Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-03-02
MYSTERIOUS HORROR!
SIX PATIENTS AT TIE W. T.. ASY.
LUM KILLED BY POISON.

SIX PATIENTS AT TIE W. T.. ASY-
LUM KILLED BY POISON.
EIGHT POISONED AND FIX DIE-rRoF.
| MALLET OF THE UNIVERSITY AIDING
IN TIE INvEsTIGATIoN--Tn Ac-
COUNTS GIVEN BEFORE TIE C0Ro.
| NER's JURY BY THE ASYLUM PIIYsICI-
ANS AND ATTFNDANTs-AUToPs BY
| DIR. nALLER nENKEL.
| SC, &C., &C.
The MASSIVE buildings of the Western
I.unatic Asylum contain five hundred and
twenty five patients. They are approached
through handsome grounds, entered
through porter's lodge. and when the
visitor arrives at the broad steps Of the
centre building he comes to the separation
point between the male and female patti
en- s. On his risht ar the hundreds of
female patients and on his left are the
males 1t was on the LETT of this separa-
ting line, only, that on Saturday morning
last death in the most sudden and unsus-
| pected form was scattered indkcrminate-
| among the patients. Its track extend
ID from the centre building. where the
convalescents aaB, through the wing and
big building around to the furthest or
.'warl 20 building where the mcst violent
Rpatiepts are confined, leaving corpses in
every building.
1 FOLLOWING THE TRACK.
AS tie Coroner's jury that evening
| walked through the different buildings,
'ollowing the track and viewing the corp
| ,es of those who had fallen in the morn
ing. some of them with this snddpnness of
| pistol shot. the scene Was fearful one.
Cunning to the left after entering the
main all of the centre building the jury
vent down passage Kept with scrnpu-
GUS neatness and turned into patients
1 chamber. In the little curtained ronm
Flying on bed that. as was his custom, he
had made with his own hands. lay the
youth of twenty without beard and many
If our citizens will recolect him on our
Areets in coat with brass buttons and
wear ng military cap. it being fancy Of
he boy to wear soldier clothes. lie was
rom Northampton county, and WAS the
'lol of his mother. who expected his re-
urn to her this month, he being decided
| convalescent. Only the night b. f>le
he boy had spent a gay evening at the
ouse of Mr.. J. N. Mauzy. the Steward,
n the Asylum grounds, and had gotten
acS to mis- room about 0 O'Clock. He
rose Saturday morning i'll fine spirits and
| he attendant heard him whistling as he
vas dressing. The attendant heard him
| % out and get his mug of medicine in the
Ill and afterwards set it on the window
Ill. La eight % inuteS after, the attend
mt vent int the room for the mug aud
seing young Wilkins lying against and
his d in the attitude of prayer, tip
I'D quietly across the fl ,or. I'ut on turn
NJ. the strange position of wilkins head
nd arm struck him and on calling him he
ound he was unconscious. He died a
40 nent after DE-. Strain got there.
/ Il ling through ap.sssge into the wing
uldins the jury saw the b,dy OF Thomas
v. Albums, an ep,leptic, about 4S years
# age, from Loudoun county. lie had
reclaimed tn 1t it had burned him He was
,ken Ill a. lea an DE-. Butler was sent
,r. lie told the dJ,5or tn It 1T burns me
way d ,wi, and BIC I'M unc lnsci ,us.-
le died in fifteen minutes. He was au
/ x-Confadsrate AMI s,rvsi g.lsltly in
Iosby's command.
e ling into the 45h w,rd (Which Is tn 9
| n NJ bo hr,il he
ard from the wing), the Jury ssw three
odies lying in one room. They were J.
Thomas Holloman OF Spottsylvania coun-
", about As years of age. Isaac s. Sperry
IF Frederick county. an old and gray
leaGed man, and John W. Hines of Bath
county, aged about fifty five. Holloman
Vas one of the strongest men ever conint
10 the Asylum, and had gotten the soubri-
lnet of the little giant" His disease wa 8
.cute mania, and when under It's inf1u
.nce he has been known to break an iron
chain with ease. He was very violent and
The mug containing his M dicine was pu t
TO his lips by the attendant, his hands be
ing in the mnffs. When Hines took his
medicine he exclaimed, "God amt it not -
Sperry took his medicine without remark
Che attend ant went on and administered
all the medicine on the waiter for Joe
Thorn IS of Rockingham, Ed Myers Of
augusta, and patient named Looney.-
There are many epieptic patients on this
/ ii ,or. 80 that If a patient falls to the floor
1t is not thought an unusual circumstance.
In "a few minutes HoIloman was lying on
his back in the sitting room. and in a mo-
ment more died. Hines was also seen ly-
ing in the hall. He was removed to his
room and died in two hours. Sperry went
into the dining room and ate some break
fast, came out into the hall and in a few
moments was dead. The Assistant Ply
siclans of The Institution had been called
in by tie attendant TO the first one attack
ed and were working on all. Thomas
! and Myers who were also violently attack.
ed by the poison. have rec ,vered. Loony,
VINO took his medicine from the same
| waiter was not affected at all.
Further on, in the 81 ward or what is
called 1.-The ward" lay Mathew Vaughn of
Prince Edward, who lay dying He was
about 65 years old, and had been patient
there for nearly Il quarter of century.
lie took his medicine that morning and
out of the FIVE cups ON the waiter for that
ward his Was the only one poisoned He
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