Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-06-01
MONDAY EVENING. JUNE /, 1908.
STATEMENT OF GRAND JURY.

We produce below the majority
statement OF the grand jury which
was made public by special bulletin
Saturday afternoon:
I'VE have found that hard, cruel
and unusual punishment has been
used and applied to patients OF the
insane asylum which is situated above
the town Of Las Vegas. N. NJ, and
we have, In various instances, found
that several of the inmates of the
said asylum have been forcibly put TO
hard labor, some of them as much as
thirteen hours a day.
I'VE recommend that spanish.speak,
ing employees be employed in said asy-
Ium, we further recommend that the
bodies of deceased persons of said
asylum be not destroyed as IL has
been done in the past.
I'VE also recommend future grand
jnries TO investigate abuses which ap.
pear 10 have been committed in said
asylum and that the investigation OF
the management Of said asylum, hav-
ing been taken from our hands, we
have declined further procedure Of
what has there occurred.
"Sighed: Rafael %tiallegos. Jose T.
Ramirez, Gerardo Flores. Jose NJ
,chasas, Jos, r.. Rinera, N~eponleeeno
Madrff, Macrdonio Mdntoya. Pablo y
Arlnijo. Elias Naranjo, Jose e. Ala
con, IA. Macs
Six members Of the jury state that
while only evidence tending 70 sup
port the charges was introduced, i
no single instance was a charge q
cruelty rejecting on The management
substantiated. In isolated case
where incompetent suhordinates ha'
been guilty of an act of cruelty the.
had been Immediately discharged.
After the grand jury has spent tire
days IN hearing Witnesses withot
finding evidence sufficient 10 justin,
a criminal indictment. the legal poin
HAS raised that the bodyshad no jurii
diction over a territorial institution
The chief justice sustained the pnin
but said that at the time he ordere
the investigation the exigcncies uf III
case demanded that the court strai
a legal point and instrust the gran
jury TO take up the matter as an II
vestigative body. When the case WI
taken from their hands a majority ,
their body made this statement, whic
is OF value as an opinion only and {
no legal weight. We subm
the following statement of o leadin
attorney whom we asked 10 give q
opinion on the report.
The report, pnrportIng TO
the result Of an investigation by III
late grand jury, should be considere
In connection with the fact thi
whatever investigation vas had WI
conducted by persons wholly incor
petent 10 investigate the conduct nj
administration Of a medical instit
ton. for the reason that II Is not pr
tended that a single member of Il
investigating body Is versed In Il
science OF medicine or Is capable
the remotest degree of suggesting no
a hospital for the insane should
administered.
The public Il not informed By Il
report of what the hard. cruel and u
usual punishment consisted al
ersforo VIII not accept the 'yolu
tary opinion Of This body In the a
enc OF specific facts being preser
cd.
The performance Of many thin.
absolutely necessary aud essential
restoring health 70 patients are resol
ed to by physicians which sound cru
and unusual 10 the unprofeaslon
mind, but find justification In the {
%pcricnced wisdom Of surgeons
Another criticism that may lie ur
ed against the action Of the membc
Of the grand Jury signing the repo
IL, that the investigation was pros
cuted wholly without warrant Of Ii
and Is a mere cx.partc volunteer /
port. The law has not conGded Il
administration and conduct Of Tor