Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-05-30
INSANE ASYLUM SCANDAL.
Gaad Jury Invsstlg gatlng, 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-
tion by the board Of trustees. The fol.
lowing statement has been issued by
the board:
''The hoard 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-
dation. They also recommended that
the medical superintendent, DR.. w. r.
Upton, be instructed to discharge the
assistant physician. DR.. Da Costa
oigned.-Jefferson Reynolds, Pres;
NJ. 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 manaeement as perfect.
ly satisfactory. Tie optic states that
representatives OF the paper made a
thorough investigation and did not
find conditions a. represented. On the
other hand, the Las Vegas Advertiser
repeats Its charges. and says that a
complete Investigation by that paper
has substantiated every charge made.
1t quotes . number OF employees IN sup
port Of It's statementA, =. The Advertls.
er claims to have In Its possession the
gag that was used and says 1t 10 blood
stained. DIR. 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 DR.
Da Costa has seemed TO be responsible
for the charges, has rather tended "a
weaken them. His military record in
the territory shows that no has tried
to push himself forward without re
gard to the rigths OF others He was
commissioned captain of the company
Of infantry In Las Vegas and three
days after his commission was issued
wrote to Colonel Borradaile, command
ing the regiment, asking that he be ap
pointed major. The letter was sent tc
headquarters and reply was sent thai
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. Soor
afterwards his resignation was SEN
In and when 1t was about to be accept
ed, was withdrawn. Later Captain Ds
Costa did resign and the resignation
was accepted. He was an unsuccess
full applicant for appointment on the
territorial board OF healtl, on the Las
Vegas armory board and on the gov
ernors stasi. He again made applica
ton for commission as captain. snd the
exigencies Of the situation caused shs
application to be granted. His resigna
tion Of this commission is now at head
quarters, but no action has been taker
on II. His appointment as assistant
medical director was made by DR.. Tip
ton.
Governor Otero has not had ary re
ply to his communication in regard tc
the charges.