Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-03-14
DINM0NT HOSPITAL.
RUNAWAY WITNESS COMES
BACK AND TESTlFIES.
Dr.. Wylie the Man Who Paid
His Expense While Absent.

His Expense w ME ADSelll.
The Dixmont Investigation Com
mittee yesterday spent the forenoon IN
hearing the testimony Of II. Il. Parks,
n former attendent, whose evidence eX-
cited great deal of interest. MIR.
Parks testified that he was under the i'm
preston that flesh brush was applied
to Carrol's sore back when he was
bathed on his arrival at the hospital.
He said that Carroll was knocked
or kicked down (by Harper he believed),
and portion of Carroll's beard pull
ed out. bis condition for several days
thereafter being very bad. Witnc's
testified al the Carroll investigation.
generating the hospital, what be said
then being untrue He told of pa
tient named Charles Inman with
whom he had a tussle, in which lnman
bit his thumb severely An attendant
named Black and several others came
to his assistance and knocked 1nman
down. and Black kicked lnman
so severely that he demonstrated with
him.
INSTANCES OF BRUTALITY.
The next day witress showed his
thumb to some attendants in ward s,
to which Inman had been taken,
whereupon Harper went up to lnman
and knocked him down, and another
attendant named Mcconnell kicked
him a number of times. Witness
swore to seeing Harper Mcconnell
and another attendant kicking and
abusing an inmate by the name Of
Joseph Weddell Weddell died
month after this. He had seen Harp
er strike patients with bunch of keys:
He thought Harper was very cruel
attendant, but did not think that the
hospital authorities knew Of his do
ings. He had seen patients choked
and had seen j. w. Black knock a
patient down and jump on his breast,
inhicting injuries from which the pa
tent salIered afterward. In connec-
lioa with the abuse of Carroll, Mr..
Parks mentioned one attendant named
Brown.
Parks stated that he was an attend
am at the West Penn Hospital up to
last Saturday night DR.. Wylie call
ed upop him one day at the hospital
and asked him 10 appear before the
committee, which he agreed to do.
He afterwards told Mr. Chess, the
Superintendent, that be did not want
to appear before the committee, and
Mr Chess told him to see DR.. Wylie,
" hich he did, going to Dixmont tor
that purpose last Saturday. lie told
Dr. Wyiie that he didn't wish to appear
before the committee and that he
thought be had better 60 away for a
time and tie Doctor thought that
course would be advisable.
DIR. wYLIE's GENEROSITY.
Witness then went 20 Cincinnati
DR.. Wyle furnishing him $40 to pay
his fare. lie also changed his name
to p. Bask, and on his arrival wrote
to DR.. Wylie and telegraphed for more
money, apd $50 was sent him by
a telegraphic money order signed w.
A couple of kilograms were then in
troduced in evidence, one Of them
worded as fyllows; "P. Eask, Gait
Housc, Cincinuati: Hold the fort, will
wri.e tonight" Mr.. Parks said he
first obtained leave of absence at the
West Penn Hospital, but on his re-
turn from Dixnont Saturday night re-
signed his position DR.. Wylie prom
ised to igd him employment in Cincin-
natl.
Upon cross.examinatioa Mr.: Parks
stated he did not believe the authori-
ties of the institution were cogniZant
of the abuses he had mentioned
Witness said that he arrived from Gin
cinnati in company with Mr.. Craw
ford of the Erie Herald, who paid his
expenses. Crawford lad told him that
be was connected with the Legislative
Committee, but showed no credentials.
He met Mr.. Crawford at the Office Of
Mr.. Blackburn, his attorney, in Gin
cinnati. Crawford held out no induce
mcnt to witness to return and testify,
nor informed him that he was expect
ed to testify in a libel s4it ip Erie.
Witness did not know at the time that
Mr.. Crawford was connected with the
Erie Herald.
AN ADMISSION.
Witness was asked if be abused
Inman at the time Inman bit his
thumb, and he admitted that he struck
Inman when the latter bit him. The
time Inman. was abused by Harper
and Mcconnell he was setting down.
They stuck him upon the head with
their fists and knocked him off the
seat Then they kicked him and re-
peatedly knocked him down when he
attempted to get up. Witness had also
abused patients when angry.
At this point the committee tcqk q
recess.
The examination of Mr. Parks was
resumed after the recess. The wit
ness was asked by Mr.. McKenna if
DR.. Wylie had ever offered him any
inducement to come here and
TESTIFY FALSELY,
to which question he gave negative
reply. In his interview with DR..
Wylie at the West Penn Hospital he
was silent upon matters he testified to
here, because he did not feel like speak
ing about them to DR.. Wylie, who
was always his friend He said that
bis going away TO avoid this investi-
CATION was wholly of his own mQti9p.
He wanted to escape being examined
both on his own account and on ae-
count Of the Institution.
Thomas G. Sample was next called.
He testified that he was present at the
interview between DR.. Wylie and Mr.. |
Parks. Mr.. Parks told the Doctor
that he would make the same state
ment at this investigation that he
made upon the occasion of the pre-
vious investigation. Parks expressed