The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-11-18
Insane Asylum Investigation.

Mrs. g. T. Larabee, Mrs. W. X. Nash,
Grant Russell and @. T. Larabee, en-
ployees at the asylum, were unanimous 10
the belief that no cruelties were practiced
andth at Dr. Giddings was always careful and
conscientious In the management OF his pa.
TENTS. The food they nearly all agreed,
was first class, though some OF them thought
the meat and butter at times were not as
good as should have been. Like proceed
ing witnesses, they found the temperature
always comfortable after the new heating
arrangements were made. Before that 1t
was too cold at times for comfort. In the
specific instances Of cruelty testified to by
witnesses brought in by the committee,
these witnesses either knew nothing con-
corning the facts of the cases, or drew in
ferences from them not discreditable to DIR.
GiddiDgs or the asylum attendants DR.. L..
X Graves has been on the stand all this
forenoon He was formerly Dr. Giddings'
assistant, but Is now located in New York
city. 1t was while he was assistant ply
stefan that many of the worst abuses and
crueltes described by witnesses are alleged
to have been perpetrated. DIR. Graves
swore that he knew nothing whatever con-
corning these things, and as far.as he knew,
the asylum was as well managed as 1t
could have been under the circumstances
| The institution was new and in many re-
! spects its workings were crude. A large
| proportion OF the attendants were new in
their positions, and naturally there was an
opportunity for improvement in the details
| OF the work. He said he had no reason to
believe that DIR. Giddings pIacticed cruel
ties to patients, and every reason to believe
that he did not.
DR.. w. N Platt of Shoreham one of the
trustees, DIR. @. M. Ferrin OF Essex juno
ton, supervisor of the insane, j. f. Ship
man, the asylum farmer, Mrs. Mary A. Long
| and Mrs. q. L. Larrabee, cook and matron
at the insane asylum. These witnesses
were introduced to break the force of the
testimony OF the witnesses brought for
ward by the committee. Drs. Plat
and Ferrin are well acquainted with
the institution at Waterbury from being
often called upon to visit and inspect the
asylum. DIR. Patt said that the per cent
cured was fully as large as at any instil u
ton Of which he had knowledge, that the
death rate is considerably lower, and that
the amount of food consumed per patient is
more than that prescribed for an average
man by the English war Office. Both DR..
Platt and Dr. Ferrin testified that they
never had reason to believe that patients
were ill-treated, and that they never saw
DR.. Giddings show bad temper or disposi-
ton. Dr. Ferrin thought that the case of
the Town woman was fairly Investigated
and there was no reason to believe but that
the asylum superintendent and assistants
did their full duty in the matter. Mr.. Ship
man and Mrs. Long testified concerning the
food furnished, which they had every rea
son to believe was and is all right. Mrs
Larrabee came from Brattleboro to Water
bury, and her testimony related to the
handling OF the violent and destructive pa
tients like Emma Hoyt and Lucy Williams
She said they were restrained only as far
as was necessary for their own good, and
that Emma Hoyt was treated as she was al
Brattleboro, where the asylum was man
/ aged by DR.. Draper, an expert. She talked
, at considerable length of the treatment OF
, Sally Town and others, refuting the stories
/ of cruelty and abuse OF patients by DIR
Giddings and the attendants at the asylum
} DR.. GIDDINGs took the stand in his own
defense Thursday afternoon. He denieC
l. the charge against him in toto and wen
' over them with much detail, denying every
b. accusation Of intentional cruelty and at
. tempting to show that the methods were
r the same, or similar to to those employed il
other asylums, and the best that the medi
[ cal profession is familiar with for the cart
! of the insane. DR.. Giddings made gooC
D appearance on the witness stand, anC
told an apparently straightforward story
| | throughout. He was not severely cross
| | examined by the members of the investiga
: ting committee, which evidently aimee
= only to get DR.. Giddings' belief and Theories
a | concerning the matter under discussion
Before DR. Giddings went on the stand, DR.
Graves was further examined. Question
70 ing finally brought forth from him TIN
F., story of a letter which h wrote to the lat
4 w. II. Hunt of St. Adams, one Of the asy
; ! lum trustees, crltclslng tne management U
the institution by DR. Gddings, complain
a ing of the latter's " niggardly economy
which DR.. Graves believed was the cause o
the trouble, declaring that sit was I'm
, doubleday all right from the standpoint o
4 the pocket book, but that reasoning from
humanity it was a disgrace. The testimon.
., brought out the fact that DR.. Graves wa
: discharged from the asylum for neglectini
his duties as assistant physician and TO
that reason disliked DR.. Giddiugs and tn
board of trustees. The commission went Il
J, Waterbury this morning to look over tn
asylum. 1t will continue the investigation
at the court house tomorrow morning.