The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-25
Transition Period
Prisoners Are
Indicted.
THE LEGISLATURE
IS CENSURED
Insane Asylum and Rock Crusher
Both Scored-PoIice
Commended.

A FTER over a months active ser
vice the Territorial Grand Jury
"A brought in it's final report yes
terday afternoon. The report is com
pIete and exhaustive and goes into de-
tail as to the Investigations made by
the jury during its long term of service.
The report follows:
Honolulu, Oahu, T. H., October "a, 1901.
Honorable George d. Gear, Second Judge,
Circuit Court, First Judicial District,
Territory of Hawaii:
Sir-The grand jury duly empanelled
and sworn and charged before you on the
18th day of September, 1901, having con-
cluded it's duties, begs to submit here
with the following general report:
The Deputy Attorney General has
~ brought to the attention of this grand
jury seventy-one cases, all of which have
been carefully considered and In forty
nine cases, true bills of Indictment have
been found and returned to your honor
able Court, and as to the balance Of the
cases, numbering twenty-five, no bills
have been returned, as the evidence adj
duced was not deemed sufficient to war
rant convictions on the respective charg-
es preferred.
contained in your charge, the grand jury
has seen fit to inquire into the conduct
of various Territorial institutions, as we'll
as into the administration of certain
functions of the Board of Health and of
the Department of Public Works, and in
connection Herewith, beg to report fur
Their as follows:
THE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE.
The visit of the grand jury to the Ter
ritorial Insane Asylum was made on
Monday afternoon, October 7th, al half
past one O'Clock. The jury met by
the recently appointed superintendent,
Dr. K. n. Malster, who is also resident
physician and accompanied by Mr.. Kill
by the assistant superintendent, proceed
ed to inspect the buildings and grounds
and methods of management as far as
the limited time at its disposal would
permit.
The location of the asylum is well chOs-
on, the summer heat being tempered by
cool winds from the nearby mountains
The grounds are well shaded and neatly
kept and the various buildings standing
detached about the lawn are also kept
in orderly condition, and the general APP
pearance of the institution is to be com
mended.
To the rear and mauka of the mems
wards though in the asylum grounds,
J..
owned by the Territory and operated by
the Department of Public Works. The
rock to feed the crusher is Quarried from
the adjacent hillside, being blasted in
large masses from the main ledge. and
reduced by subsequent blasting by giant
powder to the proper size for further
reduction by the crusher. After passing
through the machine. it is elevated and
screened into assorted sizes and stored
in iC off
ed by the Street Commissioner.
The continuous rattle of the revolving
screens is distressing to many of the pa
tients, and the blasting of the rock is
not only an additional cause of disturb
ance, but a source of imminent danger
to the life and property within the asy-
lum enclosure.
The jury was shown several places
where stones had fallen on buildings
with sufficient force to bend the iron
roofing, and in one of the wards Il rock
had evidently plunged through the root
- to the main floor below. To minimize
the danger to the patients, warnings are
given before each blast, and all are hudS
died under cover until the blasting is
over. The plant, though stopped for a
while past by orders from the Board OF
Health, has started up again, and We
Would earnestly recommend that further
hlaStlng be prohibited and that the
crushing plant itself be removed from the
asylum grounds and their vicinity. The
"u'idihSs OF the asylum are one story
frame affairs. and consist of six wards
LOT patients, an administration building,
a cottage for the captains of the guard
another for the guards one for the Worn-
en- attendants or nurses and small
dead house or morgue. Tho wards or
dormtorleS consist of rooms with bara
moor ana walls, called cells. which in fact
they are. They are usually furnished
with an iron springless cot and bedding.
though in many instances the mattresses
are laid upon the floor, as there arc not
enough bedsteads to accommodate all .bs
patients. Yet in some cases il is 70
sarded advisable to limit the FURNISHINGS
10 a mattress, pillow and quilt.
Ward number one, known as tho viz,
lent ward, consists of eighteen cells al
occupied. Its ventilation should he i'm.
proved
Ward number six has twenty cells
which are poorly ventilated. and eight
Of them are without cots, mattresses be
nS placed on the floor. Eighteen cell.
are available. and there are seventeen
isAmen in the ward. The roof of this war,
mas been punctured by rock from III,
quarry blast. Ward number two is tn,
o'ueSt ward in the asylum, being bull
~ lN>9. 1t is in a bad state of repair
lu though, as we were told. it has beer
deinned three times by different grand