Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-02
DR., MathewsOn'S Management
Of the Institution.
Review Of the Testimony Ta-
ken by the Legislative
Committee.
The Alleged Abuse Of Inmates Ex-
planned.

few persons give any attentlon' IL
sends thrill of horror through us to
here of knocking crazy man down
and inhlcting severe oruines end
wounds on him, but when We come to
consider the subject attentively, we
fnd that In some cases this Ia an abao.
lutte necessity. When man jumps
up without warning of any sort, throws
an attendant to the ground endeayor-
ing to kill him, another must come to
his rescue, and this infuristing the
crazy man makes him fight as though
the strength of his lost reason had be.
come muscle g and physical power. He
must be quieted. In cannot be done
by reason, it must be done by force.
He cannot be laid gently down and
and carried away--Hufhctent force must
be used to overcome his strength
he must remain overcome till the pas.
sion has spent Itself. 1t Is difficult
matter for any outsider to say such
aud such thing is cruel, and as far
as the charges against DR.. Mathewson
are concerned, the records of the In.
vestigation prove how futile were the
attempts to convict the doctor of
cruelty. With respect to general
management, no testimony could be
more satisfactory. In every instance,
where attendants coming here from
othor asylums have been questioned,
their testimony is that this is the bet
ter conducted institution, particularly
as regards cleanliness, the promotion
of family feeling as far as Is possible
with these poor people, and gentle
treatment Of them. In glancing over
tho testimony, the character OF the
witnesses who bring up these cases of
choking, striking, kicking and other.
wise cruelty treating patients, attracts
attention. In many instances, tho
adverse witness Is carpenter,
mason or some sort of builder,
or an ex-attendant. Very we'll.
Now, for the first class of men, II
appears that while the building was
going on at the asylum, DR.. Mathew,
son with q conscientious Idea of per.
forming his duty as superintendent ol
this state institution saw things going
on In a way which would have beer
unsatisfactory to him, had the build
ing been his individual concern, anc
endeavored to remedy this evil. Nat
urally enough, as human nature goes
these workmen would put an ugly
construction upon things they saw
done after that. But, should th'
people of this state reward their ser
want for an anxious interest for theft
benefit by lending ready ear to re
proaches from those be has seen TT t.
chide for their lack of zeal in our be
hslf2 We think we are not 30 un
grateful and that the officer endeavor
Inc to do his duty to the best o
his ability shall md hi
right hand supporter in tn
state. Then too, when the pro
per amount of violence necessary to b
used with insane people for their oW
best good hos beea matter ST lit
study to great minds, Is 1t to be sur
nosed that a man whose thoughts hsv
never been turned In that directio
TIL he came to work In the capacit
of a builder on an insane a,ylum is
proper Judge of what's cruel and wins
Ia iust2 We must not forget that di'
cInIine Ia more necessity there tina
IN our homes. Then, asto the secon
class OF with esses, we Will say only
Gentlemen, how msnyof you are viii
inp to submit your clam for integrit
Of character to the oerk you dismiss
ed for incompetencyo till his position
For the rest of the witnesses. diVio
them also into two classes, for ON
we will say thee are men who'
minds are diseasd on one particula
the poor creaturs are mono maniac
Their world Is tuffed with saw-du
and thew must AVE row over 1t vii
somebody. A population increas
and there arenough Ct EN- to NAL
A. nav. we WI build an asylum
them and lehhem grumble it out wi
There aryfor the second class son
honest wAesses who believe tn
snaak thefuth In good cause. Th'
tell ma ofsruel things which happe
adj The things, never very long
coming the knowledge of the watc
mi su1rintendent, dismiss the I
- tandanlnstantly.
Aa fr instances of the general r
of thsestimony at this Investigate
wa auscribe abstructs of two of t
AIon Houser, laborer, saw patie
- ,,rtar box; attendant took him
tbsrm; second attendant punch
hIin stomach; third attendant Cal
a, threw him down; the sttendal
eSked and struck him; patients fl
d neck were bloody; walked to lu
er pile and sat down; thought tn
.ttendant choked patient.
Christ. Kulr saw patient at NOR
box; took the hoe; two attenda
took hold of him, led him aw
punched him In stomach with FL
third attendant came, threw /
down, choked him; put knees on
breast; I told him to let him alo
attendant threatened to whip me;
tient sat down on lumber pile; did
look sickly. Did not reI
the case to officers at asylum; occur
about July, 1882.
DIR. Matthewson, superintendent
insane asyl am: AS to the case
Hedrick, I learned there had b
difficulty with him on their CON
in; went In and saw the man right
no marks of violence visible; did
seem to be matter needing invest
tion; no bruises of any oonsequel
man had had none while there; he