Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-09
THE ASYLUM INQUIRY.
OF THE COMMITS
TEES INVESTIGATION.

The 81. Elizabeth inquiry was contin-
ued today by the oicott special committee.
The promised sensations are stili In thss
background Todays hearing seemed tos
emphasize the criticism frequently made
during the progress OF the inquiry. thar
there are not enough attendants at thas
asylum. Several witnesses complained on
the food furnished the patientG
Ornie Cadeli. the FIRST witness. testinetH
that she had been employed in the asylum
laundry for Ave years. Foreman Maenche
had never been drunk In her presence. he's
had always treated her with respect ana
had always attended to his duty. She han
not seen patients abused
Katie Butler employed in the laundry foe
ehe past year testified TO the same erect
lum from June Is, 1904 TO November is
1900. testified that he had been Cursed and
otherwise abused by attendants Mono OF
mem mad ever struck him. The food. he
said. was the worst ever" as the oleo-
margarine furnished In place OF butter look-
ed and tasted like lard. Mr.: Shuster was
srleved because while In the asylum he
had lost gold collar button and a 6O-cent
knife.
Coroner's Report on Browns Death.
Coroner hewitt followed Mr. shuster an
he read his report on the death OF George.
being severely scalded. The death certin-
cate showed valvular heart trouble as the
cause OF death and did not mention the ac-
cident. DR.. hewitt, after an Investigation
OF the case told the committee today that
there was no reason to doubt the accuracy
or the certificate. He gave high praise to-
DR.. White and his staff OF physicians.
Cornelia D. Corbett, for the past twenty
three months patient at the asylum. had
n q IN " s,f 80. fv~xa.
corded her at the Institution. But she pro-
tested that an injustice had been done to
her and her mother, In the manner in whicfa
they had been incarcerated. The Rev. Dr.
Teunis Hamlin of the Church of the Coven-
ant had secured her removal to the asylum
Miss Corbett testified. After their incar-
ceration their household goods had been
sold for little or nothing. In the court
proceedings seven witnesses against her
and her mother had been heard. Miss Cor
bet said. while they were not permitted to-
produce any witnesses at all.
Attendant Balls Evidence.
Edgar Ball. from 1897 until 1904 an at
tendant at the asylum. proved rather re-
luctant witness. He finally admitted that
he had seen some cruelty. and that on a,
number Of occasions he had choked pa
TENTS logged them with a strap and
''wrung them out" The Institution did not
have a sufficient number of attendants
Ball told of one case where a patient had
Deen III with typhoid fever Tor nve day2
before physician even visited him. al
though Ball said he had reported the sick
mans temperature to Supervisor Burch
twice a day during that period.
Ball said that during his service at the
institution he had occasionally had many
as f1fty-two patients under him at one time
most of them scrappers and lighters. I'm
der these circumstances IL was sometimes
necessary to use force in self defense, tor
strike disorderly patients to fog them
into submission. On one aston, Bali
said. Supervisor Burch had instructed him
to fog a patient.
Questioned by Representative Emyser.
Was the use of the strap general
throughout the hospitalf" inquired Repre-
sentative Smyser.
whenever there's a strap around there's
somebody to put 1t to work. replied the
witness with a grin.
Did you know a patient named Klugg?-
inquired Mr.. Smyser.
He Was an attendant" replied the witt
ness.
was he cruel to the patients?"
he wasn't any better than the rest OF
u.s." replied Ball. .ar
Was he any worse?" asked Mr.. Smyser
He couldn't have been much worse
answered the witness with another grin.
Ball said the food furnished wasn't of
the best. and that it was badly cooked
Ball concluded his testimony with an ad-
mission that he had treated patients In an
unjustifable manner.