Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-11-27

have given their best attention, and so far
as the committee we're able to investigate
the matter Of building, the manner in
which the trustees have discharged their
duties in that respect meets with the un-
qualified approval of the committee. We
consider that they have been vigilant in
looking after the best interests of the state,
economical in their methods and attentive
to their duties with reference to the con-
struction of the buildings, and their fail
ure to seasonably and properly remedy the
defects in the system of heating the build
ings when it was found inadequate for
that purpose was doubtless due to disin-
clination on their part to incur the neces-
sary expense
We regard this as a mistake olicy, but
the fact that large appropriations we're be-
ing asked for the completion of the asy-
lum should be considered in extenuation of
this fault. We are convinced that the
trustees acted according TO their best judg-
ment for the best interests of the state in
what they did in regard to the heating sys-
TEN, but in forming their judgment they
made the idea of economy to predominant
and subordinated too much the health and
comfort of the patients of the asylum.
This we regard as a mistaken policy.
The supervisors of the insane are re-
| quired by statute to examine the condition
| of said asylum, the management and treat
ment of the patients therein, hear griev-
| ances of patients apart from the officers
and keepers and investigate the cases that
J in their judgment require special investi-
| CATION, and particularly to ascertain wheth-
er persons are confined in such asylum who
ought to be discharged. The evidence
shows that the supervisors visited the asy-
lum from time TO time, but we could not
learn from them that they had any ade-
| quate knowledge of how the patients were
being fed or clothed or how they were be-
ting treated by the attendants or physicians.
They did not sufficiently investigate TO as
&C tain if any abuses were going on in the
as. am, or whether patients were con-
fned in the asylum who ought to
have been discharged; and we find that,
without complaint was made to them or
some abuse or irregularity was called par
ticularly to their attention, the supervis-
ors made no investigation.
Lack of Exercise and Amusement.
We are of the opinion that more should
be done in the way of giving the patients
open-air exercise. We do not find that
there is any system of CARING the pa
tents. During the winter months they
have had little exercise out of doors.
Those in the criminal ward have been con-
fined continuously in the building for near
ly year. The fence around the yard of
the criminal ward blew down about a
year ago and was not reconstructed until
about a month ago. There is lack of
books, papers and amusement in the asy-
lum.
The Charges OF Cruelty---Death of FItL-
simmons.
In considering the charges of cruelty
and violence to the patients by the super
intendent and attendants the case of Da-
vid Fitzsimmons is first considered. Among
the patients was one named Dazid Fitz-
simmons. Evidence was introduced tend
ing to show that FitzsimmOns was about
the hall in his usual state of health and
that he was for some cause assaulted by
an attendant and injured; that after the as
sault he was confined to his bed for two or
,, three days, apparently suffering great pain
/. and at the end of that time died. The
cause of death was reported as "acute
Bright's disease" We find the fact TO be
! that he was around the halls in the man
, ner as before stated, that suddenly hi:
condition became serious, and that aftel
two or three days confinement to his bee
he died; that the circumstances of hi
. sickness and death are consistent witt
= the belief that he was injured in the man
ner claimed; that they are not consisten
|; with the claim that he died with acute
4 Bright's disease.
= q We further find that at the time of hi
= sickness it was reported TO the supervisor
upon the hall that he had been assaulte'
by an attendant and injured, and that h
Il nWNIN md fWFN NgW
' We we're unable to procure the testimon
y of any witness who saw the assault com
= mitted, We do not find that the assault
n IL any was committed upon him, was b
? consent of, or with the knowledge of tn
superintendent; nor are we certain tina
knowledge of that fact was communicate
ia To him. though one witness testified /
"A substance, that he told DR.. Giddings tn
" facts, and at his request DR.. Giddings al
NJ tended upon Fiizsimmons and gave hi
n medicine, and remarked TO the witne:
az ''that it was very bad state of affairs an
n that if it was known he, (Giddings), coul
70 not stay there ten minutes" This was d
MED by DIR. Giddings, and as to wheth'
n II. In fact was said, the committee are NJ
c. agreed.
in A patient named Bertha Hall was a 81
he about II years of age afflicted with epileps
he who came with the patients from Brattl
ey boro. She was found one morning la
n, summer under the following circumstance
It's A carpenter named Fife, who worked
finishing one of the rooms in the nori
nd wing, after the patients had come fro
ar Brattleboro and were occupying the win
N left his handbook of tools in a small clos
,ss ON the hall on leaving his work at mig
re and locked the door. On his return in Il
I'd morning he went TO the closet for the pu
1T, nose of getting his tools, unlocked al
adj onened the door and saw the girl upon u
floor. perfectly nude and apparently u
mt conscious. Her eyes were closed and 81
be was very white. The witness could N
en state whether she was asleep or unco
nv scious. The size of the closet was abo
ITS two feet by four feet. 1t was unyentilate
hut there was crack under the bottom
nv the door about three fourths of an inch
we width. There is no evidence 10 show he
he long the child remained there on this
as casion, The workman locked the door
he the closet and left her as he found her.
in The evidence further shows that on a
we other occasion the same child was by
at attendant locked in the same closet p
zen fectly nude, except that she was wrap
as in blanket while crossing the hall trC
The her room TO the closet, and left there wh
lis the workmen went into the room she
i'm taken from and did some work, which
me cupied 20 to 80 minutes.
ort There was no evidence to show that
~, | ct55;noo knaw of the facts or consent