The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-02
The GRAND JURY
JUDGES INSTRUCTIONS AGAINST
"LUNACY COMMISSION TRUST"
The job Ross Case i'm Judge Leath-
ers'y Court To-Day-The Dis
pensary Physicians.

All IlNcSliedti0u II IL lbioNS
sion evil is to be made by the Marion
county grand jury. When the grand jury
went into session yesterday morning, Judge
Afford, OF the Criminal Court, gave the fol-
lowing instructions:
II instruct you, gentlemen, rigidly 10 in
quire into the charges that illegal methods
have been employed in conducting lunacy
inquests in this county. II you find that
any person has testified before a commits
sion TO circumstance about which he had
no personal knowledge. or misrepresented
any vital points. or falsifed. that would
constitute perjury, and would be sufficient
ground for Indictment. But IL you find that
mere opinions that certain persons are
mentally unbalanced have been advanced.
though IL may be at variance with the real
facts in the case. it would not be your prov
ince TO return charges into this court. Also,
l instruct you to investigate the charges of
Irregularities in conducting the inquests."
The investigation of the alleged lunacy
commission trust will be made Immediately
after the Jail cases are disposed of. Prose-
cutor Ruckelshaus says that the instruc-
tions of the court will be carried out. Yes
terday subpoenas were issued for a number
of the employees of Kingan & Co, for wit
nesses in the habeas corpus petition for the
release of John Ross from the insane hos
pital, that is to be heard by Judge Leath-
ers. OF the Superior Court. to-day. 1t is
also said that several have been summoned
to appear before the grand jury to give tes-
timony regarding lunacy commissions.
These are witnesses. The name of Justice
of the Peace Lockman was in a number of
subpoenas issued yesterday. 1t is said that
the physicians at the City Dispensary will
also be summoned 10 appear before the
grand jury and testify.
A NOTABLE DECREASE.
Since so much has been said about the
methods of insanity commissions there has
been a noticeable decrease in the number
of "sittings." Not one case was recorded
yesterday, although il is said that hot
weather is conducive of insanity. and yes
terday and Sunday were the two hottest
days of this year. The fund appropriated
for lunacy commissions by the County
Council has been exhausted, but the COM
missions were held just the same. for the
county will have the fees 10 pay and the
deficiency will be made up by an appro-
priation at the next session of the Council.
Justice Lockman recently brought suit
against the county for fees for holding in
sanity commissions, and a decision was
made in his favor. This set a precedent,
and no matter If the funds appropriated
the commissions may be held and the fees
will have to be paid by the county.
Another feature of insanity commissions
that is proving TO be almost as repulsive
as some of the inquestS when subjects are
GdJudged insane, are those when a decision
is not returned against the person on
whom the commission is sitting" Many
persons are said to have been subjects
OF a commission who have never known it,
fhaN hainO nm nnrTOh RI na
being adjudged insane. Nevertheless. q
record stands against them. showing that
they have been before the commission
and questioned as to their sanity. The af-
idavits of insanity are usually made out
before the commission sits, and the work
of completing the process before a JUS
tice of the peace Is generally accomplished
in a very short time. Frequently three
and four commissions are held in one fore
noon with time 10 spare. II has been no
ticed in some cases tina the principal work
of the justice of the peace in holding in
quests was to look over and ratify the af-
hdavits. sign his name and later collect
his fee.
INTERNEs CRITICISED.
The activity of the Dispensary physicians
in insanity commissions has brought criti-
cism upon the internes from another
source. 1t is said that the internes have
patients able TO hire physicians, and yet
they receive medical attention from the
city free of charge. The Dispensary physi-
clans are called to wait upon many persons
and keep them as patients. making regular
calls, when they are amply able to employ
a physician. Complaint has been made by
doctors not in the Dispensary that the in
ternes are getting much Of the business
that properly belongs to them. There are
also many persons who go to the Dispen-
sary for medicine who are able 10 purchase
II at drug stores. and II Is doled out TO
them free of charge. Often well-dressed
people, apparently well-to-do. are seen
waiting for medicine in the hall adjoining
the Dlspensary. Whoever comes is served.
and persons who need a physician are fur
nished one for the asking.
Regarding the attitude of the -oung
physicians IN insanity commissions, DR..
Frank Morrison. president of the Board OF
Health. says that the board may take up
the matter IL the charges made against the
internes are sustained In court or by the
grand jury. The internes are appointed by
competitive examination, but the board has
the power of removal. DR.. Morrison says
the board will exercise this power IL neces-
sary.
The other evening a practicing physician
who has had experience at the city Dispen-
sary said that when the boys got behind
with n board bill or had .. little debt
against them they went over n list OF pa
tients they have In the Dispensary. held an
insanity inquest, got the fee for services
and the subject was sent TO the insane hos
pital or acquitted.
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