Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-05-02
PONTIAC ASYLUM REPORT.
The Attendants Censured, but the
General Management Praised.
Summary ofLesislntive Matters.

investigation OF the Eastern Michigan aSy-
lum for the insane has been presented in
the house and accepted without d scusson.
1t Is signed by Representatives w. w. Viii
! liams, *. r. Pealer and James A. Randall,
the committee on the part of the house, and
by Hal &. Wyman, M. d., appointed by the
Governor. The following shows the con
clus,on reached by the committee on the
Bateson case:
The testimony Of Allen as TO what took
| place after Batesou was received at the
asylum, goes far TO confirm us in our belief
that the fatal injury occurred there. From
the testimony taken, no one of the commit
| tee entertains the opinion that BateSon
was seriously injured between Bay City
and OwosSo. 1t is possible but not proba-
BILE that he was injured at OwossO Junction
by his attendants, when they threw him on
| the bed and handcuffed him Yet the com
mittee all agree in the belief and concur in
the opinion that Batesons injuries were
received at the asylum at the hands of the
attendant ana watchman in their efforts
to subdue and quiet him, but that il was an
accident resulting from the struggle or fall.
The pOst-mortem examination showed that
he had sustained a fracture OF two ribs and
the separation of the cartilage OF hive
others, as well as "A puncture of the left
lung, and that his death resulted from this
cause
Testimony Of medical experts, both oral
and published was adduced showing that
become very brittle, and that light bow
or pressure will often break them.
Making all due allowance for the attend
ants and the circumstances as they appear
ed 10 them, we cannot find that their treat
ment on that occasion was prudent, and
therefore cannot eXonerate them from all
blame.
The committee says.respecting the Davis
case that after hearing the testimony it
was forced TO a different conclusion from
the coroners jury which eXonerated AT
tendant Taylor from all blame. The report
says that Taylors handling of Davis was
unnecessarily severe although with no in
tention OF doing him serious injury. Rcla-
tive to the walk which Davis was required
to take after he was injured, the committee
says:
That Taylor should have required Davis
to take such a walk, under al the circum-
stances, without inquiring or investigating
as 10 whether he was injured or not, shows
lack of feeling or judgment: If there was
no clement OF cruelty, there was at least
gross stupidity. One rule which is especi
ally enjoined on all attendants requires
them TO control their temper in handling
patients. Taylor admits that he violated
this rule IL may be questioned how far
Taylor is morally censurable, as all men
can not at all times be expected to re-
main cool under great proyocdtion:
but we think there can be no ques-
of both Allen and Taylor for the response
bic and delicate duties of the positions
which they held, whatever their previous
record may have been A careful examin-
alton by your committees of the cause of
dea ms occurring at the asylum for the past
year, showed that four persons died from
injuries to the ribs and breast bone, viz:
William Hadder, John Flannery, George
Bateson and VIM. Davis; and the injuries
of two or more of them we're receiy ed on
chairs or settees. No one attendant had
charge of any two Of these cases.
the committee speaks OF the rules
adopted by the institution, and says in con.
clusion
The executive management Of the iusti.
tuition is, in the opinion of your committee,
In charge Of men fitted for the work by
professional training and practical exper-
fence, and is all that could be desired and
hoped for. Great care is taken 10 secure
proper and efficient attendants, but with
these attendants hired at low wages, and
~'"ch OF The time OF hecoS sity having sole
chorge nj "a patients, the desi. ed results
cannot be obtained, despite the MOI = igi-
liant supervision. We found nothing wh.'h
should impair public confidence in the med ,
ical staff on the contrary, we believe 1T is
conceded BY those best informed mat the
medical superintendent OF the eastern
Michigan asylum for the insane stands at
the head of his profession; that he is
leader in all the advanced ideas IN the
treatment OF the insane, and that no one
person has done more than he 10 place the
Michigan asylum at the head of such insti-
tons in this country.
The Watson local option bill has been
made the special order for Maya.
The senate judiciary committee has re
ported adversely the bills to repeal the
marriage license law and to repeal the
standard time act.
The committee on public health will have
ahearing on the "auti-Guack' bill May 2.
Representative ltuss has introduced in
the house a concurrent resolution authorlZ-
ing the beard of state auditors to lnvestl.
gate the case of William Rogers pardoned
from the lonia rcformatory, land, If they find
he was unjustly convicted, to determine
the amount due him for the time spent in
prison, and to settle with him. There is
feeling that the resolution establishes a
possibly dangerous precedent, but owing 10
the peculiar circumstances OF the cIse IL
may pass both houses safely. The mem
bers Of the pardon board do not look with
favor upon the resolution. One member OF
the board SAYS: "Rogers is an unmitigated
vagabond and black sheep. We advised
his pardon solely because he was unjustly
convicted In this particular case, but am
sa istied for the public good he ought to be
| kept in some place of confinement all the
! I me. No member of the board was favor
ably impressed with the man" Gov. Luce
also protests against the attempt to make
Rogers a martyr, and what he Gallo the
| gush in the concurrent resolution.
1t is only fair to Rogers to say that re-
potter of Detroit paper, who spent q day
in Midland (ltogerss old homel found no
such testimony as the member of the board
of pardons gives in the foregoing. Rogers
| himself spoke frankly Of his past life, at
times wild but said he had been punished
for it by Imprisonment previous to the
LAST and was now determined to lead an
honest life. "He has good streak in him"
was the testimony of his old neighbors
Asa Sheldon, who has been resident OF
Midland for g years, and who owns six
farms in the vicinity, aggregating 1900
acres, said to- the reporter when at Mid
land: "Willlam Rogers was never worse
than the average of frontiersmen. He has
worked for me many n day, and / would
give him work TO day as readily as ever"
1t would seem that in any event the life
of Rogers, previous to his last unjust i'm
prisonmeaL, has little or nothing TO do with
his present c!aim-if it be found that he