Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-10-16
THE FULTON NSANE.ASYLUM..
A State Institution That May be Made ia
Run q Triae More systematically and
enthusiastically the Bosom of Legislative
: -Inyestieation. "a - 80

A State Institution That May be Made t.
Run q Trifle More systematically and
Enthusiastically the Bosom of Legislative
Investieation.
~ FULTON. Mo- Ocsober 4.
E That ADMINISTRATION viii be made bJ
the Legislature into the condition and
mana gement OF the State Insane Asy.
lnmSand the Galloway Savings Bank il
now certain, and it was stated by Harri-
sons friends during the recent canvass
that in the event of the election Of
singleton or Thurmond for Representa-
tive DR.. Smith, Superintendent of the
s Asylum, would resign just why he
saoufd do so is, of course, matter OF
conjecture, but as DIR. Smith has many
friends here, the rumor was doubtless to
influence them in favor of Harrison. : II
is not generally known that large
number patients are regularly
- 81 EaiPhoYED AS LABoRERs
at the asylum, for which no credit is Civ
en- them, and counties throughout The
State keep on paying Two dollars Q week
as though their patients were entirely
helpless. The asylum management also
compets its emplpyes 20 wait three
months Tor wages, and the natural pre-
sumption is that quarterly payments
have been arranged in order to give the
Galloway Savings Bank tn. full benefit Of
the asyl um's cash account. Another inn
portant fact is that, while bids are adver-
ttsed for on contracts to furnish the insti-
tuition with beef, corn, etc.,
THE FLOUR CONTRACT 4 ~ {
is always awarded to prominent citizen
without advertise ment and without COM
nat WI to
and r1eighboring cities are anxious 10 bid.
There are no charges of corruption
against the gentlemen mentioned in con-
nection with the ring, but there is a
strong feeling thai, the asylum is being
used as local Institution and for the
benefit of private parties. If there is
ever an Investigation into the manage
ment of the asylum there win be devel-
oped an extraordinary number Of =
FATAL ACCIDENTS
about the building. One patient escaped
to the roof one day, lowered himself from
the caves, and finally fell to the ground
and was killed. There was no inquest.s
On another occasion woman fed to the
roof and would have jumped, but she was
seen and frightened by the gardener, and
at last rescued. On still another occasion
two patients We're allowed to walk
away unattended;s one jumped from
bluff and was killed. No inquest
Another patient jumped down a dusthole
irom the fourth floor to the basement,
and was saved from instant death only
by the accumulation ofdust. Recently a
female patient escaped from the sewing
room and jumped from the balcony, but
her clothing caught on projection and
she was rescued. These things ought
not to occur in a well-regulated asylum.
Samuel Emmerson, an insane patent
at the Llnatics Asy INN made his escape
from the Institution on Sunday night.
He was locked In his cell on the sixth
hall north, and some time during the
night ne made his escape from his cell
i nto ,thes hall, AMI going . to the
fai ther end Of the hall, where
Nick Scott was asleep, In a
ca 4 (where he generally sleeps in warm
weather), secured his pants, keys, knife
and pocket-book. Emmerson then U.s.
locked the main hall door and made his
escape. He was captured, to-day about,
three miles east of Fulton by Frank
Massey, who was squirrel hunting.
W hen Massey came upon Emmerson he
was sitting on a log whiting a stick.
Massey said he knew the fellow was
lunatic and drew his gun on him, where
upon the maniac exclaimed: "Don't
shoot me / am your brother" Massey
brought him in and delivered him to the
asylum authorities. His escape is due
to carelessness on the part of the attend
ant in charge of the hall. Scott claims
to have locked the cell door, but had he
done this it would have been impossible
for the lunatic to have escaped. 4