The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-07-11
THE INSANE ASYLUM SCANDAL.

THE INSANE ASYLUM SCANDAL.
The Defense Begun.-Dr. Grissom on
The Witness Stand.
Continued from First Page
The prosecution having rested it's
case, the defense began the introduce
tion of witnesses Saturday by put
ting Superintendent Grissom on the
stand. He testified as follows:
/ have been Superintendent for 81
years. l have had under my charge,
since have been here, about !, 4SO
patients. Of these 317 have been
discharged as cured; 2l1 as improv-
ed. Since my Superintendency there
have been about $50 female attend
ants in the asylum.
HIS RELATIONS WITH MISS BURCH
Miss Nora Burch was an attendant
here for a number of years. Was
made chief attendant in the spring of
1888, which position she held until
she was declared insane. The symp-
toms of insanity were manifested in
her the last of February, 1889.
While chief attendant, it was neces-
sary for her to make full reports to
the matron and Superintendent, and
during the absence of the matron,
she acted as matron The reports
were generally made in the Superin-
tendent's Office, and occasionally in
the ladies' parlor on this (the third
floor. The office was frequently, and
always liable to be interrupted, and
special reports were made in the Ia
dies parlor. 1 frequently met Miss
Burch in the ladies' parlor, and occa-
sionally in the matron's room. She
had occasionally complained to me,
in my official visits to the wards, of
being q sufferer from neuralgia and
dysmennorrhe. advised her that
this might arise from an abnormal
uterine position, and at her request,
and with the knowledge of the mat
ron, made the first vaginal examina-
ton to ascertain. found a displace-
ment of the uterus, consisting of an
antihectiOn of the uterus. This l
thought was mainly the cause OF
the dysmennorrhe, and treated her
for it. This was followed by i'm
prOvement. The treatment involved
examinations to ascertain progress,
which always took place in the mat
ions room, the matron sometimes
being present, and at other times
absent. There was never on any oc-
casion any improper liberties on my
part towards her. She frequently
expressed her gratitude at her i'm
provement. never, at any time
either had or proposed with
Miss Burch.
SHE WAS AN OPIUM EATER.
On the last of February, 1889,
thought 1 had discovered that Miss
Burch had contracted, to a certain
extent, the opium habit. On the last
of February, 1889, just after extra
ordinary precautions had been taken
to prevent her getting any more
opium. it was reported to me that
she had a paroxysm of mania OF
extraordinary excitement. On going
to her room with the party who re
ported it, found her laboring under
acute attack of mania. She said this
had been brought on by the use O.
morphine, and asked to be removed
from out of the wards and was re
moved to the ladies' parlor, adjoin
ing the matron's room, and her i'm
mediate case and oversight trusted
to her sister, who was an attendant
here Miss Hattie Burch), and the
matron. I commenced treatment fOl
her case, and asked her if she desired
presence of any other physician. She
said she did not, and especially die
not desire the presence of DR.. Rogers
Her Authorizations suggested to my
mind that her mental disease was
serious, and / sent for DR.. E. Burke
Haywood. DR.. Haywood and mysel
and DR.. Herbert Haywood continued
to treat her until she was transferred
| to Morganton. She was q citizen
| when at home, of Guilford county
| in the western district, and was fOl
| that reason sent to MOrgantOn asy
lum. Not long after her attack,
telegraphed for her mother to come
She came and remained with he
| several weeks. The testimony of tive
of the witnesses king and Jones
that they saw me in illicit intercOurs
with Miss Burch is totally untrue
| and this fact does not depend on m,
own statement. The criminal &c
was said to have taken place on on
Saturday afternoon. The matron il
| rarely if ever absent on that day.
SEVERE ON DIR. ROGERS.
Ihave had reason to believe 70
the past 1S months that there hai
been q wide feeling of insubordina
ton and disloyalty pervading tn
| entire institution, produced, as
thought, by and through the influ
ence Of DR.. Rogers and Mr.. Thomp
son. As far back, perhaps, as 1886
DIR. Rogers, who was at that tim
occupying part of my office, an,
who had been my medical student
and who used my books withou
charge and whom had taken to TIN
bosom of my family and treated al
most as one of my own children, ant
to whom, while attending lectures il
New York, I wrote that there was /;
probability of an election of an assist
ant physician, and in that event
should nominate him, and who wa
elected to that position, and who hal
been cherished and promoted by me
and who has been made my confiden
tial clerk, began, as l thought ant
saw, q course ofconduct towards some
| of the female attendants"
Here the witness was interrupted
| by the declaration of the counsel fol
the prosecution that DIR. Rogers wal
not on trial, and that evidence tend
ing to eliminate him was not in or
der. Objection sustained.