The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-10-25
GRAND JURY
FINDS MUCH
TO CONDEMN
Transition Period
Prisoners Are
ID Indicted.

"A brought in its final report yes
terday afternoon. The report is COM
plete 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. r. H.. October "a, 1901
Honorable George d. Gear, Second Judge
Circuit Court, First judicial District
Territory of Hawaii:
Sir-The grand jury duly empaneled
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, the evidence adj
duced was not deemed sufficient to war
rant convictions on the respective charg-
preferred.
Pursuant to the general instructions
contained in your charge. the grand jury
has seen fit to inquire into the conduct
of various Territorial institutions. as well
as into the administration of certain
functions of the Board of Health and of
the Department of Pubic 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 9TH, at half
past one o'clock The jury met by
the recently appointed superintendent.
Dr. II. 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-
en-. 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,
stands large stone-crushng plant,
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 bins, whence II is hauled off as need
ed by the Street Commissioner.
The continuous rattle of the revolving
screens is distressing to many of the pa
tents, and the blasting of the rock is
not only an additional cause of disturb
l,,,, ,tYa..., ,.a,.
to the life and property within the asy-
lum enclosure.
The jury was shown several places
where stones had fallen buildings
with sufficient force to bend the iron
roofing. and in one of the wards II rock
had evidently plunged through the roof
TO the main floor below. To minimize
the danger to the patients, warnings are
given before each blast, and all are mud
died under cover until the blasting is
over. The plant, though stopped for II
while past by orders from the Board OF
Health has started up again, and we
would earnestly recommend that further
blasting be prohibited, and that the
crushing plant itself be removed from the
asylum grounds and their vicinity. The
buildings of the asylum are one story
frame affairs, and consist of six wards
for patients, an administration building.
a cottage for the captains of the guard.
another for the guards, one for the wom-
en- attendants or nurses. and small
dead house morgue. The wards or
SormitorieS consist of rooms with bare
floor and 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
laid upon the floor, as there are not
enough bedsteads to accommodate all the
patients. Yet in some cases 1t is re-
garded advisable to limit the furnishings
TO Il mattress, pillow and quilt.
Ward number one known as the vo-
lent ward, consists of eighteen cells. all
occupied. Its ventilation should be i'm
proved.
Ward number six has twenty cells.
which are poorly ventilated, and eight
of them are without cots, mattresses be-
ing placed on the floor. Eighteen cells
are available and there are seventeen
men in the ward. The roof of this ward
has been punctured by a rock from the
quarry blast. Ward number two Is the
oldest ward in the asylum, being built
in 1856. 1t Is in bad state of repair,
and though as We We're told 1t has been
condemned three times by different grand
jures, il Is still crowded by occupants,
there being thrty-seven in its one large
room, all of which are in use. Its floors
and porches and foundations are decayed
and the building Is unfit for its present
occupancy. In this bu.luing are the
mems dining room and the general
kitchen from which the meals of the
women patients are carried to them in
baskets. and are eaten by them on the
grass in fair weather, and otherwise on
their ward porches, as their ward dining
room has been turned Into dormitory.
owins2to the crowded condition of their
quarters.Sl So ~
The general kitchen is furnished with a
good range but otherwise its equipment
is primitive, there being no steam-tabie
any of the improved cooking appll-
ances usually found in similar institu-
tons In other states and territories of
the Union. The utensils are old and bad
~ worn, and for drinking cups the pa
tients use old tomato cans, there being