Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-10-30
NARROW ESCAPE.
Experience Of a Mexico Lady and Child
With q Lanatic at Fulton.
Letter From Superintendent Smith.

; into the Fulton insane asylum, and
We clip the following from the Sun
lay issue. The lady referred to is
irs. Callie Poteet Dunn, of this city,
1.-The child, her bright little boy,
i'm. They were visiting in Fulton
It the time referred to:
CRAZY MEN AT A BASE BALL GAME.
Ipecial to st. Louis Chronicle.
Fulton, Mo-, October 24.-Last
while a game Of base ball
vas being played in the valley near
own, a couple of lunatics came out
the bluff. One of them picked up
little child that stood neal its moth
sr, looking at the game, and pressed
it under his arm and struck it across
The face with a small stick, frighten-
the mother almost into Mysteries. |
She recovered her child, however,
before further injury could be done.
The lady believes the lunatic would
have hurled her darling over the steep
bluff had she not interfered prompt
ly. The citizens of Fulton protest
against these lunatics running at
large in the city, but the protesta.
tions seem to have no effect on the
asylum authorities.
We publish the following letter
from Superintendent Smith OF the
asylum, not by permission, but be-
u we happen to have it in our
possession. No matter how we got
it, we think it clearly shows that DR..
Smith does all Ia his power to govern
the asylum for the best good of the
patients and all concerned. No one
knows what a responsible and hard
position he has to fill:
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF
STATE LUNATIc ASYLUM,
FULTON, Mo-, Oct. %, 81
Mrs. H. j. DUNN, MEXICO, Mo-
Dear Madam Il have just leaned
that one of our patients, during the
progress of the base ball game on
Monday, suddenly seized your little
son, and before he could be secured,
| struck him with such force as inflicted
serious injury. Rest assured, l most
deeply regret the occurrence The
young man, who committed the deed,
has been here nearly six years, and
the greater part of the time, had the
privilege of walking out as he desir'
ed, and never before, as far as known
to me, manifested the least disposi
ton, while out, to commit violence
upon any one, much less a little child
but, on the contrary, behaved himsel
with great propriety in the presence
of others. Hence, in view of hi
previous orderly department, my sur
prise was great when l heard that h.
had struck a little child. Some hal
lucination must have suddenly seizet
him with such force that he lost al
self-control. This patient has bee
for years on the first and most quie
hall IN our building, and has uniform
ly kept the incest room and mos
t~astefully made up bed of any NAL
patient in the institution.
l have thought proper to make thi
statement, lest you might think "
are in the habit of allowing danger
Gus patients such liberty as he haG
W. are far from permitting patient:
even suspected to be dangerous, t
enjoy the liberty of walking GU
alone. The commission of violenc
upon your little son was as unexpecl
ed to NE as to yourself. 1t has a
ways been my practice to allow GU
quiet and convalescent patients 0
much liberty as possible, consister
with their own safety and that Of otf
ers. This cause hastens the recover
of the durable and largely contribute
to the contentment, good health, an
q%uietness of The incurable. The col
fdence we repose in their premises
allowing them the liberty of OF
grounds. and, occasionally, walkin
to town, attending some public exh
bition, &C.. tends very greatly
Danish every thought of imprisol
ment and impress them with the b
lief that our best efforts are bein
exerted to promote their enjoymel
and recovery. Such liberties are n
only highly gratifying to the patien
themselves, but equally so to the
relatives and friends. This cours
, accords with the most enlightene
u humanity and the practice Of evel
well-managed hospital for the insal
in Europe or America. The supren
8 object of all is to accomplish on IL
largest scale the most successful r
suits, and while acting for the GOO
of the whole, an occurrence may no
and then happen, wholly unexpected
e much to be deplored, and impossib
for us to have anticipated. Such {
one as happened with your chill
x has never occurred before during tt
d 26 years that l have had charge
this institution.
L have written somewhat at lengt
z because of my deep regret of the o
c~urrence, and that you may mo
clearly understand our general ma
, agement with certain classes OF p
tents, and trust, will also enable ye
readily to perceive, that in trying
. SO discharge our duty to the unfor
innate as will result in the create
good to the greatest number, the
may be. at distant periods, an occ
sional accident, impossible to ha'
foreseen and simply unayoidabl
These accidents are usually to p
tients themselves, and not injuri
inflicted upon Others.
Very respectfully,
r. ~