Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-09-01

superintendent until June ~, 1885,
He is practicing physician CT this
city and Is a son-in-law of Judge
Samuel @. Parks, who was at one
time the law partner of Abraham
Lincoln, and was Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court Of the Territory
of Idaho under Lincoln, and of
Wyoming and New Mexico under
Hayes and .Arthur's administrations.
DR.. WiIes is a gentleman whose
purity of character and high person
al honor is known to every citizen
in this community. A COURIER re-
porter called upon him and the fol-
lowing interview occurred:
Reporter: DR.. Wiles do you remem-
Der viii Reading, of Great Bend; John
Collins, of Eureka; Sam Dolan, of Paola;
Charles Alton, of Ottawa, and Arthur
Steele, of Mound Valley, as inmates of
the asylum during your superintend-
ehcy?
y
very well They are among the older
inmates and three of them have been in
mates OF the institution for about seven
years. The other two, 1 believe, were
brought in during the early part of my
administration.
Reporter: What was the general
character of these five boys?
DR.. Wiles: Well, with two exceptions
they were very good boys. / never had
any trouble with with Alton, Steele or
Collins, but Dolan and Reading gave me
q good deal of trouble from a nameless
habit with which they were afflicted.
Reporter: How did you treat them
for this aff1ictiou?
DR.. Wiles: AS soon as / found out
they were addicted to the habit had
them placed in charge of attendants
with instructions that the attendant
should watch them constantly. After
this had no more trouble with one of
the boys, but with the other / found it
necessary to improvise what / called q
straight jacket" but which was, in
reality, sort of canvas bag with arms
which were Duckled together during the
night. / found this continuance did not
prevent the boy from getting his usual
=est, while it effectually stopped the
practice. After this / had no further
trouble with either of them. OF course
the inclination remained and was ex-
hibited at every opportunity but the at
tendant was always present to repress
it and the results were entirely salts
factory. The other three boys gave me
no t1o able iii this line. OF course, had
them under constant Surveillance, and,
as many of the inmates of this institu-
ton, being weak-minded, are liable, up
on any and every occasion, to give full
play to their incliuations, it was neces-
sary and part of my duties, to see that
they were looked after properly and that
these inclinations were repressed and
their exercise prohibited.
Reporter: i suppose you attended the
annual m aeting of the superintendent
of the Imbeciie and Idiotic Asylums
during your charge of the institution?
DIR. Wiles: l did.
Reporter: At any of these meetings
was the proposition Of castrating in
mates ever presented or discussed?
DR.. Wiles: No, certainly not.
Reporter: In studying the history OF
such institutions have you ever known
of csstl alton being advised as a cure OF
such practices?
DIR. Wiles: No, sir.
Reporter: In your opinion was castra-
tion necessary, during your supsrintend-
ency, to preserve the health and life OF
any of the inmates of the institution
here?
DR.. Wiles: Not in the least.
Reporter: During your superintend-
ency did you, at any time, find il i'm
possible to prevent these practices?
DR.. Wiles: No sir. Of course, oc-
casionally would hear of these prac-
tees and would then take steps to put
the inmates under the care of a proper
attendant, and after discovering the
disposition to indulge in such practices,
had but little difficulty in preventing
them. OF course l used moral suasion,
and told the boys of the distresses that
would result to them from such prac-
tees and advised them and plead with
them, for their own good, to abstain
Many of the boys seemed to be controll-
ed by this sort of argument. With
others it was necessary to use great at
tention and give them careful watching.
Reporter: Have you ever heard OF
castration being resorted to in instances
of this kind?
DR.. Wiles: No sir, never.
Reporter: How do you regard cas-
tration as 8 means OF preventing indul-
gences of these practices among feeble
minded children?
DR.. Wiles: I regard it as inhumane
md unnecessary.
What reason DIR. Pitcher can have
for these wholesale mutilatlons is a
mYstarY 10 all with whom we have