Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-05-03
summary of lie :islstiye Matters.

summary of lie ;islative Matters.
X The report OF the special committee on
III investigation of the Eastern Michigan asy-
X lum for the insane has been presented in
the house and accepted without 'scussion.
X IL is signed by Representatives. w. w VIII
M liams, H. X Pcaler and James ~ Randall,
WI the committee on the part of the house, and
by Hal &. Wyman, Nj. D., appointed by the
# Governor The following shows the con
cluson reached by the committee on the
M Bateson case:
The testimony OF Allen as 20 what took
place after Bate,ou was received at the
asylum goes far 20 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
M was seriously I'm ured between Bay City
and OwOsso. Ii is possible but not proba.
W BILE that he was in .ured at OwOsso Junction
W by his attendants, when they threw him on
81 the bed and handcuiIel him. Yet the com.
mittce all agree in the belief and concur in
the opinion that Bateson's injuries were
received at the asylum at the hands of the
attendant and Waterman in their effogts
TO subdue and quiet him. but that it 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 five
others, Az well as puncture of the left
lung, and that his death resulted from this
cause
Testimony Of medical experts, both oral
- the bones in such cases as that OF Bateson
become very brittle, and that a light bow
pressure will often break them
faI1Ng all due allowance for the attend
akld the circumstances as they appear
Phem, we cannot find that their treat
n on that occasion was prudent, and
refore cannot eXonerdte them from all
4 blame.
The committee says, respecting the Davis
case, that after hearing the testimony il
IN r.aNf Ntt.slfa Sfgp f~1t
the coroners jury which eXonerated At
tendant Taylor from all blame. The report
says that Taylor handling of Davis was
unnecessarily severe although with no in
tentiOn OF doing him serious injury. Rela-
tive TO the walk which Davis was required
TO take after lie was Injured, the committee
says:
That Taylor should have required Davis
20 take such "a walk under all the crcum
stances, without inqUirlng or investigating
as TO whether he was injured or not, shows
lack OF feeling or Judgment; If there was
no element OF cruelty, there was at least
gross stupidity. One rule which is cspcci-
ally onJoined 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 censurablc as all men
can not ut all times be expected to re
main cool under great pro- ocation;
but we think there can be no .ques-
tion now as TO the unttncss
4
bic and delicate dut es of the positions
which they held, whatever their previous
record may have been y careful eXamin-
alton by your committees of the cause of
dea rs 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 Flanuery, George
Bateson and VIM. Davis; and the injuries
OF two or more of them we're received on
chairs or scttecs. No one attendant had
charge OF any two of these cases
TIE committee speaks OF the rules
adopted by the institution, and says in con-
cusion:
The executive management Of the insti-
tuition is, in the opinion of your committee,
in charge Of men httCd for the work By
profession ] training and practical eXper-
fence, nj Is all that could be desired and
! hoped for Great care Is taken TO secure
proper ana efficient attendants. but with
these attendants hired an low wages, and
much OF the time OF necessity having sole
charge Of the patients, the desired results
cannot be 'ODtaneI, despite the most Vigi-
liant supery sion. We found nothing which
should impair public confidence i'm the med
icul staff; on the contrary, we believe it is
conceded by those best informed that the
medical supcrin Cndcut Of the eastern
Michigan asylum for the insane stands at
the head Of his profession: that he is a
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-
tions in this country
Representative Russ has introduced in
the house a concurrent resolution authOriz-
ing the beard of state auditors 10 investi-
gate the case oil Wi liam Rogers pardoned
from the lonid reformatory and if they find
he was unlosty convicted, 20 determine
the amount due him for e time spent i'm
prison and TO settle with him There is a
feeling tuat the resO utiOn establishes a
possibly dangerous precedent, but owing 10
the peculiar ClrCumS nCeS OF the Sc II
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 uumitgated
Vagabond and black sheep We advised
his pardon solely because q was unjustly
convicted Ia this particular case, but am
sa sDed for the puylic good he ought to be
kept in some pl, GO of confinement a the
time. No member of the board was favor
ably impressed with the man" Gov Luce
also protests against the attempt to make
Rogers n martyr, and what he calls the
gush in the concurrent re O.utlOn.
II is only fair 10 Rogers &c say that re-
porter Of Detroit paper, who spent day
in Midi nd (ROgcrs old home found no
such testimony as the member Of the board
of par ons gives in the foregoing. Rogers
him elf 81 oke frank y OF his past life at
times wild but sa q he had been punished
for IL by imprisonment tprevious % the
last) and was now determined 10 lead an
honest lie, He has good redk IN him.
was the testimony Of us old neghbors.
Asa Sheldon, who has been resident of
Midland Tor = years, and who owns six
farms in the vicinity, as-re eating 800
acres, said To- the reporter when at Mid
lanJ: William Rogers was never worse
than the average OF trUntiersmen. He has
worked for me many "a day, and ! would
give him work 10 day as readily as ever"
1t wou d seom that in any event the life
of Rogers, prcyiO Is TO his last unjust i'm
prisonment, has lit e or nothing 20 do with
his present ciaim-if il be found that he
has one on the state
The house after a long debate, turned
over the Rogers resolution 10 the commit.
tee on state auaIrs.
The house passed the bill approprating
ESQ for the ST Clair and ~, 100 for the
S:anilac ia. mors who suffered at tie hand
OF Providence last July by hail storm.
Now let other farmers whose crops were