Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-05-27
INSANE ASYLUM SCANDAL.
Grand Jury Investigating, Regardless
Of Report Of Board.
Or. DA COSTA MAKES CHARGES.

The charges made against the man
agement of the Territorial Hospital
for the Insane at Las Vegas. have
been declared to be without founda-
ton by the board of trustees. The fol
lowing statement has been issued by
the board:
THE board of the New Mexico In
sane Asylum carefully investigated all
the charges of mismanagement and
inhuman treatment of patients at the
asylum, and find them without foun-
dalton. They also recommended that
the medical superintendent, DR.. w. r.
T1pton, be instructed to discharge the
assistant physician, DR.. Da Costa.
Signed.-Jefferson Reynolds. Pres;
M. Brunswick, sec'y.; o. l.. Gregory,
Thomas Ross"
DIR. A. r. Da Costa, who was assist
ant superintendent, and from whom
the charges seem to have eminated,
has renewed them Notwithstanding
the finding of the board and the grand
jury of San Miguel county entered in
to an investigation of them on Satur-
day.
The Las Vegas Optic on Saturday
evening printed complete and long
statements from each member of the
board. sustaining the management
and expressing the belief that the
charges of cruelty were without found
alton and accepting the explanation of
others by the management as perfect
ly satisfactory. The Optic states that
representatives of the paper made a
thorough investigation and did not
find conditions as represented. On the
other hand, the Las Vegas Advertiser
repeats its charges and says that a
complete investigation by that paper
has su~bstantiated every charge made.
1t quotes a number of employees in sup
port of its statements. The Advertis-
er claims to ave in it's possession the
gag that was used and says it is blood
stained. DR.. Da Costa has been dis
missed and both sides are still as firm
in the position occupied for or against
the management.
In official circles. the fact that DIR.
Da Costa has seemed to be responsible
for the charges, has rather tended to
weaken them. His military record in
the territory shows hat he has tried
to push himself forward without re-
gard to the rights of others. He was
commissioned captain of the company
of infantry in Las Vegas Inc three
days after his commission was issued.
wrote to Colonel Bo~rradaile, command
ing the regiment, asking that he be APP
pointed major. The letter was sent to
headquarters and a reply was sent that
in event of a vacancy, there were 9TH
er captains who had long been in the
service and whose claims were
entitled to prior consideration. Soon
afterwards his resignation was SEN
in and when it was about to be accept
ed, was withdrawn. Later Captain Da
Costa did resign and the resignation
was accepted. He was an u~nsuccess-
full applicant for appointment on the
territorial board of health, on the Las
Vegas armory board and on the gov
ernor's staff. He again made applica-
ton for commission as captain, and the
e~xigencies of the situation caused the
application to be granted. His resigna.
ton of this commission is now at head
quarters, but no action has been taken
on 1t. His appointment as assistant
medical director was made by DR.. Tip
ton.
Governor Otero has not had any re
ply to his communication in regard tC
the charges.