The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-06
THE WATER CURE.
CONTINUED from FIRST pare.1

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dep s = - 81
mo, I was never told that it was
my duty to report anything"
How was the water administered
how was the sprinkling done2"
"A pan Of water was brought and the
water was sprinlzled from that or al
lowed to drip into the patients face. -
How fast did it drip"
Oh, sometimes fast and sometimes
Did the patient try to set up?''
of course
How would she be managed?"
She had to be held down.
How often did this happen?'
Very often
Did anyone do this besides Miss
Houston? ''
mo, she was the only one 1 ever saw
do it."
You say that Miss Houston also
slapped the patients?"
Yes, sir
Mrs. Shermans testimony was very
unsatisfactory, as she seemed deter
mined not to tell anything If possible
the sorting room of the laundry the
room where the clothing was sorted at
ter washing. She testified that she re-
membered seeing difficulties between
patients and attendants, but could re-
member no circumstances nor any
specific instances.
She supposed the difficulties happened
when the patients We're unruly and
would not work. The management, she
said, she thought was severe with the
patients, because the work was very
hard. She had been dismissed because
her work had not been satisfactory.
Were the attendants severe with the
patients2" she was asked
We'll, if they were.'' she said, I sup
pose they had to be because there was
so much work to be done and they had
to have the patients help
Were the patients compelled to
work?"
Yes. suppose they were.''
There has been some question as to
whether the legislative committee will
be able to draw any money from the
state treasury to cover the expense of
the investigation, but all doubts seem to
have been disDelled by a clause in the
! last legislative appropriation bill which
was passed which was different from
the preceding ones. The bill provides
that in addition to being for the regular
expenses Of the legislature the appro-
priation shall be for general expenses
incident to the regular session of the
legislature of 1903" The legislature by
Joint resolution directed that the ex-
penses of the legislative investigation
shall be paid out of the appropriation
for legislative purposes, and this lnves'
LEGATION by a legislative committee is iD-
cidental to the session of the Legislature
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The first witness in the asylum in
vestigati0n who acknowledged knowing
anything of harsh treatment of patients
by attendants was Albert Z. johnson,
now a motorneer in the employ of the
street railway company, but who was
for several months an attendant in the
Topeka asylum about two years ago. He
testified that the attendants frequently
beat the unruly patients to compel them
to obey, but that such actions We're
rarely reported TO superintendent Bid
die. On the contrary, il any marks were
left on the patient which had to be ex-
planned, it was told that the patient had
fallen and hurt himself.
JohnsOn's idea seemed to have been
that this sort of treatment was neces-
sary in order to control the patients.
you've got to let a crazy person know
you are boss,'' he explained He said
this was not considered bad treatment
by the attendants and they usually
shielded one another from the manage
ment of the institution. When instances
of mistreatment of patients came TO the
knowledge of superintendent Biddles
the attendant committing the ofrenSe
was generally discharged. Johnson said
he was discharged for staying out too
late one night.
IN cases where attendants were dis
charged for i'll treatment of patients,
what was the cause?' he was asked.
Hitting too hard. guess he replied.
when an attendant was subdulng
particularly obstreperous patient and he
finally landed him on the floor, he sone-
times took occasion to give him a good
poke, did he?" -
.1es'
How many instances of this kind OF
treatment get to the head of the insti-
Wen, I don't know. but lots OF
them
would an attendant who became too
off1cious and seemed too anxious to re
port these little affairs fall into disfayor
with the Others?'
We'll, rather
Were the patients made to work?"
In case they showed an inclination
to object you talked with them pretty
straight l suppose2"
Yes, or gave them a left handler"
Did YOU do this %
yes. and so did the other attend
ants"
Hit me as hard as you did the pa
tients,'' said Representative jerks OF
the investigating committee.
No" said Johnson, I would not hit
sane person that hard"
Did Mr.. Hall, the supervisor, ever see
any of this?"
yes. he saw it, and if we hit pa
tient a little too hard he reprimanded
US Whenever we did use force we
tried to hit patient where it would not
hurt them much-in the body"
Did the blows cause the patients
much pain2s
mo, l think not"
Didn't they complaint"
Some of them did. if they had sense
enough
How would they complaint
.'Oh, cry and beg US to stop"
You thought this necessary to handle
patient?"
Yes
7 suppose if one blow did not bring
about the desired result, the dose was
reDeated?"
Yes
What kind of a report would be made
of an occurrence of this kind?"
Well if an investigation was made
-ITY TO NATURE.