Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-10
ASYLUM BRUTALITY
Well Brought Out in the
Celebrated Manslaughter
Case at Warren, Pa.
TWO PITTSBURG WOLVES
Let Loose in a Small Enclosure
and Hounded for Fun.
THEY GIVE A VERY HARD BATTLE.
A Poor Woman Who Robbed Her Husband
Commits Suicide in Jail.
TWO PITTSBURG WOLVES
THEY GIVEA VERY HARD BATTLE.
NHWSY NOTES FROM NEARBY TOWNS
rsrECrAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.1 |


SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.i
WARRFN, PA. Dec. Elm court to-day
the placing of John S Berg on trial for
killing Montgomery j. Sloan introduced
evidence recalling that sensational affair.
on Friday, October ., 1891, Montgomery
sloan. aged as years, private patient in
the insane hospital at North Warren, had
some difficulty with his attendant, John !.
Rerc. In paroXysm of rage Sloan had
rorn his bed to pieces and Slavin, another
attendant went into Sloan room to get the
hrd. He asked Sloan to gather up the
straw which was scattered about the room,
and the patient began to do, so when Berg
entered the room and said:
Good morning, Mr. Sloan.
Sloan told Berg to get out, ," at the same
time striking at him. A fierce struggle
ensued. in which Slavin helped Berg, al
though the latter had his patient on the
floor Berg kicked the PROSTATE patient
four times. The following Sunday morning
Sloan died. the hospital records said of
perironitis, caused by the rupture of a
small intestine. After a post mortem eN-
animation Berg was arrested and held for
court
DIR. Hunter. of the asylum staff, saws that
If was impossible to diagnose Sloan's svmp-
toms He would invariably say in response
TO questions, that the whole world was in
him He examined the man after death,
and found two bruises, and believed he had
died from the rupture of an intestine. DR..
Pierce the Coroner. saws there were evil
dences of inflammation in the abdominal
cavity. pus formation and rupture, all
probably the result of external violence.
At the trial all these facts were brought
ont hv witnesses. The indictment charges
Berg with voluntary manslaughter.
Montgomery j. Sloan, the unfortunate
patient was well known in Pittsburg, where
he lived for a time when on the Oil E1-
change. He was also a driller and con-
tractor, and was well known all over the
upper and lower oil regions, and was,
besides, great traveller. an unusually sue
cessful business man. In the winter of
1889 he had severe attack of the grip,
which finally affected his mind, and on the
4th day of June, 1891, he was taken to the
hospital. He was known as private pa
tient, his expenses being paid by his fam
ilv wealthy and prominent people of Park
er'S Landing Pa 1t was expected he
would recover sufficiently to be removed in
a short tine.
1t was more than intimated that this was
the fourth death by violence, in one way or
another, inflicted by keepers on patients
coming from the vicinity of Parker's Land
ing. Experts, among them the hospital
physicians. were examined. and the latter
tried to make out a case that Sloan had rup-
tured himself by severe vomiting before the
quarrel began. The case was given to the
jury late tonight, and verdict will hardly
he reached until tomorrow. The prevailing
opinion Is that Berg will be found not
guilty. owing to the conflicting testimony.