The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-11-18
NINE YEARS AND TWO MONTHS
IN \ PEN.


AT the conference of insane hospital
officials With the Governor on We'd
nesday. in calling attention to the need
of larger appropriations in order TO
care for the insane DR.. Murphy mem
toned several cases of insane who
had suffered terribly because the State
had failed to provide sufficient ac-
Communications. In reporting his state
ment the reporter of The News and
Observer thus quoted him:
"Dr. Murphy related several pa
thetic instances in illustrating the
necessity for larger appropriations ny
the Legislature for the care of the
insane. There is an insane young NO
man in Allegheny county, he Sald,
who has been confined for ten years
in a pen adjoining her fathers home,
and that the roof was not of SUI
ficient height to permit her to stand
erect, and as result her body IS
deformed as much as her mind is
deranged.
We are informed by Governor
Glenn that DIR. Murphy made an add
ditional statement which our reporter
did not hear, to-wit: that this yong
woman was taken into the Hospital
at Morganton ten months ago and is
now being treated there. but owing TO
the long confinement in the low l'"n
he has not been able to remedy her
deformty The Governor also says
that within five days after hearing Of
the case of this young woman Or.
Murphy admitted her into the hos
pital. so that now, after nine years
and two months confinement in pen,
she is at last receiving the care and
treatment which the State provides
for such INDECENT insane" We are
glad that Dr. Murphy was able to
find room for her. But, according to
DR.. Murphy and DR.. Mckee, there are
other persons confined in jails, in poor
houses, or tied or kept in squalid
homes because the State has not pro-
vided room for them. 1t is for such
"indigent insane" we plead, for the
fact that after more than nine years
unnecessary and inhumane confine-
ment this Allegheny woman has been
admitted at Morganton. does not help
the others who are denied admission
The same open door that her horrible
condition opened must swing open to
every other INDECENT insane person IN
North Carolina, and the door must
not be kept closed until the meeIng
of the General Assembly of 1907
fourteen months hence. If the con-
stitution is obeyed they can be adj
mitted during the present year.
Close the door 10 those able to pay;
open the door to the INDECENT. That
is the mandate of the constitution;
that is the spirit of our laws; that is
the dictate of humanity; that is the
wish of the people of North Carolina,
and they will not be contented with
any other course.
1t is no hardship upon people Wno
are able to pay to say 70 their rela-
tives: "Poverty-s insane peo-
pie are languishing in jails, county
homes and huts because the State has
no room for them,o We wish the state
had room for all, but it has not.
Therefore,, in the interest of human
ity, il is necessary that those who are
able to pay shall go into private SAni-
tarums and private hOspitals-(a
there are many good ones)-ia order
to save the unfortunates who must
come into the State Hospitals or per
ish for want OF proper care and treat
ment." That message from the Gov
ernor of the State and the hospital
authorities. in kindness, will relieve
the present strain and will meet the
approval OF the whole State. Nothing
less is legal, is right, is humane.