The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-06-20
BOWERSNOT INDICTED
Report of the Grand Jury Investigat.
ing the Rochester Insane Asy-
lum Murder.

ROCHESTER, Special Telegram, June IL
After a sitting of nearly two weeks the gr nd
jury has finished the task of investigating
The hospital horror and was discharged. Tne
report deals almost exclusively with the
question of hospital management in general
and the alleged murder of Combs in par
ticular, and Is as follows:
We fully examined the institution to
whether the superintendent, J. E. Bowers, or
any other persd II or persons were accessorles To
the alleged crime OF Beckman and Peterson, aud
find 10 evidence tending to show that they were.
For this reason no Indictment has been returned
against the superintendent or other persons con-
nected with The mans cement of that institution.
The law upon the question: as we are advised. Is
contained in section % of the Penal Code, which
reads as follows: "A person who. after the CON-
mission OF felony. harbors. conceals or AIDS the
offender with intent that he may avoid or o8-
cape from arrest, trial or conviction or punish
ment, having knowledge or reasonable ground
to believe that such offender Is liable
TO arre-t, has been arrested, is indicted
or convicted has committed felony. Is
an accessory TO the felony. AS we understand
the law to render person accessory after the
fact he must harbor, conceal or aid the felon.
with intent that lie may so escape punishment,
and that this intent is absolutely essential TO
constitute the crime We were unable to hud
any evidence tending in the slightest degree to
show that the superintendent or any one else
did or omitted anything in relation to the case
in question with the intent to assist the accused
to escape punishment. We do however, hnd,
and the evidence on this point seems clear. that
The Superlnt enQenC anu OCneES cOnHecLeu With
the management of the hospital did know or
had reasonable cause to believe that the death OF
Taylor Combs was caused by the use of unJustl-
fable force used upon him by the two attend
ants, Beckman and Peterson; that. knowing this
fact, the superintendent and others connected
with the hospital omit ed for period of nearly
two months to report the same either to the law
officers of the county or the board Of trustees:
that in our ju gment the superintendent and
other officers are
JUSTLY CENsURABLE
for OTai which q
grave neglect of duty While this is true. we
are satisfied. and the evidence shows beyond
reasonable controversy that the superintendent,
in emitting to report the case. acted upon
conscientious but mistaken sense of duty and
in accordance with what he believed to be for
the best interests Of the hospital and the public
The grand jury exonerate Coroner Mosse from
anv intentional wrong in the Investigation Of
the cause of the death of Taylor Combs In re-
gard to the alleged ofense of Coroner MOsse in
changing the record of his office in the Taylor
Combs case. we find that the coroner is not re-
Quired to make record OF cases when he deems
with The clerk of the district court that the
death was accidental and in his opinion no in
quest was necessary, and that any note or record
he might make in the case are in the nature Of
property which he has the right to change at
his will We say this in justice TO
Coroner Mosse, since the report has gone
abroad that he is guilty of grave
offense in changing the public record. In the
Investigation of this matter we have made a
personal visit to the hosplaal and have exam
ined the records and case book of the institu-
tion. We are entirely sati>fed with the general
management of the hosDitol and admire the
methodcal, business-like and thorough manner
in which the affairs of the institution con-
Quoted. We feel that great care is taken by the
management to make the hospital pleasant and
home-like for the patients and to provide means
for their comfort and health. While we find the
general management all that could be desired,
and the general care of patients kind and
proper, vet there have been brought to our no.
tice many cases of brutal treatment to patients
by attendants We also find from the evidence
rk,iI %<sS1.
have no knowledge of such treatment. and that
attendants in many cases conspire together in
order to keep this cruel treatment from coming
to the notice of SUCH officers, vet we are con-
vinced that the physicians in charge OF the sew
eral wards
DO NOT INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS
of and injuries received by patients with suff-
cient care. In some instances we find that pa
tients who are sick and confined to their beds
have not received proper care from the attend
physicians in charge of the wards The evil
dence shows that where cases OF cruel treatment
are brought to the superintendent notice he
takes action in the matter and has discharged
many attendants because he either knew or had
reasons to believe that they were cruel to pa
ttentS, and in no case the use OF force has been
sanctioned by him. In our opinion the number
Of attendants is insufficient to give the patients
the proper attention and care which they re-
Quire. We also think that many OF the attend
ants are incompetent and lacking in Judgment
in caring for and MANAGING the patients. We
are also of the opinion that the small wages
competent attendants. In this connection 1t
appears that Supervisor John Howe, who has
immediate charge OF the attendants in the male
wards, has very little knowledge of their
actions. and is censurable for neglect
Of duty. We condemn the practice Of
many attendants in compelling patients to per-
form the most menial services in cleaning wards
and bed rooms and in caring for other patients
We have investigated the cause of the death Of
Mr.. Knettle, patient, and it is our opinion thai
his death was hastened by cruel treatment, in
flicted either by attendants or patients, and we
are unable to decide which. We have invests
gated large number of cases that have been
brought to our notice and have examined wit
nesses who knew or pretended to know of the
matters under consideration. We have en-
deavored to secure the attendance of all persons
who were supposed to know the cases under ex-
animation and in many instances persons who
were reported as knowing much and as having
told blood d-curdling stories concerning the cruel
treatment OF patients had no such stories to tell
when put upon their oaths. Then follows the
names of fifty witnesses who were examined by
the grand jury.] 1t has been the earnest en-
deavor of the grand jury to conduct this in
Vestigstion impartially and in accordance with
the charge Of the court.
E. D. BUCK. Foreman.
T. T Ekarkr