The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-03
is QUITE DISGUSTING.
The Manner in Which the In
sane Asylum is Run.
Never Seems to be High Mind
ed Management.
Always Pounding of Patients and
Firing of Attendants for Petty
Reasons.

On October 7th the Journal printed
a story about a patient by the name of
Fritz Redemsld being cruelty treated
in the kitchen at the insane asylum
Redemski was working during the af-
ternoon as usual and was told to scrub
the floor by Cook Wilson. Redemski
did not do the work to suit Wilson
There was some trouble and Wilson
knocked Redemski down with a heavy
oaken paddle used in stirring mush in
the large iron kettles. Redemsk was
beaten in a cruel though perhaps not
dangerous manner by Wilson and the
supervisor.
Mrs. B. S. Dickinson, a widow with
four children to support was house
keeper at the time and had charge or
the kitchen where Redemsli worked
Several days before the brutality Oc-
CURED she reported to Supervisor Do
Ian, that Redemskd and Wilson had not
been getting along we'll together and
asked that Redemsh be left in the
ward and not brought out to work.
Dolan told her that it would be time
enough to leave the patient in the
ward when there was serious trouble.
When the trouble occurred Mrs. Dick
insOn reported the matter to Miss
Wheeler, the matron. Miss Wheeler
asked if any of the employees were Sc
riOusly hurt and when she found they
were not she allowed the matter to
drop.
Inc Gay aILer JnG trouble an account
of it was published in the Journal.
The fact that it had been written up
seemed to incense the superintendent,
DR.. c. H. WetmOre. He called Mrs.
Dickinson to the Office and asked her if
she had been as ''dislOyal'' to the man
agement of constitution as to make
public any happenings about the place
and referred to the trouble in the
kitchen. Mrs. Dickinson told him that
if he thought she had written the
piece that was in the Journal he could
dismiss her from the employ of the in
StitutiOn- She was greatly humiliat-
ed to think that he would accuse her
of it. When DIR. WetmOre saw how
she felt on the matter he was prOfuse
in his apologies and told her to resume
her duties. Not long after that the
board of charities met. The article in
the paper was shown to them and they
We're told that Mrs. Dickinson was the
author of it. They at once gave her
notice to go November 1st. She left
the institution on last Saturday and
an appointee of Frank Shane's was
given the place. She found that she
could not fill the position and yesterday
she resigned and Mrs. S. EdgertOn an
old employe of the institution was put
in the place.
The story that was printed in the
Journal was not written by Mrs. Dick
insOn nor did it come from her. The
story was given to a reporter by one
who knew the particulars and it was
verified by an official of the institution.
An investigation was held by the
board of charities and the matter was
smOothed over. Mr.. L. Palenske the
guardian of Redemski, read the story
in the Journal and went to the insti-
tuition to investigate the matter. He
was informed by the superintendent
and others that it was false from be
ginning to end and he went away
thinking that his ward had not been
cruelty treated. Mr.. Palenske wrote
to the Journal stating that he was con
WINGED that his ward had not been
treated as reported.
The fact that Mrs. Dickinson being
discharged from the service of the in
stitutiOn because of being accused of
something she had not done, seems IN
just in the extreme. Even if Mrs.
Dickinson had reported the i'll treat
ment of Redemski why should she be
discharged? 1t was the truth and the
sa-called investigation cannot remove
the fact that it was so; but Mrs. Dick
insOn was in no way involved in the
publication of the story.