Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-03-26
THE INSANE ASYLUM At FULTON,
SENSATIONAL RUM0RS REGARDING
IT'S MISMANAGEMENT ABSURD.
ALI Silly Newspaper Talk, with Nothing
substantiatory Behind It.

al Oily uoWsPapoi AoAni "ts" NSsN6
Substantiatory Behind It.
The Old Management Reelected by an
Entirely New Board, Which 10
Complete Exoneratioa from
Charges of Mismanage-
ment-The Dance.
&C., Sc.
There seems to be more or less
talk all over the country about the
mismanagement of one of the State
finest institutions, VIZ: the Insane
Asylum at Fulton; and it is scarcely
necessary to affirm that the same is
in no manner true, as we believe.
Such reports evidently had their pa
rentage from the columns of sensa-
tional newspapers, and people OF
Fulton, and especially those who
know the inside workings Of the in
stitutlon. pay no attention TO these
detrimental rurors, and make sport
Of the double headed articles that are
almost daily heing given to the public
by a few irresponsible correspondents
through journals that carry no weight
where they circulate. 1t is q shame
for any newspaper published within
the borders of Missouri to lend its
columns to aid in compromising the
fair name and sanding of one of its
own institutions when there are no
grounds for it, and it is safe to say
that wherever these articles are TO be
read, they emanated from no other
source than some
DISCHARGED EMPLoYE
who could not hold his or her posi-
tion because of inefficiency. We
know of more than one instance, of
very recent date, where such was
proven to be fact, upon thorough
investigation by committee espec-
tally appointed for the purpose. If
there were any causes for belief-or
any facts-that mismanagement, cru
city to patients, &C, existed in the
Asylum, we could not blame the
newspapers for ventila,ing it. We,
ourselves, would then be on the ven
tilate. The fact that all the officers
have just heen re-appointed by the new
Board of Managers for another year
serves as o vindication of the past
management.
LEDGER REPORTERS VISIT.
Not long since representative Of
, this paper, having business in Fulton
3 called at the Asylum, and made in
vestigation enough to satisfy the av
: erage inquiring mind that its officer:
? know how to run the institution with
. out calling in outsiders for consulta
p ton. We there found nearly 55(
/ insane patients crowded together un
der one roof, which is not the faul
of the management, but is due to til,
e States not enlarging the building
n Four hundred, we were informed
q could be comfortably cared for. Ev
erything was scrupulously neat ant
e clean, and the floors glistened as i
t, made of glass. The large campus
d with its shruhbery, nice walks, drives
e &C., is kept up in excellent shape
II The patients receive an abundance O
pure, Wholesome food, and are dali
# exercised, when the weather permits
d throughout the town in vehicles be
Y longing to the institution. In ever
= way they are given opportunities fo
= enjoyment. There are billiard room
IS and bowling slleys, and during til
N summer months those patients VIII
W are not violently insane, are allowed
d in charge of attendants, to loll abol
= the grounds and enjoy themselves {
4, they see fit.
T. THEN, THERE Is THE BALL
l. every Thursday night. The doors I
f., the chapel are thrown open and pr
in cisely at Z O'Clock the quadrille b
C. gins. A good orchestra furnish
IN the music, and the patients, and al
s. visitor who may so desire, are allo,
IN ed the privilege of tripping Il
a light fantastic until clock, whit
I'd the mirth ceases, the guests take the
tx departure and the patients are escort'
ry to their apartments.
VS. ABsURDITiEs.
he As to cruel,ies in the Asylum, ,
he cannot believe it, nor can any 9th
s, sane man who will take the trout
SO TO investigate for himself. 1t is a
lat surd to imagine that DR.. Smith, t
l kind-hearted, urbane superintendent
at, would allow brutal treatment to a.
ng one under him. especially to an
,se sane person. The solid business m
re- of Fulton-mcn who can he reli
it upon-say they never hear OF su
Ito things, save through the columns
nd some foreign journal. Reports
,lv mismanagement, brutalities, &C ,ne'
appear in either the Telegraph
of Gazette, both home papers, which
'ed al other evidence that the rumors
will not to he credited.
the One must not always believe eve
as thing to be seen in newspapers,
ur- pecially when these same journals
ian gotten up, full of sensational he
pit lines, with view to attracting att
owe ton and selling at two cents a co
en- COMPLETELY INDICATED.