The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-14
A HENDRICKS COUNTY CASE.
Dying Patient Brought to Central In
sane Hospital.

A special to the Journal from Danville,
Ind, yesterday has the following to say
about a patient brought to the Central Hos
pital for the Insane:
yesterday Charles McClelland and John
Taylor, denuty sheriffs, took JOIN Roberts,
tai for the Insane. They returned last
evening indignant at the treatment Robert
received from the officer who received hm.
Roberts at times is very violent, 1t Is
claimed, and after these attacks OF vio-
lence he is very weak and almost
rational. Yesterday he was very feeble,
and while waiting in the receiving office at
the asylum the attendant asked Roberts:
What kind of people do you have" Rob
erts replied: My people are nice people.
They are as nice as anybodys people. The
attendant replied: We'll. they ought TO
keep you at home to die instead of sending
you up here Tears rolled down Robertss
cheeks, He was ordered to get up and so
into the building proper. He arose, and IN
his feeble condition almost fell, and Deputy
Sheriff Taylor, holding him by one arm,
ordered the attendant to take the other to
keep him from falling. Seeing the name of
a Clayton citizen, Aaron Acton, on the
papers, the attendant asked Roberts VINO
Acton was. Roberts told him he was his
brother-in-law. The attendant replied:
We'll, | just wanted to know to whom to
telegraph when YOU die The attendant also
said he was tired of having to take care
of Hendricks county paupers. and he talked
made out Koberts's papers. The affair has
created great indignation here where it is
generally known.
Dr. Walls, the physician who received
Roberts, says only the usual questions
asked patients as to their antecedents were
put to Roberts and the deputy sheriffs. He
says he stated TO the officers that it would
have been far better not to have brought
Roberts TO the hospital, as he is in a dying
condition. He is suffering from a stomach
disease and has net been able TO retain
food. The doctor has made several examin-
atoms and has failed to find that Roberts
is insane. He thinks il was a mistake to
have sent Roberts to the hospital. He
made no such reference to Hendricks
county pauperS aScrloed to him, he says,
ana talked with the men III a courteous,
busincsslike way.
Superintendent EdenharNer of the hospital
was present when the Hendricks county
patient was brought in, and he remembers
distinctly the made at the
time. The sick man had been driven in
a wagon from Clayton, md. and was SO
exhausted that he had 10 be lifted out. The
superintendent commented on the appar-
ent heartlessneSs in bringing SO sick d man
such a distance in a wagon. He was ut
teTly exhausted, and the men who brought
him had q big bottle of whisky with which
they had evidently attempted to stimulate
the man. DR.. Edenharter told the men il
was not right to bring a harmless man, on
the verge of death. to the insane hospital,
when a few kindly attentions by his fam
lily ut home would have gone much further
towards easing his condition. One of the
men in the wagon told the doctor he
couldn't see why they sent the old man
over"
DR.. E~denharter says the hospital is
crowded and il is an imposition on the
State TO send harmless people who have on
~ a few days or weeks in which to live TO
the insane hospital. In many of these cases
the patient dies within two or three DAYS
after he is received, the trip having much
to do with Fastening death. These cases
run up the death record at the hospital TO
an unusual degree.