Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-03-07
LER. PA, WEDNESDAY,, MARCH I. 1883

! Wdfu. w llueSS Sdlu He was TeledSeU
from Dixmont by the efforts of bis
/ friends
Senator Hart-Did you ever see
any other persons maltreated while
you were at Dixmont?
Witness-"Yes, sir. Two men had
a dispute about q testament one day
and one knocked the other down
Three attendants and an inmate rush
ed at the first man. Liggett took a
leather strap, put it around the mans
neck and pulled it so tight that the
man was choked insensible. Liggett
then jumped on the mans body, after
" hich the man was taken to the bath
room,
There was a man named Miller, who
had been sent from the Western Peni-
tentiary. Miller makes affidavit,
which | have in letter here (letter
shown), that he saw a man tied down
in bed and so badly abused that he
died two hours afterward. Miller
himself told me that he had been bad
ly injured by his treatment while
here"
Objection was made by Mr.. McKen-
ma to admitting this testimony, and
the objection was sustained. The
chairman stated that Mller's testi-
mony would be taken.
"On another occasion,n continued
the witness, zone Of the attendants
kicked Swede in the mouth because
he told him to get up and the man
did not do so because he did not un-
derstand. Letters that patients wrote
did not reach their friends 1t was
not the custom to stamp the letters,
but the patients thought the attend
ants would stamp them. The food
W. S very unsavory and insufficient.
For'breaktast they had meat of some
kind, bread and coffee or tea; the din
uer was always bold one.' For
supper they had about the same as
breakfast" The witness then de-
scribed the elaborate preparation that
were made when visitors were expect
ed, the rich food, splr.lid service OF
silver and china, and the contrast that
was presented when the visitors had
departed and the tables were prepared
for the patients
Witness was asked if he remember
ed Or. SEWN. but he said he did Lot
believe he did.
At this point the committee adjourn
ed antil o'clock
THE FEMALE SIDE OF 1T.
The first witness sworn was Mr.
Mary Jane Coulter, former attenl-
ant at Dixmont. The witness testi-
fed as follows:
~ reside in Baltimore, have lived
there three months | was at DIX
mont as an attendant. Went ii re
November 2, 1851. When an attend
ant first goes there be or she is hat is
called a surplus or assistant attend
ant. When there is vacancy, the
surplus takes the place. | was in the
sewing room first l was at Dixmont
four months, the last month | was an
attendant There are two attendants,
and in the worst wards a surplus also.
The duties of the attendants are to see
that the wards are taken care of and
that the patients behave themselves y
Major Walker-Did yo;: ever see
any Instances of abuse while you were
at DiXmont!
Witness-I did. frequently. There
was Mrs. Mitchell, who always wish
ed to take her life; | saw Miss Jo
McCaslin push her violently against
the arm of a settee to make her set
still. | have seen her strike her on
the hands with bunch of keys while
putting her hands in the muffiers fire.
quently when she put the jacket on
Mrs. Mitchell she would pu. her knee
on Mrs. Mitchell's breast, and press so
hard, and pull the sleeves of the jacket
so tight, that Mrs Mitchell would lean
forward and groan and say, ooh,
don't ' Mrs Mitchell was very sick
ly, and the treatment she received was
not right at all. There was Mrs.
8arnhart, who, it was said, had been
made crazy by ill-treatment from her
husband Miss McCaslin would taunt
her with having murdered her hus-
band with bed bug poison. Mrs. Barn
hart would become enraged and swear
frightfully, and then she would be
locked up. This was done about four
times a week for amusement.
Major Walker-Did you ever know
of any one being tied to the bed while
in the straight jacket
Witness-I did. There was Mrs.
Watt, who was tied so. The patients
arms were folded across the breast and
the long sleeves of the jacket wound
around them and pulled tight by the
attendants and tied in hard knot in
the back. The feet were tied, the pa
tient put to bed, and laid on this knot
all night Miss Hope was the super
viseress, and was very grim looking
person. She has been there about six
teen years. DR.. Reed very seldom
came into the ward. One time | saw
Miss McCaslin cut Mrs Watts mouth
with a cup, and once with knife in
forcing food into her mouth. There
was a Mrs. Schilling whose mind was
almost gone | have seen Miss Nc
Caslin strike her in the face because
she would not eat l complained to
Miss Hope, but she said she did not
know which one LIED, | or Miss McCaslin.
She also said my sister-in-law and l
were too tender hearted The patients
were summoned to their meals by the
ringing of bell. If patients would
not go they were forced. consider
the food very unfit for any one to eat.
1t was poor in quantity and quality,
and the meat was nearly always taint-
ed The sugar was tbs coarse brown
article and would make persons sick
that used it. The tea was very poor.
We considered some of the things so
poor that we would not use them, and
purchased for ourselves in Allegheny.
There were fourteen rooms in the
ward I wac in and twenty Fl We natientS