Delaware gazette and state journal., 1895-12-12

The Board OF Trustees OF the State
Insane Hospital completed the work
of investigating the affairs of the in
stitution, at the meeting held at Farm
hurst, Thursday afternoon, but the
final result of the investigation will
not be determined for month. After
all the evidence available had been
heard, President Black said he thought
ii would be well TO defer action until
the next meeting, which will be held
on the first Thursday in January, 1896.
On motion of Mr.. Stewart it was de-
cided to postpone action until that
time. The motion also instructed
Supt. Hancker to continue running the
hospital with the force he now has,
but directed him TO see that moro
rigid discipline is enforced.
Supt. Hnncker, in his statement to
the board, said his force nf attendants
was not large enough and he made tho
request that a general supervisor be
appointed for the purpose of having
general supervision over all the at
PENDANTS At present there is no such
official, and the head attendant in each
ward is held responsible for what goes
on in his precinct. Dr. Hancker
argued that ii he had supervisor he
could be sure of more rigid discipline.
Some of the members of the board
were agreeable to the superintendent s
request, while others wero not. Those
who were opposed to employing a
supervisor thought that the head at
tendant in each ward, being respon-
sible for the other attendants with
him, answered the purpose. They OBJ
jected mainly on the ground that the
extra expense could not be borne with
the limited means at the command of
tho board. 1t was conceded by all of
the trustees that the money allotted
for insane hospital purposes by the
State is entirely inadequate, but
several were Of the opinion that a
supervisor might be provided for at
aGy rate. However, no action looking
toward any change was taken, and
there will be no change at least until
after the next meeting. 1t is probable
that the final outcome of the investiga-
tion will he the appointment of larger
force of attendants and a supervisor,
but just what the ways and means for
providing for the change will be cannot
be conieGtured at the present time.
The. annual appropriation for the
maintenance Of the hospital is $50, 600
which has proved Inadequate even to
keen up the expenses incurred under
sired an appropriation of S3t, 900 an
nually, which would have carried it
through all right, but the appropria-
\ tion was cut down by the General AS
sembly. and as result the funds are
Z short just about the sum that was
= asked for additionally. So it will be
.enn that If the full amount had been
owed the expenses would have been
mot without difficulty.
There are II attendants in the insti
tuition to take care Of 251 unfortunate
mortals, while according to the custom
in we'll regulated asyums there should
be about 25, or ono for every 10 persons
confined there. OF the II attendants,
nine are males and eight are females.
Two of the male attendants who have
charge of the wards in which they are
placed, receive $50, in addition to their
board, per month. The remaining
seven receive SIS per month and at the
end of each year are entitled to S2i
each. The female attendants each re-
cnive S13 per month and s24 at the enu
of the year. except two head attendants,
who get Sl4, In the female department
Matron Cassidy, who gets a salary of
S25. has general supervision over the
attendants. This department ia better
provided for in this respect than tho
men 8 department. There are in the in
stitutou 147 male and l0i female pa
tients
The reader can, therefore, understand
the condition of affairs at the hospital,
D and all must admit that the trustees
are handicapped considerably by lack
of funds, and they arc doing the very
4 best they can to manage it with the
money allowed for the purpose.
After the meeting President Black
Twas spoken to by reporter of The
fGazette. He stated that the evidence
II had demonstrated that better attend
ants are needed at the institution. He
stated, however, that he did not see
that the institution itself could be i'm
proved with the limited means. Others
of the board were also spoken to, and
they were about of the same opinion.
They were evidently we'll pleased with
the hospital and the management and
all who were secn by the reporter re-
gretted that the appropriation is Sc
email. just what the board will do at
tthe January meeting of course nobody
lat this time is able to say. Action was
I deferred in order to allow the directors
n TO digest well what they heard Thurs
n day and learn any new facts which
= might come to their notice.
AL tDe lnNtsllpdLlDn DuI llIIle WIS
developed beyond what has already
been published. One witness, Robert
Kenyon, patient, stated that on May
10th, 1853, he saw Attendant Lynch
pick up one of the patients by the ears
and then let him drop. When he the
witness) made some remark about such
treatment. he alleges, Lynch threatened
TO do the same to him il he did moi
keep his mouth shut Kenyon also
stated that about three weeks ago he
saw Attendants Thomas kenney and
Daniel Brown beat a patient named
Elijah Williams into Iusensibilty.
Immediately after Kenyon had testi.
fled, Superintendent Hancker stated
that he did not put much confidence
in what Kenyon said, The latter had
+ told him 1.-THE superintendentl about
the affair, and on investigation he
came to the conclusion that such was
not the case.
Kenney was called before the board.
I He said that on one occasion he called
Williams to account for violating Q
rule Of the Institution, and the latter
retaliated by throwing a cuspidor al
him. The offending patient WAS over
powered and locked in one of the rooms.
He denied that he used brutality oi
undue force, and said he was always
very careful with the patients.
Williams, the patient referred TO, wal
called, but he appeared dazed and sale
he had no complaint TO mako about
anybody. When asked about Kenney'i
reported abuse, he denied having any
knowledge Of it. He said he never hae