The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-02-07

7 lum. !" for the following reasons
, First. That there was not any alkalOii
aconitine 1.-THE poison found by The analy
sis) in the Asylum since the present adj
mlnlstratiOn took charge.
: Second. That the amount of poison al
, found by the analysis, could not have'beer
contained In the three ounce mug if filled
to the brim with the fluid extract of AGO.
mite, which was the strongest preparation
OF that poison then In the Asylum dis
Third. That it was improbable mistake
would be made In compromising the medi-
4 clnes on that occasion, as both the fluid ex-
tract and tincture of ac0nite were kept
at the back OF the cOmpOunder and on
shelves behind row of other bottles, and
no preparation of either of these drugs
was necessary for use on that occasion, and
all the medicines used on that occasion
were kept in front of the compounder.
Fourth. That both the fluid extract and
tincture of aconite, the only drugs in the
Asylum which could produce the poison
found in the poisoned bodies, were strictly
accounted for, as evidenced by the testi-
mony Of the Superintendent Of the Asy-
| lum, DR.. j. st. p. Gibson, an expert physi-
clan of Stannton, and Mr.. Wayt, an expert
druggist of same place, who measured the
same.
| 1t appearing from the evidence that only
one pound of the fluid extract of acOnite
was ever purchased, and the portions used
or wanting were strictly accounted for as
per the testimony of Mr.. Wayt, as follows ::
''Was present at the Asylum when the
fluid extract and tincture of aconite were
measured. myself measured both, and
| found the quantity to correspond with the
statement of DR.. Butler, viz: That three
| ounces of the extract had been taken to
make eight ounces of the tincture. The
| thirteen ounces of the extract remained IN
the bottle and none of the tinctare aCds gone
| that could not be accounted for''
Thus all the drugs which could possibly
| produce death from any form of the drug
| ac0nitine, were found accounted for, and
| therefore could not haze been procured from.
the dispe,asasy Of the Asylum.
Your committee begs leave tO.call atten-
tion to the fact that, according to prece-
dent established and followed by all former
administrations, the medicine, when pre-
pared by the druggist, was, on the night
preceding the fatal poisoning, set on trays
in the hall on a table Just outside the dis
Through the building. That it was the
custom during all previous administrations
to leave prepared medicines in the hall,
your committee beg leave to call attention
to the evidence of Mrs. Mann, an attendant
at the Asylum during the last eight years,
which is as follows = Medicines underpre-
vious administrations, ever since / had
been there, had been put in the hall next to
the dispensary on an open table. We
,cere required to leGUe medicine there OUer
night during DIR. Baldscin's administration.
This has been the case from the time /
went there up to the time DR.. Hamilton,
the present Superintendent, took charge"
{ Your committee beg leave to quote the
testimony of Mr.. W. II. Willgoss, an at
tendant at the Asylum during the past
fifteen gears, as follows: practice has al
a0dys been to put medicines ON table IN hall
outside dispensary until DR.. Hamilton came,
when he had safe made for it. Medicines
for morning use were sometimes left all
feiqht in the hall under former adminiStra-
tions. They are not left there now, but
are under lock and key in dispensary. Gen
eral discipline and condition under present
administration rather better than previous
ones. Have heard of attempts to poison |
inmates under DR.. FauntlerOy's admins |
tration. Poison discovered in bread at
breakfast table and when discovered bread |
was destroyed. Under present administra |
tion every practicable, reasonable precau- |
tiOn is taken to keep strangers out at night. |
For ten years after went there, the lower |
gate was left open all night 1t is now |
closed at 10 p. m. generally travel about |
500 yards in my circuit through the build |
ing. My duties as night Waterman require |
me to see that every place is locked at |
PENDANTS in their places, patients properly |
cared for, and If medicines to be ad- |
ministered in the night, to admister them, |
attend to the lights, and make written re- |
port to the Superintendent In the morn |
ing"
Your committee, therefore, from the ev- |
idence taken before, portion of which Is
here quoted, most respectfully diSSents
from the report made by the honOred chair |
man, as follows ''That whether the pois-
oning of these unfOrtunates was done by
by parties in or outside Of the Asylum, by
accident or design, the responsibility just
ly rests upon the officials placed over them,
and whose duty it was to see to their COM
fort, safety and welfare - for the follow
ing reasons
First. That in leaving the medicines in
the hall from about 81 to 81 o'clock, the
officials but followed precedent estab-
lished by all former administrations.
Second. That additional precautions acre
taken by the Superintendent In the fact
that, upon taking charge, he had built
wire safe into which the medicines were
kept up to the day Of the poisoning.
Third. That additional precautions were
taken by not permitting the medicines to
remain in the hall over night as under pre-
vi0uS administrations. -
1 Fourth, That according to the teStimo-
ny given by old employees Of the Asylum,
greater care and better discipline was and
is maintained in the Institute since the
present administration.
Fifth. That upon close, detailed in
spection of the buildings and inmates of
the Institution, your committee discover
ed evidences Of high disciplinein the man.
agement, which extended to the care, COM
fort and and well being of those who
through the Providence Of God are bereft
OF their reason. and entrusted to the pro-
lection of their more fortunatefellow man,
and lyOur lcommittee does Estate without
hesitation that the Commonwealth, and the
friends of those unfortunateS have just
cause to rejoice in the fact that such eff
cient, painstaking. honest servants have
been secured for this work of mercy and
and charity.
Your committee beg leave to express it's
unWillingneSS to agree to the opinions eX-
pressed in the report Of the honorable
chairman, viz: ''that the Pinkerton detec-
tive is cheat and fraud whose purpose
was to extort money from the superintend-
ent.n
And your committee beg leave to make
the statement that it knows of no evil
dence produced before it,warranting the O.
pinion expressed as aforesaid blythe honored
chairman, but is willing to leave that mat
ter to the sound judgment of the legal au-
| thOritieS of StauntOn and Of this Com
| monwealth to determine upon. In conclu-
| sion your committee beg leave to make the
statement. that to its knowledge, but one
meeting of your committee, and at which
only four members attended, was held
since its return from the investigation. 1t
was therefore unable to submit this report
| to majority of its members.
Your committee asks leave to be discharg-
ed from further duty.
Respectfully submitted,
| JAS. j. MCDONALD.
/ act Mintar when tho straatS of Wash.