The Topeka state journal., 1899-08-10
ASYLUM OUTRAGE
Miss Viola May heW and John
MOnihan Talk.
We're Attendants at the Topeka
Institution.
PATIENTS A U S ED.
Women Cruelty ChOked by One
Ofthe Physicians.
Others Beaten and Maltreated
by Attendants.
Time For Governor to Inaugu-
rate Promised Reforms.
Time For Governor to Inaugu-
rate Promised Reforms.

Stories of cruelty and mismanage-
ment at the Topeka. insane asylum are
told by many of the employees. Those
who are employed there admit that
such things exist but are afraid to tell
of them for fear of losing their posi-
tions.
Those who have left the asylum are
willing to tell of these things and to
condemn the management. The en-
ployes in general complain that such
restraints have been placed upon them
that their life there is made very un-
pleasant. Their number of days off
have been reduced and in the evenings
they are confined to their quarters
Many of the patients who for years
have had parole have had that taken
away from them and they are allowed
no privileges whatever. The rule has al
ways been that harmless patients who
could be trusted were allowed the free
dom Of the grounds and some of them
allowed to leave the grounds. None of
them made any trouble but these priv
ileges were all curtaiIed with the ex-
ceptiOn of one man.
Miss Viola Mayhew and John Moni-
han, who up to a short time ago were
employed there, recite stories of cruelty
where patients have been chOked and
abused. Miss Mayhem says that while
she was employed there DR.. c. w Ny
ers, the physician in charge of the WO-
mems department, chOked Nora SlOop
An attendant by the name of Matte
Carpenter was on ward B and saw the
choking. DR.. Myers was making his
usual rounds of the wards. Nora Sloop
was disturbed and was screaming. He
said she must stop, that there was no
sense in her yelling so and that the
trouble with her was that she had hys-
terics He grabbed her throat and
oh ~ad FnT~ IN 70 HaTF ctr 10
choked her until she could scream no
longer from want of breath and releas-
ed her. The next day in making his
rounds he asked her how she felt
My throat is sore" she answered.
iii make it sOrer than that if you
don't mind me- he replied.
Mrs. Lerrick and Miss Green. attend
ants on ward D told Miss Mayhem that
they saw DR.. Myers stick his thumbs
in patients eyes and abuse them be-
cause they did not do as he wished.
Miss Mayhem was employed as a pri-
vate attendant to Mrs. Jennie NJ. Har-
ris, wife of E. P Harris Jr., of Le-
compton and daughter Of Hon. A r.
Jones, pOstOffice inspector She says
that one day while DR.. Myers was max
ing his usual rounds Mrs. Harris was in
bed He asked her to show him her
tongue She had been taking bromidia
in such large quantities that she was
unable to control her tongue and could
not put it out as far as he demanded.
He grabbed her throat in his hands
and choked her until her tongue pro-
truded.
were on the lawn an attendant by the
name of Mrs. Crittenden commanded a
patient by the name Of Elizabeth Crow
to braid her hair, which was hanging
down her back. Because the patient
did not do so Immediately Mrs. Critten-
den grabbed the patients hair and
threw her to the ground.
The story was known all over the in
stitutfOn that attendant in ward
by the name of Potter used a piece of
heavy hose to beat patient blythe name
of VIII Scanlon, and mistreated other
patients. Another attendant on the
same ward by the name of VIII Mills
wrote a letter setting forth these cruel
ties and took it himself to DR.. T. c. Bid
die the superintendent. No attention
was paid to the letter and Potter is still
employed there.
Miss Anna Triplett, the supervisor of
the WOmen'S departments saw many acts
of cruelty, and because she saw them
and was willing to tell of them the
management of the asylum tried to have
her removed. She went to Cyrus Le-
land and he succeeded in having her
kept in her position.
John Monihan says that cruelties are
constantly practiced at the brick build
tendant. In particular he says that a
patient by the name of Dinwiddie on
ward was repeatedly. abused.
He further says that the straw from
yard. The straw from many of the
ticks is filed with disease, but the cows
are allowed to eat it and then the milk
is served on the tables.
MOnihan says that DR.. Minney, the
physician in charge of the brick build
ing, failed to make his usual daily
rounds and that some weeks he would
visit the wards only two or three times
instead of every day, as the rules re-
quire.
Some time ago the superintendent,
DR.. T c. Biddle, decided to change the
names of the wards. Ever since the
tain form of numbering has been in use
bering, and every piece of clothing, bed
clothes and all the books had to be
changed. If each new mayor of a city
was to change the names of the streets
it would be about as sensible
DR.. Biddle has had several conflicts
with the board and has refused to en-
plOy people appointed by the board. At
one time it was reported that he would
be changed and sent to the Osawatomie
asylum.
These stories have been told to re-
sponsible parties in Topeka who will
place them before the board and de-
mand that the board look into the mat
ter and stop such practices. It is hoped
that the national meeting of the Society
of Charities and Corrections, which
meets here next year, will gain its OBJ
ject and eliminate politics from the
state institutions, for until that is done
and as long as people are employed for
their political qualifications this state of
affairs viii exist.