The San Francisco call., 1901-12-24

der oath stated that one man was beaten
to death by the keepers and was after
ward removed by the Morgue wagon. She
also accused DR.. William Hmm elsbach
of 1915 Scott street of many indiscretions.
Mrs. Keith Testifies.
When court convened in the afternoon
Mrs. Keith. accompanied by her friend
Jose, entered the courtroom. There was
a craning Of neckS, as it was known that
she would give testimony of a sensational
nature. She was becomingly attired in
black. Mrs. Keith was the first witness
called.
In answer to questions asked by Attor-
ney George w. Monteith, she testified that
she was victim of the house conducted
by Mrs. Akinson. She said she had been
taken to the sanitarium for treatment.
had been so. She was simply taken there
for rest and quiet, and failed to get either.
She admitted she was hysterical and was
taken there to be cured.
Mrs. Keith stated that she had been an
inmate of the hospital from July to Oc-
tober, 1900; that during her stay she heard
the most outlandish noises during the day
and night The cries were those of peo-
pie being beaten and were ''help!' "nur-
der!' and agonizing shrieks. She said
she also did great deal of the yelling i'll
there.
"They beat me innumerable times" she
testified.
SIaAAASOAA, 4hAA .. " aus u III anu
Mr.. Ewing"
How did they strike your"
"They used their fists broom handles
and with the heel of my own slipper"
Further testifying she stated that she
had seen and heard the keepers beating
and abusing their patients.
''One night heard the man in the room
next to mine yell in agony Take her off!
She's killing mep There was crash of
crockery and all was still The next day
the Morgue wagon came and took his
body away"
Tells Of Suffering.
Mrs. Keith stated that the condition Of
the bedding was terrible. She said 1t was
taken into the yard to air and was COW
was very offensive % She it said i the pa patents @
were stripped of their clothes and most
OF them were punished She said Mr.
Ewing, an attendant, was in the habit Of
going through the halls in a nude condi-
ton.
Mrs. Francis Thauson, whom I after
place, was brutally beaten for scream
ing" said Mrs. Keith. 1--WE were choked
and compelled to wear armulets, strait
jackets and ,anklets. Even dogs were
Mrs. Keith said she was not forced to
enter the institution. She was led in by
DR.. Himmelsbach. When she got in she
declined to go upstairs, and the attend
ants, assisted by DR.. Himmelsbach, drag
ged her She said they caught her by
the hair and she screamed from pain.
wrapper and frequently was struck by
attendants, she continued.
The witness under cross-eXamination
told how Mrs. Atkinson beat her servant,
Miss Smith. The proprietress abused peo-
pie for the pleasure of doing so, she said
why did she beat her servant?" asked
the prosecuting attorney.
Because she failed to feed fifty people
on five potatoes"
The witness said that man named Pat
Nado was cruelty beaten. She said She
looked through the crack in the partition
and saw him suffering. She denied that
for four months she was violently insane
She denied that she ever requested to go
back to the institution. but admitted hav-
ing paid visit there for the purpose of
securing evidence in order to have Mrs
Thauson taken to the Masonic Home at
Decoto.
DR.. Himmelsbach's Conduct.
In speaking of DR.. Himmelsbach she
said: