The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1900-11-02
Shameful State of Affairs Prevalent at
State Institution.
FEEBLE MINDED YOUTH NEGLECTED
Sickness and Death Among tho Inmates
of Home for Feeble Minded Youth at
plorabIe.

that the poor, unfortunate people o
the state who are helpless to protec
themselves from results of ignoranc
and abuses should be thus treated
Governor Poynter has placed these in,
situations in the hands of spoils-hunt
ing politicians and the result is tina
everything Is demoralized and tn
unfortunate inmates are suffering tt
that extent that in some instance:
death follows.
The following correspondence be.
tween Mrs. S. A. Brown of Homer
wife of the chairman of the demo.
cratic county central committee of Da-
kota county, and DR.. B. +. Lang, ex-
superintendent of the Home for the
throws a strong light on the sad con-
ditions prevalent at that institution
Homer, Neb., Oct. 10, 1900.
"B. F. Lang, NJ. D.,
Beatrice, Neb.
"Dear Sir:
Yours of the 10th addressed to Mr..
Brown is at hand. He will consider its
contents and weigh it in the new light
that has developed in our case, and let
you know as REQUESTED.
u IO uOuDj hlDW llldl we NlSileu Tie
Institute Oct. Sth and the result of that
visit is not yet known, only to Us. What
we found there, God alone knows. DIR.
Lang, 1 want you to ascertain the true
condition of Charlie when you left him
and his condition during the two pre-
vious months. For how long a time has
he been in failing health? Do you know
If he had the spells daily or mcEthly?
Some of his attendants should know about
this. We were never told one word about
him being in a failing condition, but eX-
pected to find him in his general good
health, considering his disease, and we
found q total wreck, and I am very much
in doubt as to whether it is the result of
only two or three weeks of neglect and
abuse. When we got there that morn
ing we had to wait one hour before he
was brought to US and when he was drag
ged in by two men his father could not
believe it to be our Charlie. He was
wasted and unable to sit up, blue and
cold, fresh from a cold bath in q cold
room. Fifteen minute after 1 got him
into a bed he was in a raging fever. DR..
Lang, l believe you to understand enough
of humanity to realize our feelings at
such a discovery. Charlie had developed
lung fever and his body is covered with
bruises and cuts and on his back is a
deep f~estered sore. Is it possible, I ask
myself. that this is all the sinful, wicked
neglect of the new administration? We
have had the best skill in the profess
sion to examine him and all agree that
his physical condition is the result of
neglect. He has the next thing to pneu-
monia, lies helpless and has one hard
spell after another. In the building that
cold morning there was no sign of fire
or heat.
"Well, Charlie has come home to die
and if it takes the remainder of our lives
we expect to aunt this thing down and
find redress, not in political barterings,
but it shall be paid even as he has paid
the price for this sinful neglect-in the
flesh. DR.. Lang. 1 request this of you:
Write us all You know of his condition
as 1 asked you. Two days before we
reached there a letter came here that our
child was in his general health and good
condition. DR.. D had not even known
that he had been down sick. The whole |
tow and surrounding country here are
aroused and indignant over this shame
full discovery. DR.. Maxwell of Dakota
City and DR.. Way of Wahoo were the
first to examine him. We did not expect
to get him home alive.
"Dr. Lang, I pray you, give this your
attention. 1t is too late for Charles
sake, but it may. be the means of saving
other helpless soul. In faith, I am
yours,
(Signed) MRS. s.. A. BROWN"
The foregoing brought forth the fol-
lowing reply from DR.. Lang, who, by
the way, has long been considered one
of the strongest men in the fusion
party:
LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. IS, 1900.
and Mrs. Brown:
Dear Friends-I received the very sad
statement about your little son whom
you were obliged to take away from the
Institution for Feeble Minded
at Beatrice, Nebraska. 1 am not
surprised at your statement, and 1 am
sure that the taxpayers and voters of
will not be surprised either.
Only a few days of neglect of the poor,
unfortunate children at the Institution
will cause, not only what you describe,
death. You will be astonished that
two have died at the Institution within
a week. so reported by attendants. Miss
WAGNER, an attendant, who died last
wanted to quit the morning I
the Institution, but I advised her to
remain to care for the inmates if posi-
bic. If a strong, vigorous person like
she can be the victim of bad sanitary con-
ditions and neglect, need you be surpris-
ed that your weak and afflicted little
son would be found in the condition de-
scribed in your letter. Not only these,
1 am informed that others are now
to their beds with low forms of
fevers. You ask ma if his condition
could have been the result of three or
four weeks neglect? 1t could have been
worse with the neglect of only one
week. Your sons visited the Institution
under my charge, and you know
how well pleased they were with your lit
tie sons condition, and you, about June,
visited and was granted every privilege
and invited to investigate every depart
You had Charlie with you for two
days, not in basement rooms, but were
as every father and mother
should be, in the guest rooms of that