Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-04-18
Was il Murder :


issues be charges in substance that q
correspondent of the HERALD "says
that theReadlusters poisoned the luna
TICS" The correspondent of the HER
AID did not say so, but SAID that
"Apd this is said in the light of the
recent sad tragedy at the Staunton
ASYLUM VIII ch proves, If it proves moth
inc else. that long tried and efficient
nnblic officials must be removed TO
satisfy the greed of hungry parlisans.
His defense is such as could hardly
have been expected from man even
when defending conduct as culpable as
he undertakes TO defend. Iu order TO re-
heve his party OF tie exetration OF the
people, he goes back four years and Tor
the first time, 10 our knowledge charges
that Mason Orudorff was the victim Of
cold blooded murderers. Is 1t not strange
that this cold blooded morder could
have been committed in the Jail oil this
county, and yet the Com monweal'h 5
Attorney made no effort to bring The
guilty party to justice, and the County
Judge, who is supposed to be 'ne
special protector of the insane couid
hermit Hcold blooded' murder 10 take
Mace within the walls Of the JAIL ana
almost within sound of his voice. as ne
sat upon the bench, and yet he meyer
d;roctod the attention Of the grand Jury
20 this cold blooded murder Is 1t nOl
very strange that he should bring
charges that reflect so seriously upon
The officers Of our county, and especially
when the county Judge has been reap
pointed by his own party TO the same
office?
Mason Orudorff was not murdered
He died in prison from disease. II the
keeping of these insane men 10 prison.
was necessary because the asylum'
were not Sufficiently large to accono'
date them, are the people to be denoun'
ced as "cold blooded murderers"
The HERALD repeatedly called at
tention 10 the necessity Of making pro !
vision for these unfortunates, and re-
.nonsihility for the negligence of duty,
| if there was negligence, can be properly
placed only upon the men who repre-
sented the people in The Legislature oil
the State. The fact that these repre-
sentatives professed to be Democrats
then and Readjusters now, does not re-
lieye them from the responsibility. They
were the party who failed to make 'h(
necessary provision for these poor luna
tics. and # on account of their failure
the death Of every lunatic Is TO h'
classed as cold blooded murder, let the
responsibility rest where it belongs.
But why is this case of Mason Orn
dortf dragged before the public, after
his body has rested in the grave for touI
wears or more? Does the writer in th'
Virginian suppose by such puerlie
dodge. he can relieve lis party ORE
sponsibility, and of the Od.um that III
conduct has brought upon IT: Compare
the case Of Mason OrndOlf, who was
nroperly cared for by the sheriff
as was acknowledged by the Vn'
oinian, and received the best medi
cal attention that could be pro
cured end died of disease, with th(
case Of those poor lunaiics who wer'
confined in The Asylum ard were pois-
oned with medicine administered b,
their regular attendants. Was there
no murder there? Was there no respon
sibilily for this ACT? Let the people
know tie facts; for you cannot relieve
your party by hunting up cases OF mel
who died years ago Of disease aud b.
charging that they were muldertd.--
Look at the facts.
The Stanton Lunatic Asylum wa'
under the charge Of eminent and skill
ed physicians, and careful, kind an(
well trained nurses. Under thel
management the patients were treatet
with marked degree Of success an(
these poor uufor!unates had all tina
human power could secure for them
The fact that the ply slcian in charge
was specially suited for the duties
devolving upon him, by his skill as
physician and his acquaintance will
the several cases under his charge, was
ofno weight with this party eager TO hl
his place with Mahoneiie partsan.-
PLY sician and nurses were swept out o
the asylum and their places were filled
with new men. If there is any place
under heaven, where the corrupt crav
ings Of even a MahODeite offiCe-seeke
should have caused him to hesitate, !
IS the gate Of Lunatlc Asylum. where
these poor creatures, deprived of tht
comforts OF home ard home associates
have formed attachments to The atten
dants WHO have kindly administered t(
their every want for years. But ever
these poor creatures could not es'
cape, but With a brutality, which wal
uever approached by the denounct
military aud carpet bag rule in Viz
gina. tley dismissed tie faithful an'
long triCd officers and put in tbei
places parlisans of Malone. In
short time SIX Of these patients, ont
pronounced cured and about returniD!
10 the arms of a loln & mother, wer'
poisoned. A jury was empar nelled ant
notw iths landing the officers OF this In
stitution ad full opportunity 10 Civ
their evidence, they utterly failed K
show how tie crime was committed
lIf six patients were pols9nt