The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-11
OUTRAGEOUS.
Aged Patient Nearly Killed at
Bedweil Asylum.
Jacob Rhynerson, 93 Years Old,
Is the Victim.
SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Suffering With Broken Rib and
External Bruises.
Doctors Say He Is Also Injured
Internally.
STORY is REVOLVING.
Says Attendant Pounded and
Kicked Him.
Face is Disc0lored and Mass OF
Bruises.
Suit Will Be Commenced Against
the Institution.
STORY is REVOLVING.
Says Attendant Pounded and
Kicked Him.
Face is Disc0lOred and a Mass of
Bruises.
Suit Will Be Commenced Against
the Institution.

The Bedwell asylum should be sup
pressed in the name of humanity The
most recent outrage reported from that
institution is the brutal and perhaps
fatal pounds of a feeble old man. His
relatives say they will proceed against
the managers of the institution at once.
There Is crying need for summary ac-
ton
Jacob Rhynerson. feeble man, 9s
years old, was taken out or the BedWeH
private asylum which is situated near
the Topeka cemetery, Wednesday after
noon by his granddaughter. Mrs. Horace
Gooddell of Tecumseh. He tells story
of cruelty which is scarcely paralleled
even in the history of the private
asylums and, his appearance bears out
his stories.
Mr. Rhynerson has long been feeble
in health and mind There are times
when he has a complete lapse of memory
and at other times he is perfectly ra-
tfonal He lived with his daughter,
Mrs. Mary Warren near Tecumseh and
1t was never considered necessary tc
put him under restraint On Labor day
he got permission to come to Topeka
and while here he was found by the po-
lice wandering helplessly about the
streets. He did not know his name and
it was a day or two before he was
identified He was then taken before
Probate Judge Pagan and ordered COM
mitted to the asylum His relatives We're
willing that this should be done but
Mrs. Gooddell says she was told that
he would be sent to one of the state
hospitals for the insane Instead he was
committed to the BedweIl asylum
Then began a series of outrages
which might never have been known
had not Mrs H. d. Mossbarger of 222
Polk street, who is a friend of the fam
fly, gone out to visit the patient she
was astounded to find his face covered
with bruises. One eye was bruised and
swollen and the opposite side OF his race
was black and blue from his chin to his
forehead She dStOundod and Wlen
she inquired the cause was told that he
was a very bad patient
Mrs. Mossbarger lost no time in COM
municating with the relatives and Mrs
Gooddell on Wednesday secured an or
der for the removal of the aged patient
and she drove to the asylum and got
him. She was not allowed to go to his
room.
When Mr.. Rhynersan was seen by
State Journal reporter he seemed In
mortal terror that he would be killed
If he told what had happened at the
asylum His mind then appeared per-
fectly clear Il have never been treated
SO in my life said he. Several times
I thought they would kill me. Some
times they would hit me in the face
and then they would kick me. Yester-
day was in my room and no one would
come to let me out and / pounded on
the door a long time and then man
came in-I don't know his name-and
he kicked me here two three times"
and he put his hand to his side. And
/ thought they were going to kill me
and no one would come to help me- Oh,
have been treated shamefully and
there are other people there as bad of
as me-"
The appeal of the old man was pitiful
Tears streamed from his eyes as he
talked His appearance was worse than
can be told. His face was bruised and
discolored and his body was covered
with bruises
He was examined by DIR. r. E. Massey
= md hot ono of n fe r-fh
had been broken. DIR. Reed of Tecumseh
was called in today and said that in adj
dition to the broken rib the old man
was probably suffering from internal
Mrs. Gooddell says suit will be COM
menced against the asylum managers az
once.
MRS MOSSBARGER,S STORY.
Mrs. H D. Moss sbarger, of 222 Polk
street, has been a lifelong friend of
the Rhynersons. At the request of Mrs.
Goodde1. Mrs. Moss barger visited Bee
wells Tuesday morning for the purpose
of visiting .Grandpa' Rhynerson, and
to learn ii anything could be done for
his comfort.
When Mrs Mossbarger went out to
the private asylum she had not the
slightest suspicion of the real state OF
affairs Consequently the revelation
came as surprising shock Her re-
quests to see the old gentleman were
received with scant courtesy by the at
tendant who met her. The story of her
visit to the asylum is best told in her
own words
II went to the asylum Tuesday morn
Ing" she said, for the purpose of learn
ing If there was anything that could be
done to add to the comfort of Grandpa
Rbynerson. as he is called by all his
friends We had no idea he was being
mistreated, but simply wanted to pro-
vide for bis comfort il there was any
thing lacking. He has always been
used to comfortable things and we
w tad fr lrC
Tor which he wanted. / have known
Mr.. Rhynerson since was a little child
and before his wife died about a yeaE
ago believe I have never seen a more
happy couple.
When I first went to the asylum an
attendant asked me who I wanted tc
see. told him. and he said he did moi
know whether could see him or not
HE showed me into the office while ht
went away to learn whether I could
see Grandpa or not. He kept me wait
Ing for fifteen or twenty minutes before
ne returned and said he guessed could
see him and that he would bring him