Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-01-10
Western Lunatic Asylum.


In the Wing of the s1st DecembeI
1881 the appeared an article signet
"a StalYsn Readjus,er" purporting Il
give All :fcount by an escaped lunasit
from the Western Lunatic Asylum, 81
his cruel treatment whilst confined
there. Oicourse no credenee was giveu
to it by any one in this community,
and we arb pleased to find that it isut,
terly seoul by such an intelligent and
competent writer So Alexander Hunter
of Alexandra, who writes to the WhiS
as follows
RIcHAbND, VA Dec. 'a1st, 1881.
To the Edipr Of the Wing;
I see by darkly mysterious, blood
curdling Communication in the "Whig''
of to- day, sgned "A Stalwart Readjus-
ter" that Geadful doings are limited at
as regardsIhe Staunton Lunatic Asy
Ium Thegriter has all the imagina-
ton of Chs. Reed. A high spirited
young man -Four escapes! A home
less fugitivG and cruel attendants! II
only needsa beautiful maiden, who
falls in lOviwith the b. f., to complete
the tale.
Now Mr. editor, I have been through
the Westerl Lunatic Asylum many
times, both in my official capacity az
member of he Legislative Committee
on Asylumsand Prisons and as pro-
fessionaI journalist on the qui vive to
find out all Ind of rOmances and hOr-
rors and refill them to the press,
have examine the asylum from top to
bottom l haze eaten of the meals fur
nished the irnates have interviewed
the patients. noth confined as incurable
and discharged as cured, and I have
never heard me charge of either inhu-
mainly or iltreatment against either
attendant Osurgeons.
I writet hi in spirit only of fair
mindedness do not know personally,
a single OTHER of the asylum, and I
dislike to see my wild, scatter Drained,
go off at halftock scribbler make false
charges. base on an escaped lqnatic's
tale, against n institHtion that is a
pride to Virghis.
1t is wrOngl and many people VINO
have some unbrtunate inmate of their
family fifth and kin immuFed in
is walls-re8dhg such communications
are rendered Miserable and unhappy.
In kindness tenderness to the ones
afflicted by Col, in cleanliness, in diet,
in treatment, there il nu institution that
has done or isl doing more or stands
higher than thsWestern Lunatic Asy-
lum. CHASSEUR.
A SERIOUS AFFAIR AT HINTON, W.
VA.-We learn rom the Hinton Herald
that quite a saious ARRAY occurred in
that place on Midday night after Christ
mas when pa1y Of men assaulted the
sergeant of the hace, and Fred McCree.
ry who was apbint.d to act as special
policeman. Thu Herald says
Everything passed quietly until
about I O'Clock "a Monday night, when
the Sergeant AMI McOreery were com
ing up SGmmerS street, neaI the resi-
dence of Capt. Sharp they met party
of ten or twelve men canning from an
opposite direction The two officers
stepped aside to let them pass. when
some of the party eaaulted Fred McCree'
~ with club, Ar.i fylled him to the
&IOuHu BC dttVl1AJtCu W uAoW LILO PAoS>'A
but it was taken rom him, and several
shots fired Ut hin one of which took
effect in his leg near the knee. The
gang of raiders thin turned their atten'
ton to the Sergeant, and run him into
the store of Mayor Benedict. They
fired several shot at him, and he re-
turned the fire al he ran. McCreery
after being badly beat with STICKS ane
stones. was left abne, and started tol
home. He bad NJ gone far before III
was again set pponby s9}me Of the party
severely pumnlelel and misused, in
most eo9ardly manner, seeing he wal
alone and wounded
Deputy Sheriff Lilly was informed o
the trouble, and sum moned posse t.
arrest the men, but they fed, and un:
der cover of the dark ness made gooo
their escape. Warrants are out fol
Reardon, Michaels and Faris, the ring
leaders in the trouble. They have lef
the State, and it is not likely they vii
have the temerity to return again soon.'
OOffap drip ORC sho,,ld rad the adVer