Evening times-Republican., 1903-09-08
DEFECTIVE IMMIGRANTS
Iowa Is Relieved of One by
Workings Of the New Fed
eral Law
FIRST USE OF LAW IN STATE
An Investigation Will Be Made by the
State Board Of Control and Other
Cases Which Are Similar, May Be
Discovered-Unsatisfaetory Trans
portation Of Insane Patients.
,ecial to Times-Republican.

POCI2tIOn OF insane FaIISUSSs
Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Sept. S.--The state of
Iowa is just beginning 70 realize some
thing on a new federal law to prevent
the dumping of defective immigrants
on American soil or to Offset some of
the evils of this practice. The super
intendent, of the insane hospital at
Clarinda has just been directed to de-
liver to the immigration officer in Chi
cago the person of Gertrude Stenbach,
q woman of middle age. insane and
confined In the hospital. She will there
be taken in charge by an official of
to New York and the steamship line
which brought her over from Europe
ss an Immigrant will be required to
take her back across the water. She
is in the hospital as a state patient
sent from Charlton. 1t was found on
!inves tigation that she came as an inn
migrant from Komte, Prussia, last
March and that on landing In Iowa she
almost Immediately became public
charge. The state board OF control
entered into correspondence to deter
mine her history and called the atten-
tion of the immigration officers at New
York to the facts, following which
|came an order for her deportation.
This is the first use that has been
made OF this law in Iowa, and 1t Is the
purpose OF the board to follow up the
matter and see if there are not other
cases similar. The state will stand
the expense of taking the woman to
Chicago. bu. the United States will
take her on to New York. after which
the transportation line does the rest.
-
In this connection 1t IS probable that
the state board will make some radical
recommendations in The matter of
transportation OF insane patients and
gaining evidence as to their. place Of
residence. The Jaw Is very faulty now.
There are a good many of the state
patients" said Chairman Cownie, of
the board. 1T seems Impossible under
the present laws and regulations to To-
cate all the patients. We have a case
|on hand right now. One who was evil
dently a tramp was picked up at a
small town In Iowa county and is be-
ing held at Marengo as insane and a
state patient. We have just directed
that an attendant be sent from the
hospital to take him there There is no
provision under the Iowa law for the
expenditure of anything in finding out
the history of the case or for taking
the man to the state where he belongs.
The county authorities find 1t easy to
have him declared state patient and
lit is cheaper for them. What we need
here in Iowa is state agent whose
business 1t shall be to take up just such
cases and find out the real place of
residence of the insane person and to
take him there, If it is outside the
state. This would not be an added
1t is claimed that Minnesota finds 1t
profitable to pay an agent to do this
work, and that in the end the state is
ahead by the saving in cost of keep
ing insane persons sometimes many
years. In Iowa we are all at sea on
this matter and there is no provision
for looking UP the past Of patients, or
rather no money to pay for the work,
and as a consequence where county
will not acknowledge the residence of
the insane person he becomes a state
patient. We are behind the times in
this little matter.
Again, we find that the present
method Of taking patients to the hos
pitfalls is extravagant," continued Mr..
Cownie. "a county patient Is taken to
the hospital at the expense OF the
county, a state patient at the expense
of the state. When state patient Is
to be taken an attendant goes from
hospital and one person is sufficient. II
1t is a female patient, then a woman is
sent One attendant is always suffi-
cient, for these attendants are trained
and know their business. But cour-
ty patient Is sent and the sheriff goes
and a deputy, and II the patient Is a
female, another attendant goes along.
Why, 1t cost more to take one insane
man from the state house over to the
county Jail last year than 1t cost US to
send him on to the hosp, tal-and a bill
was presented for s14 for damage ne
did to hack. But as matter of fact
lUe SyS(tUl VI dIioMillS ScNilLicS W wv
as they please in the matter of send
ing insane patients is extravagant and
unsatisfactory. All patients should be
transported accompanied by a trained
and competent hospital attendant.
This should be done not only as mat
ter OF economy, but because 1t is a
duty to the insane and an act of hu-
manity."
Iowa men are the principals in q
company organized under Colorado law
which it has been claimed has been
made the basis for an international
mine stock swindle. This IS the Per-
kins Consolidated Gold Mining Com
pany, claiming to have claims about
Idaho Springs, of which G. E. Stubbs.
formerly of Iowa but now member of
the Colorado house, is secretary; and
+. A. Howard, OF Fairfield, is presi
dent The company is capitalized for
81, 500, 900. The company claims to have
a dozen plated claims in Colorado and
to have spent some thing like $4,000 in
driving shafts 1t appears that Secre-
tary Stubbs has been over in France
selling stock of the company, and that
stock was sold there at from 10 to 70
cents on the dollar, but that for some