Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-25
MORE ASYLUM HORRORS
RETELATTONS REGIRDTNG ILLI-
HOIS' WHITED sEPULCHRE.

A Physician Testifies to the Attrocitiei
that Came Under his Observation-The
Awful Cruelties Practiced by the Msr.
| deroas Thugs Known as Attendants
| The Institution National Disgrace
CHICAGO. May 22.--In the inquiry as to
the state OF affairs in the Cook county in
sane asylum to-day, DR.. Clevenger, former.
| ly q member OF the medical staff there, tes-
titled that it was impossible for d reputable
The most disreputable ones were the ones
to stay, because they devoted more time
to intrigue. Disreputable ones practiced
q system OF the elimination OF the better
element. by either physical violence or 9th.
| er means.
SIN 1886, said the doctor, physicians
who secured bodies at the asylum for dis.
secting at the Rush medical college, told me
the bodies were so
LOWERED WITH vERMIN
that they had 10 be scorched before being
placed on the dissection table. Once in
1885 heard SCREAMS OF pain, and running
from my office found two attendantss stalo.
ing over patient who was bleeding pro.
fusely. l knew there was no use making
any complaint as these attendants were
supported by the influence on the county
board. Soon after they refused to obey
my orders. They secreted bodies on which
desired to hold post mostem examina.
tion, and could not get them for two or
three days after they were buried. pub
lished q statement, and the following night
one OF the attendants abused me. few
moments later
"A SHOT WAS FIRED
down stairs, bullet crushed through the
floor and lodged in my book case" Soon
after this the doctor resigned.
What is the matter with the institution
now2" asked the attorney.
ut is under the influence OF boodleism.
1t is bad place, and on insalubrious
grounds. There should be two new build.
ings, one for male and one for female
patients. Then the county board should
be kicked out and the asylum put into the
hands OF a state commission
DIR. Clevenger declared that boodeism
bad prevented an investigation. Even
ministers OF The gospel were afraid of the
uoOutcIb WIZ OCcupicu ccttUS III UQ6lT
churches. He eaid there has been repeated
testimony that vermin abounded in the
wards and Doctor Koehler, an assistant
physician, found maggots in the wounds OF
neglected patients in 1884. Bed bugs
would torture patients under their straight
jackets. and
THE RATS WOULD MUTILATE BODIES
of those who had died unattended during
the night. The male attendants we're usu.
ally appointed by the county commission.
ers for their fighting abilities at the polls
election time. Brawls, drunkenness, oaths,
incessant alarms, pistol shooting. immor-
ality, ETC., produced very depressing in
fluence upon the decent patients there, and
caused them to waste much of their energy
in keeping out OF the rows.
The county boards financial reports
were H. lsified and confused in variety of
ways, and often the expression, general
expenses" would cover thousand dollars
or more OF unaccounted for bills. Every
thing was done to make an apparent show
ing OF external cleanliness, but the white
washing and the flowers and well kept lawn
the place but a whited