The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-03
State Hospital,
Raleigh. \. c.. Sept. q. 1905.

state bOSpItdl,
Raleigh, \. c., Sept. p, 1905.
TO His EXcelIency, Il. E. Glenn:
We have the honor to report that
the Board of Directors for the State
Hospital at Raleigh met in called
meeting at said hospital on Wednes-
day, Sept. 18th, 1905, at 10 o'clock A.
M, every member being present, in
Guiding DR.. J. d. Biggs, recently ap-
pointed as successor to the late la
mented !. ID. Biggs, of Martin county,
who for more than fifteen years and
up to his recent death, most worthily
and a~cceptably filled the position of
chairman of this board. A letter of
date September Sth, 1905, addressed
by you to the members of this board
requesting us to investigate certain
charges contained in the public press,
that II Thomas II. Nall, a recent
his death through violence at the
hands of the attendants or employees
of said institution, was read, and we
Immediately began such an investiga-
Stion. We employed Mrs. Nellie M.
Wright, an expert stenographer, to
take the testimony of all witnesses, a
typewriter copy Of which is herewith
transmitted to you as a part of this
report. We also had before us an
identified copy of the evidence taken
before the coronor's jury, which we
likewise attach hereto. In your alb
n from the state we applied
through the Attorney General for
counsel to sit with and assist us in
the examination of witnesses, but the
Council of State did not see proper
to grant u request
The board, also, acting upon the
suggestion contained in your Excel
lency's letter, above referred to, made
Il thorough investigation of the man
agement of the institution, especially
as to the treatment of the inmates,
from the beginning of the present adj
m~inlstratiOn Of the hospital to this
time. A copy of said testimony is
hereto attached as a part of this re-
port.
AS to the charge that the insane pa
tient, Thomas III. Nall, deceased, who,
on the afternoon of August 24th, 1905,
had escaped from Ills attendants while
exercising in the grounds Of the in
StitutiOn, was brutality beaten, and
otherwise ill-used by certain Of the at
Ttendants or employees, while en-
gagged in his capture, and that his
death shortly thereafter, was the re-
suit thereof, we are of the opinion
that, as the four men who are alleged
to have maltreated the said Nall, de-
ceased, thereby causing his death,
were committed to the common Jail of
Wake county by the eOrOnOr of said
county, and as they are to answer a
charge of having committed a serious
offence against the criminal law of
the state, in this connection, it would
be improper at this time for this board
to express any opinion thereon. as it
might tend to prejudice said attend
ants in their defense or embarrass the
state i'll it's prosecution.
We enQuired diligently of witnesses,
,under oath, as to whether or not any
other employee or any officer of this
institution, either by omission or com-
mission, in any way contributed to or
fastened the death of said Nall.
We find that, OH notice by telephone
that said Nall had been captured, the
superintendent, DR.. James Mckee, at
once sent Il carriage, in charge of the
head nurse, and had said Nall brought
to the hospital. His condition was
found to be as described in the evil
'dence herewith attached. We find that
DR.. Mckee, the superintendent, and
DR.. 9. L. Jenkins, the assistant ply
stefan, Immediately upon the arrival Of
said Nall at the Hospital at 4:30
O'Clock 2. NJ. on the 24th of August
last, made an examination for the
purpose of ascertaining his condition,
and administered to him such treat
ment and remedies as to them seem
demanded by his symptoms; that the
patient, Notwithstanding, died at $40
O'Clock that afternoon. With the evil
dence of physicians admitted to be
learned in their profession and ex-
perts) before us, we are forced to
conclude, that the treatment of the
said Nall by Drs. Mckee and jenkins
was, in the emergency and under the
circumstances, such as skilled and hui
name physicians wOuld have given.
AS to whether Or not their diagnosis
Of the patients condition was correct,
we are unable to say, seeing that skill
ed physicians have disagreed on this
point Seven of the nine expert ply
;sicians examined by us, to-wit: Drs.
A. W. Knox, w. I. Register, Hubert
a Register, r. S. McGeachy, II. NJ.