St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-30
TALES OF TORTURES
Inflicted on the Unhappy In
mates Of the Rochester
Asylum.
The Special Committee Listens
to Further Stories Of
Inmates.
1t Is About the Same Old
Story as Far as Testi-
mony Goes,
Though DIR. Bowers Is Given a
Good Send-Off by Wit

Ddll6IllS. Will tIGdlulCllG SCuCluliJ
smacking of the dark ages. The sick
ening details are becoming monotonous,
and the committee longs for the time
when the work of taking testimony
will cease. MI. Williston presided over
the committee, and his coadjutors,
Messrs. Simpson and Amundson,
were present. Attorney General
Clapp conducted the eXamina-
ton of witnesses complaining
against the management of the asylum.
Mr.. Kellogg, of the firm Of Davis, Kel-
logg & Severance, with Bert Eaton,
of Rochester, represented DIR. Bowers,
who was also in attendance. Secretary
Hart performed the clerical work for
the committee, with Joe Devlin as
SIenOgrapher. The committee was III
session from II O'Clock until $3.50 p. H.,
with a short interval for lunch. Six
witnesses were examined.
DIR. WILSON'S STORY.
Dr.. Wilson, veterinary surgeon Of
Shakopee. was the first examined. In
March, 1884, he was stricken with rheu-
matism, and his physician, to ease the
pain, gave him morphine. He be-
came addicted to the drug during
his sickness and insanity resulted.
asylum six weeks, but did not at all
complain of his treatment. He, how
ever. saw other patients ill-treated.
There was Ike Sanders. Attendant
Charles Carroll and he had some words;
they cIinched and the patient threw the
attendant. John Howe, another at
tendant, came to the rescue, and the
patient was taken into room and the
door closed. DR.. Wilson proceeded: 1t
seemed from the sound that another
scuffle ensued. There were heavy
blows and groans. Soon the door
opened, and the patients face was a
terrible picture. His face and neck
were almost covered with blood. What
was not covered with blood had gray
color. The attendants had a pa
tient wash the blood from
the floor of the room where
the brutal treatment took place, DR..
Wilson spoke highly of DR.. Bowers; he
was as fine gentleman as he ever saw.
The trouble was he had too much to do.
There should be some person specially
to look after the attendants, who seemed
to do as they pleased-in fact, they ran
things.
Capt. d. Haney, of the soldiers home,
was an inehriate Inmate of the asylum
three years from 1884, He testified to
the brutal treatment of inmates by at
tendants.
TURNER SAW ABUSES.
James T. Turner, of WOOnsOcket,
Oak. was ten years prior to 1879 in the
ST. Peter asylum, and five years after
that period in the Rochester asylum.
He was treated for insanity, but the
treatment he described as rotten. Tur-
ner said st. Peters asylum was as bad
as that at Rochester. He was
requested to confine himself to
the Rochester Institution, and said
be saw Lewis ClOuSe, an attendant. take
a patient named John Murphy by the
hair of the head' and drag him naked
the length of the ward and put him IN
crib. The man was kept there one or
two weeks without food or Water-at
least so far as he could see. The man
laid without any clothing in his own
fifth. He also saw attendants spit to-
bacco Juice in a patients eye. Turner
charged DIR. Bowers with appropriating
money sent in letters for patients. and
had seen attendants make patients eat
excretions from their own bodies. He
said that Dr.. Bowers threatened his
life: that the doctor said he should
never leave the asylum alive. Turner
worked while in the institution, and
saws he CHANGED to see the pay roll, and
saws that DR.. Bowers was drawing S25
per month for his labor. At the last
legislature he attempted. to get better
laws passed for the government. of the
state asvlums. He presented petitions
and drafted bills to the conFiittee on in
sane asylums in both houses. But 1t was
no good, Hon. A. StebbinS, of
Rochester, was chairman of the
house committee, and he was a
close friend of DR.. Bowers and Senator
Daniels, of Rochester. was chairman of
that in the senate. He was also DR..
Bowers friend. Under these circum-
stances proper legislation was i'm
possible.
CRUELTIES OF WOMEN.
Bridget Hiltz, of Saltwater, was an
inmate of the asylum four and half
wears, coming out in 1884. DR.. Bowers
was good to her. but some of the at
tendants pulled and blackened her arms
because she would not mop the floor.
Martha Anderson and Agnes Magraw,
attendants. whipped and pounded a
lady patient from gainesville. She
cited other eases of abuse to patients on
the part of the attendants. DR.. Collins
caught Martha Anderson choking
Martha Peterson.
Mr.. Simpson-Why did not You report
any of these cases to DR.. Bowers?
Mrs. Hiltz-Because was afraid the
girls would use me awful hard.
Mr.. Simpson-Did any one threaten
you?
Mrs. Hiltz-No; but / have heard of
others being abused for telling the
doctor.
Mr.. Simpson-Why were you commit
ted to the asylum?
Mrs. HiltZ-My husband did it be
cause he said drank; but 1 think it
was he who drank, and Scolded him.
DR.. Bowers was committed for
inebriacy and partial insanity.
FILTH AND CRUELTY COMBINED.
]. S. Vandiver, of Saltwater, desired
TO ament his statement, made at prior
meeting, of the investigation. He then
spoke of James Cain being compelled to
eat eycretions from his own body. T.
J. Rouan was the attendant who did
this. and W. 81. Comfy, another attend
ant, was present at the time.
". H. Conley, of Rochester, was an
attendant at the asylum two years,
quitting last year. He knew James
Cain. His habits were very dirty, and,
if not prevented, would eat the fouleSt
matter. II. J. Roman had called this
patient to him and allowed him to take
and eat some filth. Vandiver, Staples
and witness were present when this
was done.
Attorney General Clapp-What did
Rouan do2
Conley-Just call him-that was all
he had to do. 1t was daily habit for
Cain to do this-in fact, when he was
an attendant in this ward his greatest
difficulty was in preventing the patients
from committing this filthy habit.
Attorney General Clapp-Do you
know of any abuse?
Conley-Well, / think l abused some
myself.
Attorney General Clapp-Cite case.
Conley-There was patient named
Jackson. He bit my finger, which after
wards had to be amputated. struck
him with my knee in the stomach and
he fell to the floor. l think | kicked
him once OF twice after ne got down.
Attorney General Clapp-What did
you kick him for?
Conley-I could not tell you that.
Probably the pain in my finger.
Attorney General Clapp-Did you ever
see other attendants abusing patientS?