The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-12
AN ASYLUM
FOR INSANE
CRIMINALS
Plans to Be Discussed
at San Quentin.
NEED OF THE INSTITUTION
HOW GOOD AND BAD ARE NOW
HERDED TOGETHER.
NEED OF THE INSTITUTION
HOW GOOD AND BAD ARE NOW
HERDED TOGETHER.
DR.. F. W. Hatch of the State Lunacy
Commission Expatiates on the
Crying Necessity of
the Step.

F. W. Hatch of the State Lunacy Com
mission arrived in this city yesterday and
registered at the Lick House. He is
greatly interested in the plans for a State
asylum for the criminal insane, which
will be discussed at a joint meeting Of
the State Prison Directors and the Lun-
acy Commission. to be held at San Quen-
tin to-day. In discussing the matter Dr.
Hatch said:
This State has long felt the need of an
asylum for the criminal insane, and if all
goes well We will have it within a short
time. There are a great number of GRIM
inals confined within our lunatic asylums
to-day and the result is very bad. In
the first place their influence is democrat
izing to persons who are simply suffering
from diseased brain with no morbid or
criminal tendencies. A great many are sim
ply shaTnming, and the result is that
they work among those who are actually
suffering from disease of the brain and
induce them to assist in plans for escape,
for almost every person confined within
the walls of an asylum is willing and
ready to escape at any time the oppor
tunity is offered; they simply need a lead
err, and the criminal insane make good
leaders. The idea is to have an institu-
ton as secure as a prison, with all the
modern facilities for the treatment of
diseases of the brain.
Again, there are a great many people
confined in our State prisons who should
really be under treatment for disorders of
the brain. They are not exactly insane,
yet they are near enough it to require
treatment which cannot be given them
in the prisons
This matter has frequently been dis
cussed at sessions o. the Luracy Commits
sion, and while it is agreed that the
State needed such an institution and
needed it badly, no real. definite action
has been taken. 1t has generally been
conceded that the best place would be
Folsom. Stone. labor and water are all
there, and the cost of erecting the build
fact. l think it would be a great saving
to the State in the end. as the criminal
lunatic is always trying to escape and
frequently does escape, and when he once
gets beyond the borders of the State it is
an expensive matter to bring him back.
l can now recall three murderers who
have escaped from asylums and I am pos
man got as far as Arizona and it cost the
State a considerable sum to get him back
LAS to the size of the building. think it
should be large enough to accommodate
at least two hundred persons. According
to statistics there are now one hundred
really be in asylums, but as there is no
asylum provided for them they simply
get the treatment of ordinary criminals.
There are three plans which will be
brought before the general meeting to-
day. The first is for the separate institu-
the State prisons. and the third to pro-
vide wards in connection with the State
institutions already established 1t is
doubtful If we will get further than the
appointment of a committee from both
bodies to work in harmony. If we do this
procuring the small appropriation neceS-
Sary from the Legislature"