The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-12
NEWS FROM TACOMA.
superintendent wsaghev Makes
Fall ststeaent TO the Beard of
Confrol--Adnms story shown TO
Have 10 Foundation In Fact
Tacoma Bureau 81 the Poef-fnteIligsnccr.
liza Pacific Avenue

TACOMA April I~-5tace the fusion
'.reformerz" took control Of tie state gov
ernrn~rt charges 0f naais3rninistrati0n in
the state institutions have been made a.
freely as were promises before the cleo
ton but ike those promises. they have
Rad nothing 70 hack them Gov. Rogers
s@t the pace by giving publicity 60 the
fact that charges bzG been made against
the management OF the state peEaitsnfiAry
hy notorfefy seeking yersons at N9iis
WziIa. The governor urged the ieSisla-
tire 10 senc an investigating committees 20
sFasla WaIia post HASTE but subsequently,
changed his mind and practically admitted
that there was no necessity for an inN~s1-
gatson. Speaker Cline or the floor OF the
house said that charges Of inhEmani;y
had been made against the management
oS the Western Washington Hospital for
the Insane at Steflacoofn. He wanted an
Investigation committee named from the
members Of the legislature 10 SIT Tor
months after adjournment and invesiisats
everything tn sight. drawing s. each per
diem the while. All these propositions
came 70 nothing.
or character with the other charges
30 freely made. were those recently print
ed IN a Tacoma paper against the man
aHemaut OF the sfeilacoom asylum and
made by Earl p. Adams. Of this city.
Adams was for a while employed IS
Waterman az the asylum Adams charged
that Waterman Button had maltreated
some Of the patients. His story was or
sensational character. and now II appears
that u rad as little foundation in fact as
others that have been told about the
asylum
superintendent wauehop has made the
following statement OF the matter TO the
state board Of control'
Hospitals for the insane are much like
smoiildersug volcanoes and subject 10 Pc
riogfical eruptl1ns
have been unable to satisfactorily ad-
just. II Is as follows. On the morning
Of March received the following COM
plant from the head night Waterman.
.Ft. steiiacoom, wash. March 8. 1881
'Dr. Waughop. Experimentation
for I can't depend on. Mr.. Adams any
more fatsly-the last few nights-I don't
know whers he IL after midnlght. and
think you ought 20 know OF II. Will you
please chang him ard give me a good
mani IL makes the work harder on me.
and II anything should happen In tho
think the matter over and give me a
partner | can DEPEND upon. IL would
please me very much II you would. Don't
tell who e q. 10 II row o'clock and no
>''''' ~ a. 81 BUTTON
when Mr. Adams reported for duty
that evening. I called him to the office
for ar explanation. and told him az he
Mr.. Buttons assistant he ought to
be guided by him in anything reasonable.
and that he ought not TO absent himself
even for duty without letting Mr. Button
know where he was. lie complained that
Mr.. Button kept the room where they
stopped during the interval OF their
rounds too warm. and as he made tho out
side rounds. except when they made the
rounds together at and 3. he preferred
To stay ~ the kitchen. where he could
more readily hear any noises, than In the
waiting room. ] told him there was no
objection to his doing 20. and also inform,
everything seemed satisfactory
During the conversation with Mr.. Ad-
ANS he also spoke OF some Of Mr.. But
tons pecullarities. which prevented them
being very companionaple. / said I pre-
fumed he had his peculiaritles. but that
j thought he. was kindly disposed. Mr..
Adams replied something like this.
oh. I guess he Is kind enough
The next morning Mr.. Adams came
into the ofrice ard made the most
the pasisn,s ' assInst MI Button ge He
gave the names Of quite a number OF help
less patients whom he kicked. tossed onto
got onto them with his feet as they lay
tn bed. holding on TO the head OF tho bed
while he went through the process Of
one case splitting on the patient. None
OF the patients mentioned could say
whether the accusation was true or not.
that Mr., Button had hlt him with his
bunch OF keys
''rhs following evening. when Button
and Adams reported for duty. l sum
moned them both 20 the office. and had
Adams repeat the charges u me and Or.
Redpath. Mr.. Button denied the charges.
and said Adams was angry because he re-
ported him. and had qparreied with him
most OF the previous night and told him
he would st eyer, with him for ~ and
for two months why he had not reported
ft before. That they Quarreled was un-
d0uhteily true for some ~ the patients
nd sxa to me- "A IL
Wishing 60 have tho advice OF Mr..
Nhtteho'i~e. ore Of the trustees I sus-
pended MI; HUTTON. and told him 20 report
tie falleWtng Afternoon He did 50. hut
Mr. Nhf ehouse. myself and DrS Red
path and ioughary went through the case
again, bat with no proof. Mr. Adams
Thought he gs4nid prove something bear
irg on the matter by Mr.. Cheaiantier and
Mr. tieer But neither could add anything
tangible. Mr.. Whitehouse was Also unde
cfdei ard We all rhough1 Il might - wise
- continue the matter TO the meeting OF
The tsSard. ne arst % Aprli. and e was
leftsthat way. / continued Mr. Button on
duty. hus on day wnfk ana notlaea both IN
writing the next morning that the mat
ter Vas continued nnsl he next meeting
the matter before the prosecuting attor-
neH ant Gov. Rogers ard somehow q Euf
into The papers. u Mr. Adams charges
are true, Mr.. Hutton oJEht - 50 ~ the
penitentiarv r. Nfs story ia untrue and
made % get even Mr.. Adams ought %
ro there instead.
'spnttas, has hse, IN me ser,scs 81 she
hospital two YEARS lie has bsen eraphovef
as attendant on the var'f and has faken
pRfier7s - work FnQaf~y at various
times deve}ooed TIE fact that ATS patients
uniformly hked bin and sFsolSe well 81
hfni Oliw Peterson, an old sTpV.l0ye -
the Aosfdtal. aBs IN rharTe - The niEhl
duties for q time WITH Ruttan For an ~
stsgARt, he ssvS he never saw any rough
ueFs az unk3n5iaess Ia Mr.. Buftua, 20 SAY
nothing % cruelty
Adams came TO tne NC9utrai as the
frfnnt ~ nAfttor. Button RRk~s me "a
FtVa hira risFe, 1-herr w-as res eN7 fcr
laatten - reFert hiEn Nor ncszlecs ~ eutv
Ter there s. cNtarnca that the nirht ftft
ton caFspiain~a - hiu Adams was not or
sfusv unfN after o'clo~k. when he should
have EoHe or - q ard thaf So Ske.f :
w-arfer. fshssal n rSier So heiye htrrs aecesv f.
me n ! heart - = and hooked iuto g.
"fsrt,ient,e showed Adams was IN fhs
hshti ~ askimT TIRE dfrfnr room ira Lawn.
frv girls - the ntffniSht SurperS % ths
uis-ht watches He made himself "a fetl
mate a. u9sssfs,H WITH fN~se esrt= rssok Nt.
fsnRls With fsUua sought their r,rrrs ~,
arH feff thersa ~ 'sfRaf "a WITH rfrr, "a ~
Ne would So that shev kefsf thelr uis,-,.
ynser the incoming atnsfr9 erattf,ss II.
also WTNnte thes-rs letters advising 4 t,,ff
e-aeus snsoufss - secrecy.
"Ela WIS re8wires - siee0 En- the -sf4r.
nssigrssf htns nv re h1t instead = 81 ia
this ne freaaem.iy went 20 Tacoma wtth-
cuf leave.
'-rNe~s = evidence 80 show tsas whns
e. Wer'er r ,frF1asRr's ressr one eveatr :