Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-04-12
Asylum Atrocities
Governor Butler Giving Reasons 70 the lug
isiatire Committee for DiSdppropdt Of
Republican HmagcmcntQ the Pub.
kc Charities Of Massachusetts,.

bONtTnOI HhA III bNipAS WV NH"'
liable Institution Committee OF Leg
islature, if not broken down, will sub.
stantiate all the allegations made in
the annual message, aud it adds a tale
of horror that it is almost incredible.
The story was told by Charles $. bud
ley, who was on the stand when the
hearing adjourned Friday, The Com.
mittee room could not contain the
crowds that sought to hear his testimo.
ny. lie described the sequel of his de.
tecting Assistant superintendent Marsh
in robbing the dead'house. Marsh told
him to keep still and said I'VE have
have got to have some pay for our trou,
bic, taking care of these critters
Dudley also said that he saw light
in the trunk room several times after
the inmates had retired. Going in qui
etly one night he saw Marsh's wife open
paupers' trunks and take clothing from
them. Mrs. Pope, the housekeeper
told him she had seen the same thing,
and the most valuable dresses were Ia.
ken by Mrs. Marsh to her private room
and made over for the Davis girls, her
relations. The witness told of some
twenty children who used to cry at
night because OF hunger. They were
placed at the table with the other in.
mates and had to look out for them.
selves. one night, out Of curiosity. he
went to the burying ground and saw
four bodies resurrection and driven oR
toward Boston.
The state Of the food for the inmates
of the Aims House and insane was al.
ways very poor and the quantity small.
The bread was sour nearly all the time.
A man who drove the hospital team
told him he had taken up sixty. eight
bodies in the eight months.
The man was dissatisfied then, but
the next day he showed "a few hun
dred," which he said Tom Marsh had
given him. The witness was afterward
appointed with his wife to the care Of
the female insane. The beds were OF
straw, in a rotten condition, and nsfFl.
cient clothing. Most of the women
were without underclothing or shoes
or stockings. They had only calico
dresses. This was in July. The cells
were in filthy condition. In a cell in
the attic be found a woman on the
straw perfectly naked. The straw was
bad and filthy
lie was told that this woman had
been in this cell q year. She was so
violently insane she would tear her
clothes. She was 80 near a skeleton
she would not have weighed more than
forty pounds. His wife clothed her,
and he had the room cleaned out. She
had had only one meal day car
ried to her by an idiotic girl who said
she had always taken care Of the old
woman. lie allowed her to continue
doing so, but found that she threw the
food away and came back with an
empty plate, telling him that the wo.
man had eaten all. lie then carried
the food, and the assistant took it into
the room. In FIVE or six weeks they
had her out of the cell and down into
the sitting room, so changed that her
own husband did not know her
He continued
"There was another woman who told
me she had been kept nine days in one
of the filthy basement cells with moth.
ing but water, and her story was cor.
roborated by Others They said she
was very violent and was kept there TO
reduce her strength 80 they could man.
age her. That woman was with us for
q year and we never had occasion TO use
any such remedies. The insane women
were employed at all kinds of work in.
Guiding the care Of patients who might
be afflicted with the contagious dis.
eases. | spoke to Marsh about it and
his reply was that an insane person
could not take a disease. told him
our women we're so worked their food
was insufficient, and his reply on at
least three occasions was that they we're
brought there to die. DIR. Lathrop used
to come to the building about once a
week. One night after we retired one
of the thirty-seven women in one Of
the dormitories fell out OF bed and hurt
herself, | got my wife and went up.
Ny wife said she was bleeding, and
thought she was dead. The blood was
gushing out Of her mouth. sent my
wife for DIR. Lsthrop. She came back
and said that DIR. Lathrop complained