Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-01
THE C0UN|Y'S Insane
Judge Kline Returns From Trip Of
Investigation Into County
Care of Insane.
Finds Frightful Conditions in Many
Poorhouses- Some Extreme
Cases Are Cited.
Detailed Report to Be Made by
Board Of Control to the
Legislature.

Des Moines, Now 1.-Judge L. G.
Kline returned yesterday from a
weeks visit to a dozen different asy-
lums maintained for the care of the in
sane. The law requires the board of
control to visit, annually, such institu-
lions as care for the insane, but are
not under the jurisdiction of the board,
and TO report to the legislature on it.
Judge Kline brings back some fright
full tales of neglect and cruelty at some
OF the Institutions, but some others he
reports to be caring for the wards of
the public as we'll, probably, as it is
possible to have them cared for outside
1.-The state Institutions.
In one institution" said Judge Kin
ne yesterday, Il found a patient
chained TO the wall. The person was
confined in Il room and was chained to
the wall to prevent escape, perhaps.
In another institution l found a man
and wife attempting to cook and care
! for seventy people. insane and paupers.
They received $40 month between
them for the work. In one institution
/ found the insane and the paupers in
the same building, the only division be-
ling partition in hall made of the
lcover of a dry goods box. In one place
/ i found a zinc bath tub in room with
out a window or a transom over the
door The water To supply this tub
had to be carried from a We'll across
the road and if warmed had to be
heated on stove and carried up
stairway. In one place / found an av-
erage OF three people bathing in the
same water
These are merely samples of some
of the horrible things / saw said the
Judge. II do not want to name the in
stitutions Where / saw these things un-
I'll | name them in our report The
facts Will there be presented in detail
TX should say that of the eleven or
twelve places | visited some of them
We're kept in reasonably good condition
land the care was intelligently admins
tered TO the inmates
1t is Well known that the board is not
friendly TO the plan of county care for
1.-the insane. All three members are of
the opinion that If the state is to main
tain large and expensive homes for the
| insane, there ought 10 be a requirement
that the insane be kept in them. Yet
1.-the facts are that over 200 insane per-
sons are maintained in the county asy-
luns or poor farms of the state, and
that 4oo more are in the private insti-
jtntious
! 1T is uncertain as vet what the board
| viii recommend TO the legislature as TO
the future conduct of these Institutions
The question is a hard one for the
4 board to handle 1t would be useless
to make Recommendations which could
mot possibly he enacted into Law and
1 would only result in the defeat ana dis
heonfiture of the board There are in
i5sane asylums in something like one
! third of the counties OF the state.
4 TwentN1two of them are reporting to.
ithe board and it is known there are a
number of others. not reporting
In only Two or three cases were the
found to be even fairly sup
piled with help. all tie others were in
i bad condition in this regard. None OF
them have attendants experienced in
/ the care of the insane or the treat
ment of nervous or mental difficulties
1 In only one institution were any trained
nurses to be found, and these We're ex-
Apeits in the care of insane.
1 II is understood that Polk and Des
4 Moines counties are credited with hav-
/ ing about the most creditable institu-
4 tons in the state. The visits were made
without any previous announcements
/ and it is possible that the reports Will
be all the more interesting on account
of this fact.
/ In a large proportion of cases the in
sane asylums are in connection with
the poor farms. In Polk. Benton, Mus
catine, Louisa aud Tama counties,
Judge Kline found separate buildings
! provided for the paupers and the in
sane. In Dies MONIES county the pau
/ pers and insane are kept in separate
/ buildings. though the structures are
i connected In Lee the two classes of
inmates are Kept in different parts of
| the same structures, While in Van
Buren, again they are kept in different
| buildings, near together, and the struc-
lures being connected. Jefferson has
| part of a building set apart for insane
and part for the poor, and Wapello has
a like Arrangement
| Careful supervision of the county in
stitutions by the board, with authority
| TO reform abuses found TO exist. is con-
sidered as much as can be accomplished
at this time. and it is expected the
boards recommendation to the legisla-
! ture viii be In this line.