The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-02-04
Sew York Herald. 2ath.l

l4NCH lOlh otAdllf <ftu.l
The murder of q woman, an inmate of the
Female Lunatic Asylum on Blackwellis
Island by another female luuatic was
brought to light yesterday. Only skeleton
of the case is thus far revealed, as the Black
wells Island authorities did their utmost
to hush up the.afiair and denied all informa-
iion to the representatives. Of the press, on
the ground that, under an order of the com
missioners. they were forbidden to report
any information to the press whatever.
The facts of the case are briefly these
Outside the grounds Of the ASylnmIproper is
small low building called the Retreat"
which is set apart for specially dangerous
excitable and noisy inmates. In this "Re-
treat are crowded together about 200 of
these pltiable unfortunates, and in each of
The small, cremped cells or rooms" not less
than three are huddled together. The alb.
surdity and inhumanity OF not keeping such
dangerous lunatics separate and safe from
each others violence will seem manifest at
once but. incredible as it may appear, 1t is q
fact that for these POO dangerous and violent
lunaties there is only one competent
nurse at night, and while that nurse
is supposed to be assisted by three
NOuleU IIUlu Tue MOIkuOuoc lflo CudTdCleT u
these creatures leaves ii easy to imagine
how well fitted they are for The watchful
duties OF nurses The solitary night nurse
OF the Re treat is Mrs Stephens. On
Saturday morning last she was aroused from
her mapping by the sbrieks of patient and
the unmislakable sounds Of violent alter
cation proceeding from the adjoining cell
She ran in and saw that one of the Iunaiics,
Julia Christ, was Draining her companion,
Mario Offpap NTH hop clnr Nail With
some difficulty the two maniacs
were Sc parated, but not until Julia had in
fiicted upon her victims head wound des
tined to DE fatal on account of Maria's very
feeble condition. On Monday she died from
compression Of the brain, due to extIavasIon
OF blood. Anxious as Dr.. McDonsld's assist
ants showed themselves, as the Y said under
orders from the commissioners, to conceal
all the aggravated features OF the case, the
affair had 10 be reported TO the coron er's
office. Dr. Mcdonald therefore sent the
! following report of the murder to the coro
ner's Office, where Coroner ElliDger took
charge of the case and ordered the body TO
be removed to the morgue. The following
is Or. McDonald's official version OF the case
DIR. NDONALD's STATEMENT.
DIR. A. l.. Mcdonald, in charge of the Insane
Asylum at BlackwelI's Island, being sworn,
SayS-On Saturday, January p, about y m, /
was informed by one of the assistant physi-
clans that Maria otter, an inmate OF the
/ Asylum for the past two years, was struck On
/ the head by a wooden slOp pail by anoi her
F, patient, named Julia Christ, at $50 o'clock a.
m. the same day she had been removed to the
hospital ward, and when / found her at the
| place named she presented the right eye
| blackened and q confusion of the scalp; she
/ was unconscious; deceased was an inmate OF
/ what Is called the Retreat" one of about 80
patti snts in the same hall, and slept with two
/ others in one room, one OF whom was Julia
/ Christ: the character OF the patients con oned
1 in the Retreat is usually excftable and noisy,
I but not violent: there are about 200 patients
/ altogether in the Retreat, and. they are in
/ charge of IL nurses IN the day
/ time and only one nurse in
| the night time, who is assisted by three work
house women; | am only temporarily in
| charge OF the Asylum at blackwell Island,
] and have been ion the last two months, when
1 was given charge of the same: divide my
I time and attention as equitably aS possible
between she asylum at Wards Island
and hat on BlackwelliS Island; / left BLACK
wells Island about p. IN on January 93; /
ana remained until noon on Monday, Janu-
airy rs, returning again at noon on Tuesday
deceased, Maria Ottner, died on Monday, jan
| uary rs about 1:SD p. m she had been in a
| very feeble condition, suffering from chronic
! diarrhos for some months previous, and very
filthy in her habits; the cause of death was
compression of the brain, due 10 extra vasa-
ton of blood: on investigating the affair ]
the night nurse in charge, was in
formed by Mrs. Stevens, that she heard
the sound of blows coming from the room, and
entering found deceased in conflict with the
sloppail in her hand yet: she separated them
and Immediately telegraphed for the doctor;
! they we're both out of bed: deceased was
standing by the bed of Julia Christ