies in wards at the Hospital
J to which they were adapted, and will be
removed TO that institution to-day.
In talking about our Jail accommoda.
tons for luDatics, DR.. Camden said
he did not see how they could be
II the county dedlIes 70 build a a
new Jail (which, by the way, Is badly
needed) better provision could be made
for these unfOrtunates. 1t is likely, how
, ever, that long before this consummation,
devoutly to be wished, is reached, the
State Asylum extensions will be compile
ted, and 1t is hoped they will be sufficient
TO prevent the county iails from being
used for the imprisonment OF lunatics ex-
cept as TO the temporary detention neces-
sary before their removal to the State in
stitution.