Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-07
THE INSANE ASYLUM.


; THE INSANE ASYLUM.
ThE DIRECTORS IN SECRET SESSION.
Tie Farrell Case Discussed-Supsrlneend
and Directors Indulge in Bitter
Recrlmlnsti0ns-WhOI h to Blame?
The board of poor directors held meet
ing at tho almshOuse on Saturday. Think
ing that the proceedings might be of in
terest to the public the INGELLIGENCER
detailed D reporter to attend the meeting
and make a note of the transactions. Re
pOrters from the Examiner and Ne.0 Era
were also in attendance.
Directors Evans, OberhOltzer, kreider,
Keller and Shultz were present, is were
also Drs. Bo!enius and Roland, two of the
four physicians in the employ of the board. !.
Superintendent Spurrier and Steward
Brock were also present.
After waiting from 10 to II o'clock for
Director Musser and that scntleman fail.
ing to put in an appearance, President
Evans led tho way to tho directors room
aud called the board to order. The re-
pOrters pulled out their note books and
prepared for action; but President Evans
smilingly requested them to withdraw
from the room rs the board had some
matters to attend to in secret session,
after which they would be pleased to SEQ
them. The reporters retired in as good
order as could be expected under tho cir
cumstances and having nothing else to do
took stroll through the almshOuse,
which was found to be ScrupulOusly clean
in all its departments.
After waiting an hour or more for ad-
mittance, the reporters began to get lit
tie impatient, the mole SO as Steward
Brock continued to run in and out several
times, and took before the directors the
Dutch baker, the black cook, and some
other employees, and afterwards informed
the doctors that they too were wanted by
the board. Tho reporters were anxious to
learn what these witnesses were wanted
for, but all they could learn from tho good
naturcd steward was that there was an in
vestigatiOn going on relative to some
spoiled meat that had some how Or other
got into the hands of the superintendent
and of which no satisfactory account could
be given. He cOnsOled them, however,
by stating that dinner would soon be
ready and extended them an invitation to
join in the festivities.
At 1890 tho board ".rose," and pilOted
by Steward Brock, accompanied by the
superintendent, the chaplain, tho doctors
and the reporters, marched to the dining
room. The dinner was . good One-rOasr
beef, spring chicken, mealy potatoes,
sweet corn, crisp coldslaw, tender squasbes.
strong coffee, white bread, yellow butter,
apples, peaches, prunes, pears and dozen
other good things, crowned with rare ripe
ice cold watermelons.
Dinner ended, the INTELLIGENCEH man
asked President Evans whether anything
had been dOno while tho board was in ses-
sion that ought to be published for tho in
formation of the people. The president
smilingly answered that he thought not
the board had been engaged in business of
no public importance.
About half past ono o'clock tho board
again retired to the business room and
soon afterwards the reporters were sum-
mOned there also. President Evans blandly
asked them the Object Of their visit. Tho
ancient serbia OF the INTELLIGENCER,
answering for himself, said ho had come
for the purpose Of reporting tho proceed
ings Of tho board for publication if there
were anything in tho proceedings that
would be Of public interest.
President Evans picked up from his
table Il slip cut from tho daily 1NTELLI.
GENCER of the Goth of July. containing
the particulars Of tho Frank Farrell case,
and holding it up said no had supposed
tho reporters had called in reference to that
| matter.
Tho INTELLIGENCEE scribe answered
that he had not called especially ON &c
count of tho Farrell case, but to report
the proceedings Of tho board whatever
they might be adding that he had sup
posed tho case would come before the
board for official action.
The brunette reporter Of the Examiner
| said it was the INTELLIGENCEE' report Of
the Farrell case that had brought him
here. Other newspapers had taken it up,
and the Marietta Times had demanded Ill
investigation, which, he supposed, would
be made by tho board.
Tho blonde representative Of tho Neu
Err nodded acguicsccnce to tho brunette's s
| speech.
Superintendent Spurrier, who was
seated at tho table with IN open book in
his lap, aud with III austerc and somewhat
disturbed expression of countenancC
stated that if the INTELLIGENCER reporter
had called upon him before writing the
article above referred to, and learned the
Il
sure he would not have made the unjust
reflections upon him that no had made.
The INTELLIGENCER man replied that
ho had made no reflections upon the su-
perintendent. He had seen Frank Far
rell after bis removal from the insane
asylum. lie was in u more terrible condi-
ton from bed sores than he had over seen
any other man, even among the patients
in tho army hospital during tho late war.
lie had not said that these directors, or
the superintendent, or the physicians were
responsible for the mans condition, but
somebody was responsible and he wanted
that responsibility fixed.
President Evans said he knew nothing
at all about the case until he saw tho
newspaper account Of it. The board elect
ed superintendent to look after tho COM
fort of the inmates and gave him author
thOrity to hire tho necessary assistants.
Superintendent Spurrier then made a
statement of Farrell's case and gave tho
names of the nurses who had had charge
of him. Dick MOOnshOur, former in
mate OF the asylum, had charge of tho
ward in which Farrell was placed, frOEl
November until tho 11th Of January last,
when he was discharged for drunkenness
and disorderly conduct. Tho superinten.
dent did not know whether Farrell was
then sore or not. Dick camo back on the
81 or 4th of July, but was again discharg.
ed for grossly immoral conduct. An in-
mate named Charles Webster had charge
of Farrell's ward from the 18th of January
uatil the % of March, when he absconded.
The ward was then placed in charge of
Henry Reese, who had been admitted into
the institution as an insane man in Octo
ber 1876. He was 76 years old and had
care of the ward from tha 22d af March