The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-06

Faxon Bishop was foreman,
made it's report yesterday as
follows and was discharged:
Hon. A. S. Humphreys, First Judge,
circuit Court, First Judicial District
territory of Hawaii.
Sir:-The Grand Jury empanelIed and
sworn before you on the 4th' of Feb
ruary current, have concluded their
duties and beg to render the following
final report:
Fiftyfive cases have been brought
before this jury by the Attorney Gen
erals Department resulting in the
finding of true bills in thirty-one cases
no action taken in two cases, and no
bllls in twenty-five cases as shown by
the clerks record of our proceedings
marked Exhibit ID" and attached
hereto.
We have made Investigation in ac-
cordance with your honor's charge. as
the following will show:
INSANE ASYLUM.
The Grand Jury have visited the In
Stitution and inspected the entire prem
ises and the buildings in use. The total
number of patients at the present time
in the asylum is $50.
The building known as Ward No g.
is in very bad condition and quite
beyond repair. The other buildings are
a building erected for some other pur-
pose, but pressed into service owing to
the want of room
The water-closet accommodations at
the asylum are of the most primitive
order, being nothing more O., less than
Did fashioned privies with opaa vaults,
and it may be said in passing that #
the authorities would exercise the same
care in this respect that they exact
from individuals and tax payers as to
sanitary plumbing, no comment would
be necessary.
The Grand Jury ascertain that an ap-
preparation of $4,000 was made by the
Council of State in the early part of
1900, from current funds, for new build
ings at the asylum, and if this amount
were available, adequate quarters
could be provided in frame structures,
but unfortunately the funds of the
Government have been so depleted by
reason of the plague and other causes.
that no funds are available for this
purpose.
At the present time the Woman's
ward is made to accommodate thirty
one persons, while there are rooms for
but nineteen, hence the necessity OF
putting two patients in one room,
which is most undesirable.
The woman's ward should also have
facilities for washing clothes. All or
the wards should be fitted with some
automatic device whereby all the cells
or rooms can be thrown open at once
in case of fire. This can now be done
in the woman's ward, but IN none of
the others.
The Grand Jury specially condemn
and severely criticize the action of the
authorities in establishing the stone
blasting and crushing plant within say
100 yards of the asylum building, and
upon land SET aside as the asylum res
ervation, and it seems strange and re-
al III tIat fe, Gil Nc
for selecting this location for the pur-
pose named, did not Immediately see
that it would be most undesirable for
the unfortunate inmates of the asylum.
The Grand Jury believe it is gener
ally an accepted fact that what is most
needed by the insane is absolute rest
and quiet, and this jury can testify
| that the continual roar or the stone
crusher is most trying Casting as 1t
| does through the entire day. to the or
binary person, while the blasting that
| is done at intervals is always startling.
| and must be terrifying to persons suf-
| fering from alterations Of the mind.
In our opinion the stone crushing
plant should be peremptorily removed
| from the vicinity, even at large cost
| and much trouble, as we believe that
| the unfortunates of-the asylum are en-
titled to every possible chance, facility
1 and remedy to recover, which we be-
| lieye Is denied them in large measure
! so long as the roar of the stone crush
! er and explosions in blasting are con-
| tinued in the immediate vicinity.
This Grand Jury believe that more
! recoyeries would be made We're the
| Government to employ resident phy-
! stefan, a specialist if possible, whose
entire time could be given to the study
! and treatment of the inmates OF the
asylum. This belief is founded on the
fact that all State and Territorial
& -nci1n nh
/ as being logical argument. Much would
/ depend upon the person selected 10 Ill
, such a position. DR.. Herberts admin
! istration of Superintendent of the Asy
lum is most efficient and pralseworthy,
and it could easily be possible TO nave
n resident" less satisfactory IN re-
suits and management than the pres
ent nonresident superintendent
IT is true that with the class OF in
mates to be and at present handled AT
the asylum, the physician IN cnarSe
is handicapped as compared with the
institutions of the kind elsewhere IN
the United States. Antecedents, ram
ii1y history and the questions of hered-
itv are facts absolutely unascertan-
able in 90 per cent of the people VINO
inmate our aSylum-a cosmopolitan
throng of unfortunates unknown &c
any one up to the day they come up &c
claim public wardship on account OF
tbeir deplorable condition, many OF
whom are unable to make themselves
understood in English.
The Grand Jury believe and recon-
mend that there should be halfway
station between the committing HIS
istrate and the wards or the asylum
and heartily concur in the recommen
dation of the superintendent, DR.. Her
bert that a receiving-house be estap
Iished where new corners can be helt
in probation until it is established &c. be
|
insane before being subjected 10 thu
. strain of surroundings in the ASYLUM
Itself. There is ample room, and SUN
ciantlv remote, on the asylum reserVa
tion for such receiving station
s! The system OF records, the care