The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-09-12

The F~cutshson II the Empire state uadIy
isssmirshsd ~ the Gross Ni~manage.
msnt ~ IN. 1slack Wells i>innd rri~on--
a state ~ Afn,rS that should >tor tho
Mouths 81 the Critics 81 Russian Meth.
DDS tnui We tnn show Clean l1ands
Ourselves.
Nrw Nonn. sept. = The Evening
sun to-day, a. a result " rs investiga-
tion prints long expose Q: Tho abuses
and mismanagemcntH In the Hlackwell's
Island pcnitcntiary. the conduct Of
\ which. x, states. il disgrace u a civil
lied community This statement, il
should hc understood. applies more par
4 ticularly 10 the sanitary management of
the Institution. The general conduc' Of
the prison is fairly good What tho san
4 itary state 81 affairs is. however. may
be judged from the fact that no longer
ago than last April the prison was swept
I by a scourgc of scurvy which nothing
4 short ~ almost criminal negligence
could have brought on. Al one time
not loss than between thirty and forty
conyicts we're down with the disease.
and this by no means represents the
number who We're actually afflicted.
There IS dread among the prison con-
victs Of going TO the prison hospital.
which keeps many who are in need Of
medical treatment from applying for it.
During the scuryy epidemic last spring
il kept at least one man from revealing
his Illness, and he suffered in 81
lencc and finally faced death itself
without telling any body that he was a
sick man. lie was found one morning
in his cell stone dead. and the disease
which caused his death was scurvy.
There are still some eases 81 scurvy
Loft. but they are mild and the disease
in its epidemic form has disappeared.
Tho sun says that the hospital is
crowded and tho air OF the rooms foul.
In the mons ward the water-closct IS
right out in the room in plain view Of
all the sick. not ten feet away from
some 81 the beds. and with not even so
much a. a screen around it, Further
than this the mattresses on the bcds
are foul with dirt and the sheets and
pillows-cases grimy and unwholesome.
But il j. in the hospital attendance that
the abuse and neglect are worst In this
respect a state Of affairs exists. which
i little short OF criminal. The attcnd-
ants are all conyctS There is not q
siagle trained nurse or one who knows
any thing whatever about caring for
sick, unless BY chance there happens to
be some criminal who has had little |
experience that way. The worst feat I
ure Of this is that il falls TO the lot OF (
one Of those ignorant criminals to
handle all drugs and meas are
out and deal out all the doses OF
medicine which the doctors prescribe.
An instance OF the working OF this sys- (
tenn occurred week ago last Sunday.
An old man named Hamilton was very
i'll Of dyseniery. and when Jockey Sui
Ivan turned the wheel OF fortune there
fell out for Hamilton dose Of strong
cathartic- Poor Hamilton died on the
following Tuesday. The hospital doc
tor seemed 70 think his death was quite
a curious circumstance. for they
cut him up in the interest OF
science to see what was the
matter with him. That all OF X
the doctors are not indifferent to tho
obuses Is evident for DR.. Farwell. OF
the stan Of resident physicians, has
complained strongly 70 Warden Pills.
bury and has even gone so far as to
give formal notice that he positively
declines TO take any responsibility for
the sick as long as the present system
Of management continues
The immediate cause OF DR.. Farwell's
taking this vigorous stand was the out
rage in the case OF Hamilton. Be-
sides the outrage that is daily per-
petrated in the administration OF
to sick prisoners. the sick
10 not get the food which the doctors
order for them and which their condi-
ton demands One reason for this Is
that the convict attendants calmly de-
your the extra diet ordered for tho
sick. whom they keep from informing
IN them by various ways OF terrorism,
which are easily within the hands OF a
well person who has charge OF person
who i helpless. There are even
'harges that food i diverted from per-
sons for whom IL is ordered 10 persons
hat are favored
The suns article concludes as fol-
o~s: Another branch 81 the subject
ias not been touched upon: The charges
made against the doctors-chargcs OF
Neglect and carelessncss. which. Ii true.
PIT them in light which is far from
agreeable Its but justice. however,
y say that these last named accusa-
ions have not come in such specific
orm a. % guide an inquiry 70 impor-
ant results