The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-10

/ to make the acquaintance OF the dlleiic-
ants Mason is graduate Of the State
| University, and he considered the attend
| ants a low order of men with whom he
| did not care to associate.
Mason said that he would not perform
| the duties of attendant nor could he ever
bear to watch them. but on the other
hand he did not seem to blame the at
| teudants for striking patients when the
| patients were unruly. When asked why
he never reported instances of brutality
which came under his notice. he said:
If no permanent injury was done to
the patients 1 don't think any harm was
done. The patients do not remember
about such things. The only way TO do
that 1 can see is TO beat them. l wouldn't
do it myself. and 1 wouldn't stay to see
it done. but when there are only two or
three attendants TO look after forty or
fifty of those fellows, they are up against
it."
do the attendants try to keep the
patients in fear OF them?" he was asked.
Yes. and / don't see how they could
do anything otherwise. That is the only
way they could manage them with so
few attendants and so many patients"
USED THEIR FISTS
did the attendants ever hit the pa
tents with their fsts?"
Yes, or if it would hurt their fists too
much, they would take club. I have
heard that in the women's wards they
would take wet towel and choke the
patients, but 1 never saw anything of
that kind
The instances of brutality which Mason
especially objected to We're those which
were entirely wanton-where the patients
were unofending. In telling of these in
stances, he said:
II had been fixing light in one of the
wards of the detached building when one
Of the attendants called to me and said
that he had something funny 10 show me-
l went down and they had an old man
who had gone insane from the bite of
dog. He was strapped to bench and
the attendants We're amusing themselves
by striking him on the face and head At
every blow he would growl and snap like
a dog. They told me that he would some
times froth at the mouth. but this he
did not do the day I saw him.
KICKED A PATIENT
Mason also told of big negro whom
the attendants would strike on the head
just TO show how much he could stand.
Another instance was when an attendant
Gibson kicked a patient for trying TO go
through door out of his ward. Super
intendent Biddle saw this and gave the
attendant twenty-five demerit marks. At
another time an attendant threw an egg
at a patient and struck the patient on
the head.
DO you remember any other abuses?'
Mason was finally asked.
4 remember the case of a painter
named Dickinson. who used to be out
there he replied. He was drunk a good
share of the time and was rough with
the three patients whom he had to help
him, but the patients did not remember,
so it didn't hurt them anyway. Dickin-
son was fired two or three times, but
each time some influential friend-poli-
ticians, / suppose-got him back.
Since 1 have mentioned the subject of
politics" Mason went on to explain, Il
would say that the institution is not alto
gether political. If a good man who be-
longs TO other than the dominant party
should apply for job, believe he would
get 1t, notwithstanding his politics. If
the wages were sufficient to attract good
men, 1 think the institution would prob
ably be all right. AS it is the attendants
are generally of n low order of men, or
are little more than boys who have no
Judgment. No one else would do that
work for the pay that is given
70 he -
testify without being subpoenaed and |
some of the members of the committee
questioned him closely as to his motive |
in doing so.
Il was afraid" he replied, that |
might be subpOensed when i: would not |
be convenient for me 90 come. am en- |
ployed by the Telephone company 1T |
Lawrence and I had to come to Topeka |
today anyway. A friend of mine saw in |
the Topeka State Journal that 1 was TO |
be subpoenaed as a witness, and |
thought I would rather come while I was /
up than to have to return when it might |
not be convenient for me-"
J. z. Shaffer, who was a patient in the |
hospital for a shirt time last year, also |
testified. He is the first ex-patient to do /
So He lives ten mileas east Of Topeka. |
just over the county line into Douglas |
county. He was sent to the asylum on /
May 10 1902. but was paroled on July 10, /
and afterwards given a discharge.
What ward were you imp he was |
asked.
Ward l." he replied.
'Who We're the attendants?"
collins and Petit
Did you ever have any trouble with |
them?"
mo. did not"
Did you ever seen any trOuble?"
Yes. I saw Petit have trouble with I
a patient?"
What was it?''
"A patient was hopping one day and /
he did not walk fast enough to suit Pet /
tit and Petit threw him up against the 1
furniture"
TURNED IN HOT WATER
Shaffer also said that the patients We're I
allowed TO mistreat one another. On one /
occasion a patient named Jake Lutho (
put big fat patient into bath tub, and 4
turned on the hot water. Lutho got
bloody ear" as result and the water
pipes were torn loose in the melee which l
followed so that the water had to he 1
turned off the building FOR a half day /
while they We're being repaired.
When asked as TO why he was sent to /
the asylum. Shaner said:
My wife is much opposed to church
work while I am a Christian. and she .
swore to the complaint against me- for
insanity. l never was insane. Ny wife (,