The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-08

When asked as to why he was sent to
the asylum, Shaffer said:
My wife is much opposed to church
work. while ! am a Christian. and she
swore to the complaint against me for
insanity. I never was insane My wife
was mistaken. But I don't like to go
into our family affairs"
rs there anything else you know that
ought to be looked into?'' he was asked
well, DR.. Biddle never treated my
wife respectfully when she applied to
him for my discharge" he said Final
ly hired a lawyer, w I. Jamison. and
agreed to pay him $25 on the day l
should be discharged, and he got me out
very promptly. I think there was some
thing very peculiar about that, because
no reputable lawyer could do anything
for me. The statutes say very plainly
that the application of no patient for
discharge shall be considered until he
has been in the asylum six months.
DO you think other patients are kept
in the asylum wrongfully?" he was
asked.
yes, certainly. I think there are
lot of sane men out there in that asy-
lum. There is an Englishman out there
who has been there thirteen years, who
is not a citizen of this country, and
think he is perfectly sane"
J. L. McElroy, formerly sergeant on
the police force, has been head attend
ant on the first violent ward since Sep
tenber 9 of last year. He testified that
that there has been no violence used in
his ward. He has had cOnsidera bic ex-
perience in the care of the insane, hav-
ing been six years an attendant in an
asylum at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and
a short time in each of two Missouri
asylums. He said the management OF
the Topeka asylum is about on par
with the Mount Pleasant asylum and is
better than the other two In which he
served. His salary is $3.50 a month.
NO BROKEN BONES. -
Under a state law the unclaimed
bodies of insane who die in the asylums
can be turned over to medical colleges
for dissection. It had been reported to
some of the members of the AnVesti-
eating committee that broken bones
were found in some of the bodies which
have been turned over to the Kansas
Medical college. and DR.. S. A Johnson,
who is connected with the college, was
summoned to testify on this point DR..
Johnson testified that the report was
untrue and that no broken bones have
been found in bodies obtained from the
insane asylum.
DR. c. w. Myers. assistant physician
at the Topeka asylum, was questioned
with reference to the statement of Miss
Tella Knox that she had reDorted to
4 him the "sprinkling" of some of the
patients, and that he had replied that
it would do no good to report it to DR.
Biddle, as the latter had perfect conf
dence IN Miss Houston. the nurse who
administered the water cure" DR..
myers SdlO ne could not remember all
the details, nor what reply he had made
but he remembered that Miss Knox had
spoken Of some mistreatment of a pa
tient and that he had reported.
DR. Myers testimony was straight
forward and he seemed anxious to aid
the committee to learn the truth about
the institution. He said the attendants
are never instructed to use violence but
that everything possible is done to pre-
vent such things, but that things hap
pen in the wards which never reach the
knowledge of those in authority.
What is the condition out there
now?" asked Representative Campbell
7 believe everything is going along
all right now