The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-09
AMBR0SE-PEARCE CASES
No Intimation That They Were Not
Insane Men,
ONLY TWO INtBRIATes IN HOSPITAL
Others Supposed TO be There as Patients Were
Sent Under Commitments Tor Lunacy
or Direct Cause Of insanity
Named.

Name0.
In view of publications concerning the
admission of two men, Mike Cosgrove
and Ambrose Pearce, to the State Hos
pital here, and which by its language in
Dictated that the officials of the coun-
ty whom they harrassed by their vio-
lence We're hoaxed, reporter yesterday
investigated the matter of the commit
ments to the Hospital and it's condition
with reference to receiving patients.
The stir these men caused in Wake
county Jail few days ago is fresh in the
public mind. Mike Cosgrove, an Irish
man about fifty years old. who was
laborer at the Catholic orphanage was
raVing. He tore his clothes from his
body, cut himself in many places with
the jagged piece of tin cup and pulled
out pieces of hair and mustasche by the
roots. Ambrose Pearce, arrested in a de-
mented condition during the Firemen's
Tournament, and as violent as could be
was the second raving inmate The
two men made day and night hideous by
their outcrfes and conduct and were in
an acute state of insanity.
After being in Jail for some time they
were transferred to the State Hospital.
Application for admission of the men to
this institution had been made and one
of the officials of the county gave out
the information that the reply that there
was no room for them had come from
the State Hospital
In order to find the condition of the
Hospital reporter yesterday made an
investigation of the commitment book of
Wake county, in which are recorded the
cases sent to the State Hospital 1t was
found that Ambrose Pearce had been adj
judged as a lunatic by DR.. l.. b. Young,
of Rolesville, and that DR.. A. w. Good
win, of Raleigh, had pronounced Mike
Cosgrove to be a lunatic, and that these
two men had been received as lunatics
at the State Hospital.
The records in the case show that room
had been made for Pearce and Cosgrove
by transferring two of the harmless in
mates of the Hospital to the County
Home. One of the men transferred has
been in the Hospital for eighteen and
half years, and the only attention that
he requires is that of having some one to
put on his clothes and wash him. The
receipts from the State Hospital showed
that Pearce and Cosgrove had been adj
mitted because Of acute insanity.
A further examination of the books Of
record shows that no one, of late years,
has been admitted to the Hospital for
fnebriety, but that the cause in each
case investigated was for lunacy. One
case admitted as a lunatic, is marked
discharged as an inebriate." Under the
laws of 1899 inebriates could be admitted
to the Hospital, but this had to be under
the commitment of the Clerk of the
Court, and must be for period not less
than three months. This law admitting
ihebriates was repealed in the General
Assembly of 1901, and for the State none
are now admitted.
The officials of the county in speaking
OF the Ambrose and Pearce cases yes
terday, were indignant at the imputation
cast upon them of having been hoaxed in
the matter, and the notice of the recep-
ton of these men at the Hospital on ac-
count of acute insanity was shown as a
refutation.
A visit was next made to the State
Hospital and an interview was held with
the Superintendent, DR.. James Mckee.
He was asked if the Executive Commit
tee as a body had intended the state
ment published concerning Ambrose and
Pearce, to make the impression created.
NO said DR.. Mckee, when they
read it they were amused at the tone
given to it. 1t was not their purpose to
intimate that the men were not insane.
The members of the committee went into
the wards, and one of the attendants
called their attention to the men who had
been raving in Wake county Jail. who
were then quiet. Pearce stated that he
had carried on as he had in order to get
there"
: what about Pearce?"
1'Oh, he has been in the hospital be-
fore, and had been discharged
''And Cosgrove?"
ST was called on by Father Price some
time ago about Cosgrove whom he told
me was crazy. 1 heard that these men
were creating trouble in Wake county
Jail and for the sake of humanity I want
ed to take them, but there was no room
we had 1856 beds and 1876 inmates"
= 'How did you make room for them?"
ST first notified the officials that there
was one man here who could be trans
ferred to the County Home. That was
when Cosgrove was the only one seeking
admission. For some time I had no re-
ply, but finally request was made to
admit the men. I found that 1 could send
two harmless patients to the Home. In
fact, submitted a list of six names from
which two could be taken and finally two
were transferred and the men from the
Jail brought here"
eff you were able to transfer two men
is it not possible to get rid of many others
in the Hospital and make room for ur-
gent cases in the jails"
mot under the law, as we understand
it. AT present we do not have to re-
ceive harmless idiots here, but that was
required at one time If the law which
ftopped this can be construed as retro
active, then we can get rid of number
of harmless cases here, but We do not
so understand it,
There is said to be number of ine-