The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-08-01
INSANITY INQUESTS INCREASE
ATTORNEY GENERAL FILES SEN.
ShTlONhL REPORT.
Liberty Cheapened by wanton Reckless
ness of Incompetent Public
Servants.

INDIANAPOLIS, lnd-, July 80
Attorney General Taylor yester-
day filed with the governor a
sensational report on the insanity
question, in which he urges that
the state board of charities at
once examine the insane hospit-
ais of Indiana to ascertain how
many sane persons are being
wrongfully detained in them on
account of the lax insanity laws,
He also sent to the board of
health and charities the result OF
the investigation of his chief
deputy, Mr.. Hadley, into Indian
apolis insanity inquests which
WIS submitted to him by Mr..
Hadley yesterday AFTERNOON.
Following is the attorney-gen
ais report to the city board:
Il send you herewith a report
of the insanity investigation made
by my oeputy, Mr.. Cassius c.
Hadley. From this report it APP
pears that insanity inquests have
very rapidly increased in num-
Der within the last few years IN
this city. 1t especially shows
that. although no defense is made
many case, none of the testimony
being submitted by the defend
ants to the inquisitions, yet the
number of those found not insane
has very greatly increased.
"You will observe that in 1899
ffty-four of those charged with
beng insane were found not in
sane. In the year 1900 ninety
persons charged with being in
sane were found not insane, and
in less than one-half of the year
1901 seventy persons were found
to be not insane who were thus
charged with being insane; or,
putting it another way, in 1899
"a per cent. of those accused
were convicted. In 1900 Sc per
cent. were found not insane, and
for the year 1901 to June % A
per cent. were found not insane.
Not only this, but the number of
cases has suspiciously and rapid
jy increased.
81 call your special atten-
ton, however, to the fact that
the employees of the city dispen-
sary filed fifty one afidavits of
insanity, and, although nobody
but those testifying in favor of
the insanity of the accused were
present and testified, yet there
were but thirteen committed and
thirty eight discharged; so that
il the year 1900 but one-fourth
OF those accused by the city dis
pensary employees were found to
be insane.
In the year 1901 from Jan. | to
June 20, the employees of the city
dispensary filed ffty-fve afidav-
its alleging insanity, showing
that but one-fourth of those ac-
cused by employees of the city
dispensary were found to be in
sane by the various justices sit
ting in the cases.
'sYou will further observe
from the report that for the five
months ard twenty-five days
from Jan. 1 to June %, 161 aft
davits of insanity were filed, or,
at the frightful rate of $40 pei
araum.
Il call your further attention
to the fact that four more aft
davits Of insanity were filed in
the FIVE months and twenty five
days of this year by the city dis
pensary employees than were FLED
by such employees during the
whole year 1900. Further, il
appears that of the fifty -one
cases died in the first six months
of this year by said dispensary
employees, in no case does the
record show that any witnesses
testified other than employees o.
the city dispensary, and yet buT
oue-fourth of all those accused
of being insane were found in
sane by the justices sitting il
the case.
This report. if true, shows
an utter, wanton, reckless, Grim
inal disregard of the rights o
.1.--~. ,x,1 O ur;11f,71 xio1afiOr