The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-05-06


the Testimony, and Makes . General
Reply to General Charges.
COLUMBIA, S. C., April 30.-The re-
DIV of DR.. Griffin to the committee OF
INQUIRY has been submitted to the board
of regents of the Lunatic Asylum and
COPY was sent to The News and Cou-
rier Bureau this evening.
DR.. Griffin begins by stating the con-
ditions under which the testimony con-
cerninp him was taken, as follows:
The committee sat with closed doors
in the rooms of the board at the Asy-
Ium. Of their proceedings l had no
knowledge at that time, except from
the fact that most, If not all, OF the OF
ficers and attendants, some Of the pa
tients and few former employees were
examined on oath. During the exam
ination was called before the commit
tee. No statement OF any matter OF
complaint was made to me, and my eX-
plantations were directed to matters as
to which the committee chose to inter
rogate me. From these questions l
was authorized to infer that charges
were contemplated against my admll-
istration. and l then protested that If
any charges are to be made would like
to have Specifications. To this the Gov
ernor replied in these words, quoted
from the stenogrpherS report:
The comm ttee would say here that
as soon as the testimony has been taken
YOU can cross-examine witnesses on any
noints YOU desire. We do not care to
have any feeling displayed in the ln-
yestieation. We are simply to inquire
into the condition OF the institution,
and we shall give you or anyone else
an opportunity to show that witnesses
have or have not been telling the truth !"
To this most satisfactory assurance
answered: Il could not possibly ask
for anything more.
The investigation was concluded
without notice to me and without op-
portunity to cross examine witnesses
or to show by countervalllng testimony
wherein the witnesses had q hao hoC
been telling the truth.
The testimony taken durlng the eH-
animation WAS not submitted 10 me:
Nor was any information given me OF
sny matter of ceDsure developed curlng
the investigation. Instead OF this on a
purely ex-parte iDcusition | am ar
raigned by the committee in their re-
port to the Governor upon most serious
charges of negligence, misTeasance and
ipcapacity in the conduct OF my office
affecting me personally as we'll as Fro
fessionally and officially. These charges
bear the date OF the day when the eX-
animation of witnesses was concluded.
The board do not need to beInIormed
that copy of the testimony taken De-
fore the committee has not been given
to me. but that l have from the board,
through their courtesy, access to some
eighty pages of manuscript containing
portions of the testimony Of some OF
those witnesses such as the legislative
committee chose to select, While, as l
am informed, the larger portion Oh the
testimony taken Dung the llVestiga-
ton has not been furnished u the
board. including whatever evidence
may have been given by any OF the WIZ
nesses tending to eXculnate me from
these charges. This neagre amount or
information was not available to me
till Tuesday last. the 21st inst.
This statement is submitted without
comment. ! have ssault to find, and
wish to express through the board to
the committee of Investigation and TO
the Governor all due Difference, but l
have the inherent right to say that
Justice has been denied me. am con-
demned without the opportunity OF
plea and defence and without sem
blance of trial, without knowledge OF
charges and specifications preferred
against me, without place for confront
ing the accusing witnesses, and Wltn.
out right of testimony in my behalf.
Under such singular and untoward
conditions can have no adequate an
swer to submit to .he board save that
of general denial, and my demand for
a fair and impartial investigation Of
the charges according to the approved
forms OF trial.
DR.. Griffin states that IN the manage
ment of the Institution he followed the
modern doctrine of non.restralnt, ana
he quotes DR.. Hammon0's treatise on
insanity. in which are described the
methods of Pinel and Connolly, giving
the theory and practice Of non-re-
strsint. and also the practice in the
more important institutions IN this
country and Europe. The principle on
which DR.. Griffin lays stress IS this,
from DR.. Hammond:
Restraint is never necessary TO Sc
cure the lives or the comfort of others,
and when used it should be with al
the. safeguards against abuse which
sound policy and humanity dictate.
The next part of the paper deals With
the system of caring for the patients,
the number Of attendants, duties Of the
physiciens, etc. Replying to specific
points Dr.. Griffin says:
The killing of DR.. kershaw by an
othing patient named Denaro was de-
plorable. Denaro was permitted by an
attendant, contrary to orders. to wan
der from his ward to another, and while
the attendant Of the other ward was in
the presence and within touch oI DR..
Kershaw Denaro suddenly struck bis
victim. Perhaps the utmost vigilance
of DR., kershaw's attendant could no:
have averted the tragedy. Certainly
the superintendent could not provide
against it unless the rules and resula-
tions prescribed by the board had been
abrogated and the method OF treatment
changed TO that of close and mechan!-
cal cnstoday of all patients liable to
ftful. dangerous moods.
speaking of Milne he says:
In this instance my desire TO reduce
discipline to the minimum OF restraint
may have cause me to err. IN relation
to every patient this discretion must be
exercised, and submit that 1t Is cause
of congratulation that in a population
of about nine hundred persons so few
errors of this kind occurred. lrepeat
that I was no5 informed of Mines
having this key until after the assault
on the attendant and when in1crmtd |
caused it to be taken from him. To
my great regret have deemed 1t my
duty to subject the patient to close
custody, which renders his case almost
hopeless OF cure.
nr o.; H;p cove he visited the wards