The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-05-26
INSANE ASYLUM
UNI
SCANDAL,

The charges which follow are not
the sensational utterances Of yellow
journalism, but the calm and unmis~
taxable findings OF the state legisla-
tive committee appointed to visit
and report Oh the condition Of the
state insane asylum at Chattahoo-
chez.
The report shows condition of
affairs in that institution which con-
stitutes at once the most blighting
disgrace which has come upon the
state of Florida in all its sixty years
Of history a disgrace that Will
strike deeply and bring the blush OF
shame to every citizen.
The conditions are solely due to
the incompetent administration oil
Gov Jennings. He it was who turn
cd out the experienced and humane
Trammell and gave over the manage
ment of the asylum to one to whom
he was under social obligations. He
it was who turned out DR.. Blocker,
one of the greatest alienists in the
south, aud placed the care of our in
sane in the hands of an incompetent
country doctor, with the result that
after four years, our insane asylum
has been changed from an institu-
tion for the intelligent and kindly
treatment Of our unfortunates to
such a place as is described here by
the legislative committee:
The institution is not a hospital
for the insane, but a dumping ground
for all sorts of people, where they
are maintained after Il fashion at an
enormous expense to the state. Lit
tie children, young men and young
women. middle-aged' men and wo-
men. old. feeble and decrepit men
and women, afflicted with all sorts OF
mental and physical ailments, are
dumped into the institution as III
digent insane, many of whom are
not INDECENT or insane. and should be
at nome with parents or relatives, OF
in the county pooFhOuses or in1rm-
aries, or free TO earn their own living
NO systematic effort whatever has
been made or treatement given 1oT
the restoration of the mind. The
sick and afflicted have not been
given the necessary medicine Oh
other attention due or needful fol
their cure or restoration. Evidence
is before the committee that the
management has been cruel, negll
"A g. = t..ua ia =
Attendants and nurses have been
drunk while on duty, and have beer
brutal and inhumanly cruel to help
less inmates. In some Instances th'
very atmosphere Of the institution
has been scented with vice and I'm
morality to the extent that even III
mates have begged and pleaded u
be released on account OF 1t, and cit
zens living nearby have felt out
ragged by il.
Reports of misrepresentation o
the states money and effects haY'
come to the committee. No accu
rate system Of accounts has beel
kept, and from the observation q
the method of purchase and disburse
Inent the committee is forced TO tn
belief that some money and effect
did not 90 to the use and beneht o
the institution.
ut is with serious regret that dut.
cOmpeIs the committee to maintain
ana 80 present that the Board o
State Institutions is very largely re
sponsibe and should be 50 held fo
the deplorable and unpardonabl
evils that have existed in and abou
the institution-respOnsible to thos
poor, helpless, unfortunate inmate
WHO have been caused to suffer tn
pangs of hunger, the humiliation an
pain Of keen cuts of the lash, tn
thud Of the fist, the stamp of tn
foot, the unknown and untold phys
cal suffering and mental angus
caused by the wilrul, wantOn negleC
of the management and attendant
while the evidence is not absC
lutely clear that such cruelty an
failure of duty caused death, it
sufficiently clear to create suspiciO
Of such being true"