Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-06-30

Ella Schlott, Miss Kate Ground. r j.
Gehring, Manuela Chavez de Jaramil.
Ilo, Cornelia Galindro, Virginia Macs.
itas and others.
That the body Of one Mary Leonard,
a patient, was opened by DR.. Mohlau.
with the consent OF DR. Upton. the
medical superintendent, the object for
ldoing so being to ascertain whether
or not the patient was pregnant, and
lalso TO have an articulated skeleton
in the institution for scientific pur-
poses. The flesh of the body was re-
moved, placed in a soap box and bur.
led in the graveyard of .he institution.
The bones We're placed by DR. Moh-
au in barrel Water was placed in
this barrel for some time. but event
lually the bones and the barrel were
forgotten and no more water was put
In II, and finally the barrel itself went
to pieces for the want Of water. the
bones fell to the ground and patient
seeing them threw them over the
fence surrounding the institution. One
DR.. Da Costa who was then acting as
assistant superintendent, found these
bones about two months ago--a period
OF about three years after they were
first placed in barrel Two of the
members Of the board OF directors OF
the asylum then picked the bones up
In this instance of Mary Leonard
lsrcat carciessness was shown both in
the medical superintendent, who had
knowledge of this matter. and in the
other employees, who being on the
grounds daily, could by very little ef-
fort almost none at alD have discov-
Tered the human bones of this unfor-
ltunate woman, who. at least, was en-
TITLED to have her bones covered by
mother earth.
In the DR.. Mohlau matter the cvi-
ldence shows in effect the same facts
las are found by the majority of the
committee.
That the medical superintendent
lMr w. r. Upton, stands high as a
man and a citizen, as well as a physi
Ician. and has almost as good knowl
ledge of the Spanish language as he
has Of the English
That the medical superintendent
had no knowledge OF the unusual, cru
lei and inhuman treatment visited
upon the patients by the inferior EN-
|ployes Of the institution. as hereinbe
fore set forth, and the evidence fur
, lther shows that In one or two instan
ices, where such came to his knowl
ledge, the culprits were either dis
Icharged or reprimanded; except in the
Mary Leonard case, where 1t was
shown that he had knowledge Of tha
/ matter.
In view Of the above facts, ant
OF the evidence adduced on investi
Igati0n, am forced 10 conclude tina
, the institution is susceptible to a grea
deal Of improvement, and, In my opin
ion, the change that would have NOR,
satisfactory results would be pro
Iyision for the payment Of the super
intendent Of a salary sufficient to just
: ify him and require him to devote hi
time exclusively to the management
! of the insane asylum. BY being con
4 tinuously In the institution, instead o
about three hours daily that he nov
! attcnds he would be more apt TO dis
e cover the inefficiency Of his inferio
] emplOyes and their mismanagemen
OF the detail work Of the institution
!, II such occur.
do not think, as the majority o
4 the committee believe, that the en-
ployment Of an assistant superintend
+ lent to reside permanently at the asy
0 Ilum would produce the desired resul,
Q for the reason that an assistant, tn
!. same as other employees, not havin
r the full responsibility OF the manage
J. ment of the institution, is apt to gro,
$ Indifferent and negligent.
VI Respectfully submitted,
J. Nv. CHAVEZ