The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-07-13
OHIO STATE NEWS.
DAYTON ASYLUM DEATHS.

Testimony Showing That Three Resulted
From Violence, Being Subjected to Most
1nhuman Treatment by Atten ndants.
DAYTON, O., July s.-Within 8. a period
OF ten days three inmates of the Day.
ton Insane asylum died under circum.
stances which have since created q
great deal of suspicion. George Morris,
Butler county patient, and an inmate
OF ward Is, died on June,6. On June IL
George Smith, also an inmate of ward
IL, .uccumbed, and four days later
Michael Kurcht, of ward 20, passed into
the great unknown. In each instance
autopsies revealed the fact that the
men had been subjected to extreme vic.
tence. Broken bones, crushed ribs and
other marks of violence were discov.
cred. This seems sufficient justifica-
tion warranting the rigid examination
that is being made.
Friday morning Coroner Hahne con-
cluded his testimony on the Smith case.
The testimony was principally of an
expert nature, and tended to show that
James Bell and other inmates who pos
itively assert that they saw Stewart
and Miller both beat and kick Smith,
are at their lucid moments perfectly
sane and relia BILE in their statements
Ii this be true there is seemingly no
longer any doubt as to the guilt of the
two attendants under arrest. The tes-
timony of the inmates does not vary in
any of the vital points, and all tends to
show that Smith was beaten and
kicked almost into insensibility by
Stewart and Miller.
DR.. Collins stated on the witness
stand Friday that when James Bell
RECEIVERS from an acute attack he is ra-
tional, and his mind is perfectly clear.
He stated to DR.. Collins that Stewart
had the deceased by the throat; that in
mates George and Samuel Harding held
his feet, and that Miller was kicking
him in the side.
do you believe that these statements
made by Bell are true?" asked the cor.
oner.
''Yes, sir; do" was the prompt re-
ply made by DR.. Collins.
DR.. c. w. King, formerly superin-
tendent Of the asylum, was called upon
the stand, and said that he knew James
Bell, and that at his lucid moments he
regarded him perfectly trustworthy.
reliable and capable of accurately re-
lating an incident
Bell suffers with what is termed re-
current mania, and these attacks occur
several times year.
This concluded the testimony in the
Smith case.
The coroner then took up the case of
George Morris, who died on June 8, and
whose death was recorded at the asy-
lum as the result of syphilitic disease,
but the autopsy on whose body clearly
showed that he had received violent
treatment. Broken ribs were also
found and a severe bruise on the back
part of his head was discovered.
The testimony adduced in the case
was very similar to that brought out in
the Smith inquest. The inmates testi.
fed that on number of occasions they
had seen Attendants Stewart and Miller
violently assault, kick and beat Morris.
The last of these assaults occurred
few days prior to his death.
The case of Michael Kurcht, whose
ribs were also kicked in, will come up
next, and will conclude the investiga.
tion unless other horrible secrets are
revealed.
Alta late hour Friday night Coroner
Hahne rendered verdict in the Smith
case in which he finds that the deceased
came to his death by injuries received
at the hands of A. A. Stewart and
Alonzo Miller, the wards attendants,
who are under arrest for murder.