Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-11
IN APPEAL TO FAIRNESS.
The Necessity for an Appropriation
to Provide Buildings for the
States CoIored Insane.
A Gszsite Representative Visits ths
Austin Asylum aud Reports the
Condition OF the Patients.
Colonel Abuer Taylor Ready to Confer
with the Capitol Board Ina Regard
TO Accepting tbs Building.

Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, Msy 6-Among the sp-
propri atoms asked by the numerous ellie
mosynary and other institute ne of the
state none appeslS more strongly to the
sense of Justice or humanity of the msn
who investigates before he acts than that
asked by the msnaseTs of the State Luna-
tic Asylum to enable them to provide
suitable quarters for the colored insane.
Anxious to learn the true state Of the
case, and not satisfied to take the report
of the special investigating committee
appointed by the House, q GAZETTE
representative visited the institution for
the purpose OF learning for himself and
the readers Of THE CAN'T. the exact
condition of sffsirs. He was shown
through every department Of the great
establishment, and he found the coDdi-
Eion to be exactly IS described by the
mana ement. The departments set aside
for the care OF colored females are totally
inadequate, and entirely UNFIT for the
uses TO Which they are put. There are
thirty-eignt OF these unfortuuates now at
the Institution. About half the number
are kept In the basement of the old build
ing. The remainder are kept in the rooms
Of building erected for shops and laun
dry. In the basement are the dining
room, and one large and several smaller
sleeping apartments Ia one of the sleep
ing rooms are some five or SIX beds, AID
that many patients must be put there to
sleep. Only three single rooms are pro-
vjded and two Of these being continually
used for violent patients, only one
Is left for use in cases Of an emergency.
These rooms are all uBflt for use. There
is no wsy CT heating them except by
stoves in the nall, mode entirely inefi-
cient In
SEVERE WINTER WEATHER,
and during the cold periods of the last
two winters 1t has exercised the attend
ants to keep the patients from freezing to
death. They are, of course, provided with
ample covering for their beds, but,
being IS incapable OF caring for the m
selves IS babies, some OF them thro ~ the
covers q in their restlessness and would
perish with cold but for the watchfulness
of the attendants. In summer these
ssme rooms are terribly hot, being badly
ventilated and not in position to be
reached by tie south breeze which alone
renders Texas nights bearsble. In the
laundry building some twenty patients are
CROWDED INTO TWO ROOMS
which are in 60 wise fit for their occu-
pancy. Among thirtV-eigdt insane peo
pie, taken IS they come, there are sure
TO be number of violent ones, some,
perhaps, who are violent ell the time,
and others VINO become so lnssle at in.
tervsls. Those should all have separate
sleeping apartments, for NOBODY csn tell
at what hour of the night madness may
seizs upon them, and the lives of their
INVALID roommstes be endangered
before help can reach them
The attendants, having put their Charges
to bed at the usual hour, quiet and
peaceful as lambs, are frequently aWak
ened from their own slumoers By
sHRIEKs AND CRIES,
and rush in to d i'd this Iuuatics fighting
like demons. In the lauadry building
there sre no single apartments, and In
the basement only three, as mentioned
above, two being occupied all the time
by dangerous patients, leaving one SID
gle apartment empty. When one
patient becomes violent she can be
placed in this room by herself,
and the others freed from her dangerous
presence. But suppose two become wild
at once. One must be handcuffed and
tied down. This is cruel, bus necessary,
and the fact that it frequently occurs re-
fleets, not upon the Management OF the
asylum, but upon the state which fsils to
provide suitable ard suficien; buildings.
The forty colored males are we'll provided
for, being kept In the north building in
apartments equal to any in the
institution, and receiving the same
care and attention as the whites The
asylum manage Mt think the best plan
to provide proper room Is to surrender
the north building entirely to the negroes
and to erect smother building for the
whites now confined there. The best way
to remedy the difficulty is q question for
the decision OF the Legislature. Tnst
something should be dsne is unqnes-
toned.
COLONEL ABNER TAYLOR ARRIVES.
Special to the Gazette.
: AUSTIN, TEX May 6.-Colonel Abner
Taylor Of the capitol syndicate has ar
rived and will confer with the capitol
board tomorrow in reference to receiv-
ing the new building. There are some
few think that the building may not be re-
ceived. The act cresting the board says
the original contract shall not be broken,
and 1t provides that the building shall not
De received till completed. II is not yet
completed aud there Is some Question IS
10 the power of the board to receive it.
THE sKNATE's TACTICS.
Some members of the House say they
have understood that the Senate will hold
back. the tax reduction bill for atne pur-
nose of forcing the Senate spDrODristi0p
bills through the House. OF course they
sre inclined to kick a. that. The Senators
say they want to see what appropriations
will be made so they can reduce the tax
accordingly.
WILL WORK FASTER.
It is thought work will progress quite
rapidly from now on as the most trouble
some bills are already disposed of, but
the session will last full thirty days.