The Indianapolis journal., 1890-10-28

taking, ana didn't quit; and there was four
attendants came and unlocked the door and
went IN there: the attendants names were
Iompkins John Peterson, Morris and
GODS; there was four of them. altogether;
that John Peterson lives about four miles
south OF kichmond; he lives in Wayne
county; don't know what township.
HOW THE DEED WAS DONE.
When they went in there this man Woods.
or some of them, throwed Blount on the
bed and Woods choked him until he could
not get his breath; know that he was being
choked because l heard him trying to get
his breath; got out of my bed. and was
going to go in there, but, on o second
thong gbt, was afraid to 60 in there for fear
l would get the same treatment This
Woods had Blount by the neck. and the
bed. and this Woods had hold of Blount by
the throat, and he held him there about
TWO minutes, any how, at the least; l seen
1T all, and when the man Blount could not
get his breath any longer. this John Morris.
he says. boys, that's enough. stop that, and
let him have his breath" and Woods let go
OF him then and began kicking him in the
left side. could not state how many times
he kicked him. | could hear him kicking
and could see the kicks. too. Bloant was
tnen lying down on the bed, with q spring
mattress on top of it, and don't think it
WAS over twenty inches high from the floor.
1t might be more than that and it might be
less. This man Woods did the kicking.
Woods had shoes on at the time. l could
not say how many times he kicked him.
He might have kicked him twelve or fifteen
times; he kicked HIM right in the same
place, each time, as far as my knowledge
goes. While Woods was kicking Biount
the other attendants stood there doing
Blount because he thought the man was
dead. BlOunt was not making any noise
when Woods stopped kicking him; he was
done. The next thing that occurred, they
sent for the doctor and superintendent,
and the doctor came over then and went
to bed-lad down-and don't think they
done a. thing for him. They might have
given him some medicine to keep him
quiet. The attendants said something In
low tone of voice, but / could not under
stand them at all, and the doctor went out
and they all went out and locked the door,
and didn't leave ybody there at all. /
laid awake all night, and l don't think
Blount made a noise after that at all. and
the next time saw him was downstairs.
the next morning, In another room, and the
dOct or came over there and they called me
in there: there was another old man there,
about seventy five years old-he was sick,
q regular invalid-and they called me down
there; l Just want to make another state
ment right here when they found that Mr..
Blount was SO bad, and the probabil-
ity was that Blount would not get bet
ter, the superintendent wrote note, which
said: Put a mat before the door, and O
white spread on Mr.. Blounts bed because
think his father and wife will be here soon;
they have telegraphed for them saw this
note; it was thrown on the floor, and took
it up and read it. The supervisor was Mr..
Perry; be lives In johnson county. Now,
will go on and state about DR.. Patterson
coming there the next morning. He
was the assistant superintendent, and
i was there in the room with him and
Blount. The Doctor commenced around
about the middle of BlounTs back with
about the middle of his belly on the left
side. and he put five or six on that side.
crossways and then / think he put some
the other way. saw Mr.. Blounrs left side;
it was in bad condition-black and blue;
1T looked like it was all pounded into
Jelly. ] did not say word to the Doctor
while he was engaged in putting on the
bandages. l helped carry the corpse out
and put it in the hearse; the corpse was
dressed then, aud made the remark to the
undertaken and the superintendent, when
We carried the corpse out to put 1T In the
hearse, the corpse wasn't straight In the
coffip-he was living this way--his head, to
the north, and said, doctor, that head Is
little higher on the west than it is on the
east side. and it ought to be, Strengthened
up, it would look BETTER" and they straight
ened it up and i helped put him in the
hearse, and they took him away.
HANNON WAS INQUIsITIvE.
Between eight and nine days, pretty near
two weeks after Mr.. Blount's death, had
some conversation with DIR. Patterson
as to what had caused Mr.. Blount's
death; / was privileged patient
there; they let me out and l could
60 where / pleased, and / said to DR..
Patterson. "Why is if that they keep me
nr 4
sent word home for the sheriff to come after
you; they have discharged you" Then i
asked him If he practiced medicine down
in Fairfield, Ind, and he said he had. and
asked him if he knew my brothers-in-
law. Tom Erwin and Bob, that kept store
there about twenty five years, and he said
he did; and We talked together about half
an honr. and says: doctor. what caused
Mr.. Blount's deathY" and he says Il don't
know" l says. Its mighty queer you
What caused that place on his left sidep
and he said, 1.-The attendants told me that
he fell out of bed and hurt his left side on
the chamber" and said, Doctor. be didn't
no more fall out of that bed than you
did; that was caused by kicking; they
choked that man to death before
they done that kicking, and done
the kicking afterwards; and that
dol ne at alI.n and he said, mir Harmon, l
know that. and there is more spots on his
body than that" and he said, mir. Harmon.
don't say anything about this matter until
We find out where Mr.. Woods is, and we
will investigate it then" Woods left the
institution the next morning after the
kicking occurred. and was anxious to get
away, and DR.. Patterson mentioned that to
me " hen ne made this statement to me about
the matter; he said he seen the
fellow was very anxious to get away
from there; be didn't want to stay
there. Woods was not discharged. but he
went away voluntarily. They tell me that
Woods lives at Greenfield. Ind; / never
learned his given name. DR.. Patterson is
not at the asylum now; he resigned last
Tuesday; he told me things were not going
to suit him there; that is what he told me
himself. Mr.. Blounts father and wife ar
rived at the asy lum on The oath. 25th or Goth
of September, at noon, and IN the night
following the day they came there Blount
died; / cannot state the date exactly;
| saw them then when they came.
Mr.. Blount's father was introduced to me
because | was the only inmate that was
sensible there. aud talked to him for some
time | did not tell Mr. Blount what |
have been telling you here. because / did
not have any opportunity of doing so and
was afraid TO. for fear if had told him
would not have gotten out of there. DR..
Patterson, / think, lives at Metamora, Ind.
l don't know whether the bandages put on
by DR.. Patterson were taken Oft after Mr..
Blount died, or not; they telephoned for
the undertakers. and they came over there.
i ate at the same table with Mr. BlOunt, and
saw him eating; | saw him at the table at
breakfast, dinner and supper on the day
before the night that he was kicked; he ate
heartily at all Of those meals that day.