Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-07-26
CAN SUCH THINGS BE?
A TEKRlBLE CASE OF SUFFERING.

A TERRI BILE CASE OF SUFFERING.
fOOr frank FARRELL Dying Prom Neglect u
tho County Hospital-Hh Body
Covered with Corruption.
Yesterday afternoon q report reached
the INTELLIGENCER Office that a man was
dying on Lafayette street from the effects
of abuse and neglect suffered by him
while an inmate of the county hospital. A
reporter was despatched to look up the
case. He learned that the name of the
man was Frank Farrell, and after some
trouble he found him in small dwelling
house, No 444 Lafayette street. Just be-
fore reaching the house the reporter fell in
with DR.. Mccormick, who was on his way
to visit the patient, and went with him to
the sick mans room.
death bed. A more pitiable sight is sell
dom seen, even by reporters or physicians,
who are supposed to be acquainted with
misery in all it's phases. The pallid face,
the emaciated frame, the vacant stare of
the man, told but too plainly that his days
on earth are numbered. He was watched
over tenderly by his wife, cleanly, tidy
looking little woman, who famed him
and brushed back his hair and
smOothed down the bed cover as
the visitors entered. The doctor after
q few CHEEKY words to the patient and
his wife, called the reporter to the bedside,
turned down the cover and exposed to
view the naked hip Of the patient. 1t was
one immense sore, too large to be covered
by the doctors open hand and extended
fingers. It appeared to he rotten !; the
stencil was almost unbearable and Watery
bumOr was dripping from the ragged
edges Of the slOughing tissue Of the ghast-
ly wound. With an expression of horror
the reporter asked what was the matter
with the man, and the doctor answered
that he was suffering from bed
sores brought on by neglect if not by alb
sOluto abuse. He said the other hip was
in An equally bad condition and that great
sores of similar character were on the
mans back. but that these could not be
shown without turning the patient over,
which would cause unnecessary pain. The
doctor added that the mans sores, having
been carefully attended to for week past,
are in much better condition now than
they were when he was brought from the
hospital.
BY inquiries made from the doctor and
Mrs. Farrell the reporter learned that
Frank Farrell had been sent to the hos
pital about year ago, suffering from
softening of the brain !; that he vas gen.
orally inoffensive and caused but little
trouble, but that at intervals he became
violent and force had to be used to subdue
him. As time went on he grew worse aud
appeared to be more and more neglected.
Some six weeks ago his wife visited him
at the hospital, found him lying upon tho
floor in q wretched condition without 6ed,.
bedding or other comforts. She at once
resolved to take him away from the
hospital and have him cared for else
where, she being poor woman
and obliged to work at service
for living. He was thus provided for
for week or more, but Mrs. Farrell being
unable to get any body to take care of him
wa compelled to remand him to
the hospital. At that time his body was
free from sores, though his mind was TN
sound. He remained in the hospital about
four weeks, and at the end Of that time
be was found by his wife in the terrible
condition in which he was seen by tho re-
porter and which he has attempted to
Since his removal from the
hospital he has been faithfully nurscd by
his wife, who gave up the situation she
held at hotel, aud which was hor only
means of livelihood that she might
levOte her whole attention to her
husband. She runs great
risk of losing her life from blood poison.
ing while engaged in dressing his wounds.
Farrell, since his removal from the hos
pital, has also been faithfully attended
by Drs. Mccormick aud
Boyd, without hope of reward. lie has
also been professionally visited by Drs.
Hess and Brubaker. The two first named
physicians declare unreservedIy that Far
rell's terrible condition is the result Of
neglect, If not of positive abuse during
lis last four weeks incarceration in the
county hospital. They say that with even
;he most ordinary care it would have been
impossible for him to have become the
ma IS Of corruption he now is but being
eft to lie helpless upon the hard floor and
20 wallOw almost naked in his own filth,
without attention no other result could be
expected. Although We have not seen
;he other physicians named, We have no
lOubt they will cOrroborate what Drs. |
Boyd and Mccormick say.
Mrs. Farrell states that when she went
% the hospital to see Frank and found
lin on the floor, the attendants refusing
o give him bed during the day. He ap-
)eared to be almost starved, and she fed |
lim four times day, he eating ravenOusly |
It each meal. An attendant at the hospital |
lamed 'Dick" tod Mrs. Farrell that he |
vas frequently clubbed while at the hos
'ital, and that during last winter, one day |
Vhen he tried to leave that place and 90 to |
lis home he was taken back by force and
'eaten over the head by an attendant |
lamed Henry, and that he was sick for a |
Ong time afterwards. He was a mass of |
ruises from head to foot, and the hospital |
physicians despaired of his life.
Frank Farrell is man perhaps 30 years |
{ age, and is very well-knOwn in Lancas-
er. A very few years ago he was regarded
$ one of the best bartenders in the city, |
nd held positions IN several of the best
Otels and saloons. He WAS intelligent,
and accommodating, and had
Osts of friends. "Now lies be there"
What are We going to do about it? ''Can
nch things be, and overcome US like u
ammer cloud without our special won
err" There is something wrong at the
ospital. There is terrible responsibility
esting On somebody, and that resposi-
ility ought to be fixed, the guilty ought
D be punished, and the great wrong wiped
ut. Frank Farrell's case is not the only
ne of the kind. While investigating it
e have heard of Others-not quite so bad.
is true, but too bad to be tolerated, and
q may have something further to say
bout them
WON THE PRIZE,
Tho Reformed Premium Tract.
A reDOrt has been made bv the committee |