Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-08-29
Evidence Points Toward Murder

Evidence Points Toward Murder.
Startling disclosures along new lines
were made at the investigation of the
Trenton Insane Asylum last Thursday and
continued on Friday. According to the
testimony of DIR. VIM. F. Jones, for eleven
years third assistant physician at the
Asylum, VIM. Funk, of Camden county,
admitted to the institution on June 10,
1900, died on the 2Sth of the same month
from injuries received at the hands of the
attendant named Frank Lesher, of Penn
sylvania In his testimony before the
committee on Friday, DIR. Jones testified
that William Funk was committed from
Camden county June 18. 1900, and died IN
the hospital nine days later. Funk, he
said, was man about so years OF age, five
feet ten inches in height, and weighed II
the neighborhood of $50 pounds. He was
fairly strong when he came to the hospital
and seemed to be in comparatively good
health although showing excuses ascribed
as the cause of his insanity.
Continuing his narrative, DIR. Jones said
that Funk died from asphyxation caused
by strangulation. Funk's death, DIR. Jones
asserted, was caused by Frank Lesher, ar
attendant from Pennsylvania, who after
ward admitted to him what he had done
Lesher, DIR. Jones said, told him that he
had struck Funk and knocked him down
because he refused to take the medicine
which he was endeayoring to give him.
| 81 told Dr. Ward, " said DR.. Jones, when
under examination, ''that patient hac
been badly injured by the attendant Lesher
who had strangled him."
"What did he say ~
''He sat down like wooden man anc
would not novel,
Ibid YOU 20 again to DR.. Ward ~
eyes, just before the man died.
ibid he come then ~
s'No."
"What did you say to him p
81 told him Funk was dying and asked
him to come and see him, because dldn'
want to take all the responsibility on my
shoulders.
| "Did DIR. Ward come at all %
'No he did not"
Dr. Jones said that Funk had been very
stubborn and that great difficulty had beer
found on several occasions in administering
to him the chloral or might medicine,
which had been prescribed for him.
"Did you find any marks on Funk 2
asked Judge Thompson.
Eyes, his neck was swollen almost twic
it's size. His neck, chest and shoulders wer
all black and blue and he was very badl,
bruised, having evidently been jumped
upon.
DIR. Jones then stated that he founC
Funk in very bad condition, so much 81
| that he feared for his life from the start
He had great difficulty in breathing ant
| l. r,,Illar &11l1 dOxul
the patients throat, which seemed to all
the respiration of the patient very much
He was also given a hypodermic injection.
DIR. Johnes took away Lesher's key ant
| told him not to come near the patlen
again. He then put George Astbury o
| Trenton, who was then an attendant, II
charge of the patent.
| DIR. Jones testified that DIR. Ward gave
certificate of burial in which the cause o
death was stated to be exhaustion owing
from nausea or dementia.
The testimony on this subject fill
several columns, and is conclusive that the
patient died of brutal treatment, and nj
investigation was ever made-the RECORD
even lacking intelligent detail.
The committee adjourned to meet again
on Monday.
Last Mondays investigations into Tren
ton Asylum management took a new turn
and the probe was inserted int
the source of obtaining supplies. Thu
True american summarizes the testimon.
in the following editorial =
The testimony published elsewhere show
that all of the clothing purchased by TIN
asylum was purchased from the sons ant
son-in-law of Manager Rice, and tina
Manager Rice, as one of the committee
audited all OF these bills. The committe,
did not go into the question of the con
nection of Manager Rice with the Ric'
Clothing Company, or with the Hui
CIothiers, but that was unnecessary, for thu
words of the asylum rules prevent tina
from being a material point.
The governing rule as to the fairness and
independence of managers are these.
II. No member of the board of manag
ers shall be accepted as bondsman for an.
officer, contractor or employee of the hos
pital Nor shall any relative of any
member of the board Of managers be EN-
ployed in the service of the State Hos
pitfalls, nor shall any Of the managers b
interested directly or indirectly in tn
purchase of any supplies or materials o
any kind for said hospitals.
No man can deny that Manager Rice hat
direct interest in the success of his rela
tives in their business, nor that the turnin,
of the sales of clothing first to his sons
| establishment and next to his son-in-la
was positive violation, in intention ant
effect, OF the provision of the law.
The coal supply was shown to have beer
thrown into the hands of Philadelphia
firm, and proper inquiry will develop tn
fact whether it was not so thrown by tn
orders of Manager Hoffman, and whether
Hoffman was and is the agent of the concerl
whose bill he has been auditing.
The Taylor Provision Company is shown
| to have furnished some small bills of sup
plies under their own name, as agent TO
some one else.
For the first days examination grea
progress was made in this branch of tn
case, and the important additional fact wa
elected that without any excuse or iustifi
cation the extravagant charges for clothing
was further swelled by an unlawful per
|