The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-01-28
As Pictured by INSCRIPTIONS
Pencil Drivers, Never
Existed.
Overwhelming Testimony Renting the
Charges Against the Manage
msnt Of the Insane
Asylum
The Attendants and Patients Give the Lie
to the Journals Account Of
Yesterday.
They Claim to Have Been Misrepresented
and Their Statements Distorted
Hutchinson the Only
witness Left.

Hutchinson the Only
witness Left.
indianapolis Sentinel, Jan. "a
A Sentinel reporter visited the Hospital
Tor the Insane yesterday afternoon for the
purpose of inquiring into the truth of the
statements published in yesterdays Journal,
which purported TO be the testimony as
given by the attendants at the institution.
In the cases OF Estelle and Tobias, who, it
was claimed by the Journal representative,
were suffering from the effects of having
their legs bound together SO tightly as to
depicting these two poor, helpless,
hopelessly insane c~reatures' as having been
terribly msltrested by the attendants, the
reporter obtained the following;
TOBIAS CASE.
DR.. Thomas conducted the reporter to the
first ward, and opened the door of the room
where John +. Tobias was confined. He is
from this county, j. 81 years old, and has
been a patient in the institution for some
time. His legs were exhibited to the
reporter, and the inspection made
evident the fact that the sores
upon them were chronic ulcers OF three
years standing, and were not caused by be-
ing bound tightly with cords or anything
else. The attendant, Mr.. Frank Perlee,
stated that he had never been tied or ever
put IN RESTRAINTS
"a EsrELLE's CASE.
Jackson Estelle's room was next visited,
and mis- legs were also examined, and
showed an ulcer not as bad as
in the other case, caused from bad
nutrition. The attendant also stated that
in his case. as in the other, no restraint
had been used except or his hands to pre-
vent him from picking the liberated sore.
He IS 80 years old, and is the patient of DR..
Hubbard.
THE DOW CASE
The third ward was next visited, and
Matthew 7. Welsh, the attendant, inter
viewed as TO the Dow case. He
said: l was present when the man
Dow was alleged to have been struck;
4 went down the ward (B) TO put Dow, who
had left his room. back into his own room.
The attendant went into the room; Dow
struck at him and followei him up, knock
ing the attendant tRatliffe) down. Rout.
ledge, the other attendant, then came ID bis
assistance and took the patient of of Rat
lille. Did not strike him. but one attend
ant took the patient by the arms and the
other by the legs, and partly dragged and
partly carried him INTO his own room Dow
is q very muscular man, and weighs over 200
pounds. harTon did not see the struggle,
but saw Dow Just as we were taking him
into his room. / did not have hold OF Dow,
but saw the whole transaction. William
inch, a patient from Whitley county. was
snsferred from ward 3 to ward b on &C
count Of violence-thst being the ward to
which violent and refractory patients are
sent.
Captain hutchinson was not present dur
ing any OF this time. and Farron only a por-
ton of the time. 7 have never, during my
stay here, seen any violence toward patients
by attendants, except by one Bshr, who was
Immediately discharged upon an official in
vestigation into the matter.
STATEMENT or IBAUGH.
/ am an attendant on "F' ward have
anybody about the institution. The doctors
visit this ward five or six times a day and
once during the night st all times. In this
ward the patients ali seemed 10 be comfort
ably employed reading books and papers.
STATEMENT OF ROWLAND.
J. Z. Howland-I am attendant on thu
fourth ward; / have never seen any violence
either between patients, by the doctors or
by the attendants, du'ipg my entire EN-
ployment at the institution; l have seen
violence toward attendants by patients, but
they the patlents) are never mistreated.
GAVITT N1sREPREsENTED
Inc TcDOItcI fcdQ bDo IOilOWluE bbhtcAAcnb
from the Journal OF yesterday:
In ward 8, two patients were found whose
aeads showed marks of recent violence. Peter
MCGEE was enc of them. His right ear was
completely Slackened- There was a large
hruise at the side OF the head, and another
under the chin. Addressing Dir. Gavitt, the
attendant on duty, the reportes asked: How
came this man TO be oru1set In this way?"
aayftt was not posted, and without a thought
quickly responded: THE other attendant
ripped him up and punched him. He had to
.a.anea he not NiOlpnt- and that WAS the only
az he could master him. The name OF the
t~tendsnt referred to, 1t was afterward ascer-
hite, in the kame ward, had quite a severe
Up wound, which Hutchinson said was in
q ted by GSv3tt.
.lep.-DId you make this statement to the
Journal reporter
Gavitt-I made no such statement, nor did
L hear any such statement.
Rep.-Wbat, il anything, did you sayT
GayItt-Mr. Hutchinson brought two men
IN here who went round the ward. They
saw several OF the patients, among them
Gee. l told them that MCGEE bad a.
ed Edmunds, the other attendant
lee is a strong man, and at times violent.
Il in the scufbe Niece had fallen against
a settes and got a bruise on the ear. Several
of the patients came to Ejmunds' relief, or
he might have been badly hurt. We
couldn't manage the ward il it wasn't that
we got help from some Of the patients
MCGEE is a powerful man, and bard 10 han
die. | inflicted no punishment upon Mr..
White; had no trouble with him. DIR.
Thomas here added that he had since heard
that this scoundTel Hutchinson had himself
hit the patient White
AS to this from the Enquirer:
And there is an old negro named White, also
from WAYNE county Poor, Old, fr1endless
soul, the Deatings he has had would sicken a
dog to hear OF them.
The reporter was shown Mr.. White, and
instead OF beng an ''old negro" he is q
young, spry colored man, not over 26 years
OF age, looks healthy, and an examination
of his body failed 10 disclose any marks,
scratches or bruises. and the officers invite
anyone to come out and inspect Mr.; WHITE
The above statement from the Enquirer
a lie out of whole cloth, and only capable
EE-u,nA -nnAor nc