Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-05-23
INHUMAN
AND BRUTAL
TREATMENT
SCdndalous and Grave Charges Made Against the
Management of the Territorial Insane
Hospital at Las Vegas.
INVESTI-
CATION ORDERED BY
GOVERNOR OTERO

Grave charges are made against GER
tain officials of the Territorial Insane
Asylum at Las Vegas and it is claim
and inhumanely treated. The rumors
to this effect became so numerous and
persistent that the board of directors
conducted an investigation. The only
statement thus far made by the board
as the result of the investigati ton is
that the rumors and reports We're ex-
planned by the superintendent.
The Las Vegas Advertiser charges
press the facts and to avoid publicity.
The charges made by the Advertiser
are that patients are forced to work
from s to 13 hours day and are fire.
quently punished for refusal to work
when threats prove of no avail. A
common method in the department for
females is to get behind a patient,
throw her to the floor and then have
four or five other patients sit on her
while the matron holds her hand over
the patients mouth to prevent scream
ing. The patient is so held until
promise to be good is given.
The Advertiser says that patients
have been strapped in bed for hours as
punishment and have been forced to
go without dinner. Another form of
is to strap a patient to
cell door and force him to stand erect,
back to the door, until almost exhaus-
ted Ice cold shower baths are fire.
quent and the water cure" in vogue is
said to consist of turning the fire hose
directly on the patient who is strapp-
ed to a steam pipe to prevent the force
of the water from knocking him down.
Another method is known as the Fer
ris wheel" When this Is adopted, the
patient is stripped, his hands are
in front of his knees which are
drawn up and then strapped. broom
stick or rod is then passed under the
knees and above the arms and this is
placed across a bath tub. The tub Is
filled with cold water and all is ready.
The patient Is then revolved on the
rod as a pivot The head is kept un-
der water as long as possible and then
he is half turned again. For patients
who expectorate, a gag is provided
The bedding is not warm enough and
one patient who destroys his bedding
is given pile of straw to sleep on
without blankets or covering of any
kind.
The employees have many grievanc-
es, according to the Advertiser. They
are on duty from 4:45 a. m. to p M,
and the only time they have to them
selves is from to $50 p. m., and they
are not permitted to leave the
grounds. One day in the week they
are given from 10 a. m. to p. m. The
meals served are poor and there is no
A gruesome story is related by the
Advertiser. 1t states that few weeks
,go some of the directors heard that |
human bones were scattered around
he asylum yard, that they drove out
o investigate and found 1t was true
The bones We're then gathered up IN
,ack and put in the basement of the
institution. Under one end of fence |
he pelvis of a female was found ana
q If were attached eight or ten ribs. |
rhe lower Jaw, with teeth. was found
md the top of the skull and bones OF !
ingers, toes, arms and legs were scat
cred promiscuously about. The bones
we're those of a patient who dled III
600 and the body was placed in the
norgue. An official had physician
Who was patient, prepare the pooy
10 he could have the skeleton. Ihe
zones were placed in a barrel OF water
10 the flesh could decompose and the
arrel placed in the yard. 1t was neg
ected until it dried up. fell apart ana
he bones became scattered. 1t IS
xnown who the patient was and all
"a articulars about her. 1t is charged
he patients receive no treatment LOT
heir mental condition except that
when noisy, they are given a quieting
mixture. When physically sick they
ire given treatment.
The paper charges that the law Is
,ot observed in that the medical sup
does not live at or near
he institution and that about hve
mornings a week, he spends not to ex"
,eed an hour and a half there. Atten-
lants receive 500 per month with an
Increase of IS every six months until
t reaches $40, provided their services
Increase in proportion. but $50 is the
highest now paid. The steward re-
,eives $125 a month and is said to earn
t. The matron receives $65 month
md the medical superintendent $135 a
month. These three officers draw 1926
, month and the other 10 employees re-
,eive s467 per month, exclusive Of the
engineer.