The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-24
The Asylum Investigation.

most serious effect of the discharge would
be the rebound. Even when he supported
his resolution ina speech of great fervor and
power. declaring that the Committee
''should he appointed to show where the
blame lies in regard TO the poisoning. and
that he had new evidence to s'show that
the poisoning WAS dome through negligence
and mlslnanagement." there were those
who were skeptical enough to say that Mr..
Opie really didn't know what he was talk
ing about And the skeptics were right.
Mr.. Opie had been badly imposed upon.
Doubtless he had been led to believe that
the hundred or more cranky rumors and
surmises with which the atmosphere of
Staunton was ladened. would materialize
into testimony under the awful influence
of a legislative committee. And so the
Committee came. and saw. and. re-
turned. The result of their visit. so far
as it affected the immediate object of their
appointment. may be summed up as zero.
They discovered nothing in regard to the
poisoning. and the more they undertook to
investigate the affairs of theAsylum, outside
Of that particular tragedy, the more appa-
rent it was that they were finding out just
what they did not want to know: That
the Institution was under better discipline
and control now than it had been during
the administration of their party friends.
Let us see what was demonstratedby the
labors of the Committee
The new evidence upon which SO
much stress was laid and from which it
was expected to prove negligence and
mismanagement, was doubtless that of
DR.. Gibson. The Doctor had, perhaps,
told some one that he had gotten the taste
of aconite whilst visiting the Asylum on
the evening Of the poisoning, and that he
had not been summoned before the Cor
oner's jury. That was sufficient to set
the widest rumors afioat. When brought
before the Committee, the Doctor explained
how he had gotten the taste in way that
sent the rumors into thin air, and not only
substantiated the theory that the alkaloid
had been employed, for the poison must
have been powerful indeed to have pro-
duced such effect from the mere touch of
the finger to the mouth and tongue of the
patients who had swallowed it. Thus the
new" evidence failed to throw any new y
light on the subject, and the poisoning re-
manned as dark mystery as it ever had
been.
The next attempt was to show that DR..
Butler had once made u mistake in pre-
pairing dose. This was negatived COM
pletely, and the most conclusive testimO-
ny as to the skill and carefulness of the
druggist adduced.
Then came the charge that patients were
allowed to frequent the dispensary when
none of the officers were present. 1t was
proven by the Committees own witness
that hut one patient had ever been seen in
the dispensary alone. This patient, the
Superintendent testified, was. at the time
mentioned, sane man, and would have
been discharged rs cured, but for good and
sufficient reasons which he stated. All
suspicion that the fatal agent employed
could have been procured from the dis
pensary, was precluded by the evidence OF
physicians and druggists that not even if
the mugs had been filled to the brim with the
strongest preparation of aconite in the Asy-
lum, could the yield of the alkaloid been as
large us that found in the stomach of one
of the patients, to say nothing Of the guam
tity which must have been absorbed by
to establish anything in connection with
the poisoning which the Coroner's jury
had not already discovered, the Committee
practically abandoned all efforts to solve
the mystery and turned their attention to
other matters affecting the administra-
ton of the Asylum.
They introduced a witness to prove that
in his opinion the engineers department
was badly managed, but by this same wit
ness it was shown that the Board of Di-
rectors were justified in making the pur-
chase they did, if it were made under the
advice of an expert of such reputation as
Mr.. Eyler. Mr.. Eylers report was pro-
duced recommending the purchase, and it
was testified that the boilers were in the
same condition, less usual wear and tear,
when Mr.. E. examined them, as they were
when Mr.. Dinneen s successor took charge.
Furthermore it was demonstrated that
the improvement was necessary and had
greatly contributed to the comfort of the
patients.
When the defence undertook to show
that the material left at the Asylum could
be accounted for, the Committee readily
the point, and when a COMPARE
son of discipline and general manage
ment was sought to be instituted and it
was shown that the present administra-
tion was ''rather better" than its prede-
cessors, the Committee stated that it was
as they had themselves ex-
amined the Asylum and found it in excel
lent condition, and they did not see how
the comfort of the patients could be better
promoted.
And so the investigation was narrowed
down to the political phase. BY this time
some of the Committee seemed to appre-
ciate how farcical the whole proceeding
was. and occupied their time in good ma
turedly bantering the witnesses for-just |
what, in all probability. they had done
giving money for politicalpur-
poses. They entirely failed to establish |
chat political assessments had been made
IN the employees, OF that they were forced |
20 contradiction the contrary, the oppo-
'ite was shown by their own witness.
In short, never was an Investigation
more barren of results it was expected to
;how. There was never the least occasion
or it, and it demonstrated nothing beyond
he fact of the excellent management of
he Asylum. The Committeehad it's labor
or it's reward, and big bill has been made
or the people of the State to pay. And
he people will one day demand a reckon
ng for this frivolous and nonsensical
waste of their money.
The rejection of Rev. A. P. Funk
ouser, by the State Senate, as Superin-
endent of Public Schools for Rockingham
ounty. has caused good deal of feeling
4 that county among all classes of citi-
ems. Last week, Teachers Institute
Eas held for that county representing all