Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-30
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For tho Times Republican

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For the Times Republican.
Maxwell. Sept. 2s-some years ago
the writer had the pleasure OF visiting.
one after another, all the public insti-'
tions OF Iowa. During that trip he
became q convert to the board Of con-
troll system. At that time he met
Supt. Miles. OF the industrial school at
published in the T-R. advocating an
additional reformatory for class all
ways to be. found in any reform school,
a class that has much to do with de-
moralizlng many boy inmates that they
are daily thrown in contact with.
Every word that Supt. Miles used then
has equal force, today, and now there
seems to be a chance that this long
needed public institution will become
a part of the public charities of Iowa
So it is with DR.. Powell's efforts tic
have an institution for epileptics. He
advocated the idea when the writer
spent very instructive evening at
Glenwood. And today, with an In
creasing population, all of his argu-
ments appeal strongly to the thinking
part Of the community. And If Dr.
Powell with his years of experience in
dealing with this unfortunate class,
sees the necessity for special institu-
ton for epileptlcs, what shall we say
of those who advocate county care of
this class? 1t is difficult to get figured
on any class of unfortunates, but UNI
questionably we must have hundreds
of such cases in our county poor hous-
es. And the care they get amounts to
this: They are allowed to live as long
as they can at the expense of the coun-
ty When the disease finally kills the
victim the county supervisors proudly
report that the expense to the tax
payers this year is less than formerly
unless they are unfortunate enough to
have another epileptic sent to the poor
| house. All this is not assuming that
| epilepsy can be cured in any institu-
| ton, state or county, but 1T is plain
| statement that the care of epileptics in
county poor houses is a disgrace to this
state, as well as every county that UNI
dertakes it. AS a rule they receive no
| medical care whatever, and are allowed
| Gin fact there Is no way to prevent it) ia
have fit anywhere on the premises, In
| the presence of all of the inmates. These
| fits are of daily occurrence, and to COM
pei the unfortunte respectable poor
people who are forced to live in coun
! ty poor house to witness these terrible
| fits. to have to live with these unfortu-
mates eat with and sometimes sleeI
with them is compelling many poo,
man or woman to live life of continu-
al terror There are in many county
poor houses in Iowa today many per-
| sons obliged to associate with epileptie
patients who have the same sensations
from this enforced contact that would
occur to the writer or reader.
sss
Since the discussion of the care of the
county insane commenced in the pa
| pers of Iowa the writer has received
both by mail and personal information
many statements Of occurrences in
county poor houses that under no cir
cumstances could be written for publ.
cation. Much of 1t was in regard to tn,
relations of the sexes in these poo
houses. 1t is almost impossible to sep
4 arate the sexes. on a county poor farm
this referring to the mildly insane, VIII,
can not be confined in rooms or cells
4 AS consequence they have the run o
the farm. Only last week the write
was told by the county auditor of --
/ county that last year a demented Won
an was sent to their poor house. Shs
was harmless, SO was allowed the lib
4 serty any woman would have on any
Iowa farm. In little while it became
known she was regularly sexually init
mate with three men who We're alst
harmless and allowed the run of The
farm. This went on for three month.
Il Ia n fpn of no MT a
poor farm and the county supervisors
sent her to the state institution, wher,
the sexes are effectually separated. II
4 was cheaper for the county to take car,
of her on the farm than to board hel
at Mount Pleasant" The writer live,
and votes in Poweshiek county, henc,
has right to mention what is going OF
in that county's poor house There is, o.
was, at the time the writer visited tn,
premises, a man living there with
John l.. Sullivan makeup, who ha
j 1.-THE run of that county poor farm" H
is mildly insane, but no woman is SAT,
from his brutal attentions unless SOM
man is present. This man has beef
pounded with club to prevent his at
tacks on unfortunate women compelle,
to live on the premises. A citizen o
MOntezuma, whose word is good, tolt
: the LOCKER On no woman is safe from
his attacks when he meets her on tn
grounds or in the public road. Thi
any time day or night. But '.it's cheap
er for the county to keep him on tn
poor farm than to board him at stat
institution"
4 We have it on good authority that tn
board of control will soon be able t.
compel all counties to send their insan
ITO state institutions. If they need an.
evidence to bring about this much
needed reform let one of the board visi
several Iowa poor farms and they cal
then go before the county Legislature
with an array of testimony and fact
sufficient to convince any law maker o
the need of reform in the care of tn
insane of Iowa. The board may know
Il OF the need of this reform, but let then
present to the legislature the easily ac
T quired evidence and county care of tn
insane in Iowa will soon be thing o
the past
- 70 Mveauxx-AI