St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-06
BOWERS HOPES ARE HIGH.
The PrepOnderence of Testimony
at the Asylum Investigation in
His Favor.

oe wiz hSJ 'WN Ah'OSetS1"eioH AZ
His Favor.
Special to the Globe
ROCHESTER,, Mimi, July 5.-Dr. Col
Inns and Mr.. Howe were the first wit
nesses called at the asylum investiga-
ton this morning. They testified that
Vandiver was very troublesome pa
tlent, and also refuted various other
charges. Mrs. Mark Richardson was
then called. She testified that she had
son in the asylum; that she had Wis
tied him number of times, and he had
complained of being kicked. That on
one occasion she found a cut on his head,
and his face was bruised and discolOred.
Once he was lame, and when he leaned
over during one OF his visits, some
blood ran from his mouth. She inquired
about the injuries, and was told that he
was profane, obscene and violent; had
had fights with other patients, had at
tempted suicide, and was hard to con-
troll. On a severe crosS-examination
she admitted that lie son was very crazy
and violent. but denied that it was
necessary to have an attendant
present for fear that he might
assault her during her visits.
DR.. E. G. Cross aud Dr.. j. M. Williams,
both of this city, testified IN regard to
the abuse of patients. Their evidences
were very vague. DR.. Williams refused
to give the names OF witnesses whom he
had heard make comments regarding
the management of the asylum. Mr..
Kellogg roasted him for this, asking
him if he thought it was honorable to
come and give hearsay testimony and
refuse to disclose the names of men he
talked to thereby not giving Dr.. Bowers
a fair opportunity to meet it. Mr.. Will
liston limited that legal proceedings
might be instituted to compel Williams
to divulge the names of witnesses.
Coroner Mosse testified that he had con-
siderable experience in the Rochester
asylum and had never known of any
abuse. On the contrary, he had al
ways been impressed by the COM
Portable appearance of the patients and
the interest that DR.. Bowers seemed to
take in every one of them, speaking to
them familiarity as he passed through
the wards and appearing to understand
each individual case. Witness was of
the opinion that the asylum had been
as we'll managed as it could have been.
DR.. William l.. Lincoln testified that
his experience in connection with in
sane asylums was of long standing.
and he had always considered this as
we'll managed as any. He said that it
was rule that insane persons were al
ways complaining that they had been
injured or were to be injured. and that
when they recovered these same i'm
preSSiOnS were liable to
REMAIN ON THEIR MINDS.
Then followed the testimony of Ross
Sage, Thomas Lilly and John Daily.
All testified to the good management of
the asylum and that whenever DR..
Bowers heard of anything wrong 1t
was always looked into and steps taken
to rectify it. John DOlan, an eX-patient,
testified that he had seen patients
kicked. choked and otherwise NAL
treated while in the asylum. Then fol-
lowed a string of half dozen attend
ants, eX-attendantS and friends of
patients, some of them Subpoenaed by
the state, but all unit in teStifying in
favor of the asylum management. The
Edward Richardson case was taken up
again. The case book was first read.
1t showed that Richardson was very
violent and dangerous patient-suffer-
ing from chronic syphilis. He had an
ulcer on his leg and another in his nose
which would cause him to spit bloody
stuff. Rev. William Riorden, the
Catholic priest in this city, was the last
witness examined. Every word of the
testimony that he gave was in favor of
the asylum management. He had Wis
tied the asylum many times, admin
istering to the sick of his denomina-
ton, and had spent hours on the
wards, and had never seen anything
out of the way. He had inquired of
patients, and with but one exception
had never heard of any fault being
nd hot tho nf n
woman attempting to escape who made
charges of i'll treatment. He subse-
quently examined number of attend
ants of his denomination officially, and
they denied that there was any ill
treatment. His testimony seemed to
impress the committee more than any
that has as yet been given, and he was
interrogated at great length. The teS-
timony given to-day has been, with the
exception of that given by Mrs. Rich
ardson and her daughter and John
Dolen, one unbroken chain of evidence
in favor of the asylum management.
The committee is getting tired of
letting everybody come in and testify
who has ever heard rumOr, and then
if it is in any way tangible,s hear it in
variably explained by the most unques-
tionable evidence, and it is believed
that tomorrow they will close up the
investigation and adjourn. The hopes
of Bowers friends are high here to-
night, for the very witnesses that have
been giving the most damaging testi-
mOny here this week have almost inva-
riably had no fault to find with the doc
tor, stating that he probably did as we'll
as he could, and, as rule. have con-
fined their complaints against attend
ants.