Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-03-19
DEATH PENALTY.
Bill in Legislature to Change
Method Was Postponed.
A BOARD OF INSANITY.
It's Creation Contemplated in Bill
Reported in House.
Hearings on Order of Inquiry Into Equip
ment Of State Artillery Branch to Be
Held Week After Next.
A BOARD OF INSANITY.


Boston, March 1S.-The sessions in
both branches were without special sig
nificance today. The senate finished
It's work by o'clock, but the house re-
FUSED adjournment motions persistently
and dragged along with bare quorum
until after O'Clock. The only meas
ure in the house offering debate of I'M
usual interest was the bill changing the
method of death penalty from execution
by hanging to execution by e1ectrocu-
ton, and this was postponed until Mon
day
The committee on public charitable
institutions has agreed upon the first of
several measures for the separation of
the various state departments for the
care OF the pauper insane and minor
wards. The bill reported in the house
this afternoon is for the creation of a
board OF insanity, and is practically in
line with the special commissions rec
concentrations on the subject.
Representative Mccarthy of Boston
was in the chair in the house nearly all
OF the afternoon. On the other side.
senator Roe of Worcester welded the
gavel.
The bill reported by the committee on
public charitable institutions for the
creation Of an insanity board provides
that the board shall consist of five
persons to be appointed by the gov
ernor, and to hold office for FIVE years.
The board shall appoint an executive
ofhcer who shall be an expert in insan-
lty, and may be member of the board
to hold office during the pleasure of the
board
The board shall have power to APP
point such agents and subordinate Of
ficers as it may deem requisite No
civil service examination shall be re-
CURED as in the case of persons APP
pointed agents who are now in the en-
ploy Of the state in a similar work. The
board shall make annual reports, which
shall present information embodying
the experience of this and other coun-
tries, regarding the best methods of car
ing for such persons as come under its
supervision.
The trustees of the several state in-
situations under the supervision of the
board shall annually send to the board
an accurate inventory of the stock and
supplies on hand The board shall
keep records of commitments of all pa
tients and enforce the laws with re-
gard thereto. 1t shall have general
supervision over the state hospitals and
asylums for the insane and all other in
situations that are receptacles for the
insane or Predetermined, public or pri-
vate. the Massachusetts Hospital for
Epileptics, the Massachusetts hospital
for Dipsomaniacs, the Massachusetts
School for the Predetermined, and the
hospital cottages for children.
The said board may when directed by
the governor exercise the powers of the
boards of trustees of the institutions I'M
der its supervision in any manner re-
lating to the management thereof. The
board Is to inspect all plans for new
buildings. The board may transfer in
sane pauper inmates from any hospital
or asylum to another and may commit
inmates of the other state institutions
to the hospitals or asylums for the in
sane.
1t may upon application of the direct
or or manager of a private hospital
transfer any inmate of such institution
to another private institution, or to a
state institution for the insane, or any
inmate of state to a private institu-
ton, but no such transfer shall be
made without the consent of the nat
ural guardian Of such inmate. The
board shall act as commissioners in in
sanity with power to investigate the
question of the insanity and condition
of any person committed to a public or
private institution. 1t shall visit every
hospital and asylum under its super
vision at least twice year. Patients in
hospitals are to be employed in taking
patients to hospitals, and in the case
of the transfer of female patient, a
female nurse shall accompany her.
The board has the authority to trans
fer and discharge patients. The use of
the word 'lunatic" is abrogated, and
the term insane" substituted.
Senator Brigham of Middlesex had a
conference with Gov. Wolcott this
morning. He dropped in to see him soor
after the governor had finished a SEES
sion with Assistant Attorney General
Travis. After he came out Mr.. Brigham
was asked when the hearings would
be held on the order for an inquiry into
the equipment of the artillery branch Of
the military service Of the state.
The senator said probably not next
week He thought that In all probabi-
lily the hearings would be held the fol
lowing week 1t was desired to delay
the hearing for a few days that the pub
lie mind might not get the impression
that this order had some connection
with the present difficulty with Spain
He said when the committee took the
matter up it would make a careful ana
lysis Of the condition Of the artillery
branch of the service, to find out what
was best to be done in the premises.
He declined to say if he thought the ar
tillery was properly armed with guns,
but did not seek to give the impression
that it was.
Another member of the committee