Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-17
TESTIMONY CONFLICTS
CONDITIONS AT ST. ELIZABETH'S
ASYLUM.
Many Attendants Say That They
Saw No Cruelty or Mistreatment
at the Institution.

Several Witnesses were heard at the after
noon session of the COMMITTEES investigating
the St Elizabeths Asylum, yesterday af-
ternoon.
Mrs Is. A. Mower. who had daughter
confined at the asylum for many years,
testified that In her numerous visits she
had never seen anything to complain of.
Patients might be bit noisy, but witness
had never observed cruelty or mistreatment
of patients. Mrs. Mower said she Is the
widow of Maj. Gen. Mower, Z. S. A. She
merely desired to put in a good word" for
the asylum management, as she thought
the conditions were not as bad as painted.
Miss Carrie Hill, nurse at the asylum for
two years, testified that she is employed In
the hospital ward, where twenty-s1x pa
tients are under treatment She said that
Mrs. Lochte, a witness against the IN
stitution, and formerly an inmate, mad been
very difficult to handle. refusing TO take
taths, and in many other ways obJecting
to the treatment prescribed at the 1nstitu-
ton. On one occasion 1t became necessary
to use force and remove her clothes
81 have never seen any mistreatment OF
patients since have been in the hospital
Sometimes we have difficulties with patients
when they refuse food or something like
that We never used any restraint except
the resting Sheet and that does not hurt
the patients.
sometimes snort on EOOQ.
THE food In the hospital ward is fairly
good What the nurses get to eat is often
much better than the food served to pa
tients. The butter is bad. The food would
be better IL it was cooked properly. but I
have never complained to DR.. White. Oc-
casionaIly there would not be enough food
for the patients. We would send back to
the kitchen for more, and sometimes We
would get 1t; sometimes we would not"
Mrs. Lochte, in her testimony, had
claimed abusive treatment IN being fed by
tubes through the nostrils, when she had
asked to be fed ordinarily-through her
mouth. Miss Hill. in her testimony yester-
day. stated that she had been in the ward
with Mrs. Lochte. but had never seen nos
tril tubes used on her. Further than this,
she had never heard of any maltreatment,
and did not know anything about towel
choking or other methods of restraint
charged against the asylum authorities.
Use of Straight-Jackets.
Miss Ora Omahundra, a nurse for eight
years at the asylum, testified that in her
ward 1t is usually to put straight-Jackets on
patients when they become unruly. Wit
ness stated that patients had struck her,
and that the straight-Jackets were never
used unless absolutely necessary.
This treatment said the witness, has Il
quieting effect on the patients, and these
jackets have never been kept on more than
three four hours at a time. Witness had
never seen any cruelty toward patients
and believed the food served In her ward
was fairly good"
Miss Omahundra said that DR. White does
not visit her ward oftener than once In two
weeks, while the board Of visitors had never
been through her ward, as far as she could
remember.
Witness asserted that conditions could
be improved by the employment of more
nurses. as She has to work from twelve
to fourteen hours daily, with every third
Sunday off.
asylum, receiving $35 a month, said that
few of her patients are ever disturbed D."
and that she had never seen any cruel
treatment practiced by either attendants
or nurses.
DR.. OMalley, a woman physician in
charge of the female wards, the witness