Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-12
|COCKROACHEs SERVED
With the insane Asylum
Food.
TOLD TO THE COMMITTEE
By One of the Mattresses at the In
stitution.
COMPLAINT AGAINST FOOD
Made by Other Employees Who Were
Heard--Also Of Insufficient
Attendants.

The bill of fare at st. Elizabeth got some
pretty hard knocks at today's session of the
Olcott special committee. A pretty gray
eyed waitress with a flow of eloquence that
kept the committee stenographer working
overtime mentioned that cockroaches were
served with the asylum food every now and
then as an additional inducement. She also
mentioned that since the investigation start
ed the commissary had loosened up to some
extent. There. was good deal of testi-
mony of this kind from employees. When
the committee adjourned for luncheon DR.
Hummer, one of the senior assistant ply
sicians at the institution. was on the stand
Jeremiah Connell.
jeremiah Connell. a patient at St Eliza
beth since September 80, 1909 was the first
witness. His wife had had him committed.
as he was drinking pretty heavy He
had talked to Mr.. Evans of the Medico
Legal Society about getting out. Connell
had tIs seen an attendant named George
wheaton strike a patient named Doddys-
man, knocking the latter down. Wheaton
had been discharged month later for
picking chestnuts at 5 O. clock in the morn
ing: He had seen a pair of black eyes on a
patient named Hughes and the latter said
an attendant had struck him. Witness said
the food was very poor Beefsteak was
served only once week, and was too tough
to eat. The corn beef and the fish were
not fit to eat. He had had eggs only on
Easter Sunday.
Miss A. O. Wilson.
Miss A. 0. Wilson, a nurse at st. Eliza
beth, was sworn. She was asked con-
corning an affair between a male and fs-
male patient, but could give the com
mittee but little information. Miss Will
son had been at the asylum, but didn't
have disturbed patient for four years.
She did not think that there was enough
i ,urses ana attendants employed at the
institution Sometimes the food was
good; sometimes-not often-the meat
was very poor
We have had scarcity of sugar.
SAID Miss Wilson
W. II. Lyons, an attendant at ST. Eliza
neths under Dr.. Godding. and later for
hfteen months under Dr. White, was
called He had left voluntarily both
times. Patients We're treated all right
and were not roughly handled He con-
sidered that the food was pretty good
and there was plenty of it. There was
but little difference between the food
furnished patients and attendants The
difference, if any, was in favor of the
attendants rations. Dr. White had never
gone through the ward the witness was
on, although an assistant physician Wis
lted the ward every day. The board of
visitors had visited the hospital once q
month during the witness service
Ever see any gambling by patients over
there inquired Mr.. Smyser.
I've seen card playing, but / don't
know whether 1t was gambling" replied
the witness.
Henry Spencer.
Henry Spencer, a resident of Anacostia
husband of Mabel Spencer formerly a
kitchen employee at st. Elizabeth, was
sworn. He told the committee that he had
called on Sergt. Anderson of the Anacostia
station to discuss an insult offered Mrs
Spencer by one Pat Barrett, night watch
man. at the asylum. Sergt. Anderson had
told Spencer, the latter said, that the night
Waterman would be discharged. But this
was not done The man was only sus-
pended for a few days and continued to
make 1t so unpleasant for Mrs. Spencer
that she was forced to give up her en-
ployment al the asylum. Then the offend
ing employee was reinstated
Miss Mary Shiffiett, a nurse al st. Eliza
beths for the past ten months, told the
committee that the food at the asylum was
pretty good. She was now employed on the
colored receiving ward with eleven pa
tents, all very much disturbed. Only two
of the eleven went to the general dining
room. The others were usually locked in
their rooms. DR.. Huff visited the ward
had never seen any other restraint than
the restraining sheet used at the hospital.
Miss Shiffiett didn't consider that there were
enough attendants at the institution. The
wards and rooms at the institution were
kept very clean.
Miss Helen r. Tanquary, head nurse of
the female department, was the next wit
ness. She was asked concerning the affair
between male and female patient at the
asylum. and told of the matter being re-
ported to her and of the report she made to
Dr. Clark, the clinical director Some of
the wards were short of nurses. The nurses
had complained to Miss Tanquary that
when they came in at night they often had
to wait a long time for the night medical
officer to come around and give them key
to let themselves in the nurses home. She
thought the key should be left in a more
convenient place, and this unnecessary an
noyance avoided.
Miss Tanquary said she remembered Mrs.
Parey, the Christian worker" who told
the committee yesterday of visiting room
in the hospital and found 1t very foul. Miss
Tanquary said she remembered the room
and the patient referred to by Mrs. Parey.
but could not recall the latter's visit. She
did not think that the room had been in
the condition described. The woman-Mrs.
Charleton--of whom Mrs. Parey spoke as
having had her hip fractured by being
uOWn, MISS SAID, mad
slipped on the floor of cypress ward
Replying to questions by Representative
Hay, Miss Tanquary reiterated her belief
that there should be additional nurses in
the disturbed wards. She couldn't say. how
ever, without giving the matter further
thought. just how many nurses were needed
in addition. Mr.. Hay asked her to prepare
list and forward it to the committee.
Miss Louise Hoy.
Miss T,ouise How one of tha rursas as the
asylum for the past three years, was sworn.
She considered that the food was very good.
About this time all the members of the
committee began to sit up and take notice
or show a disposition to ask questions for
Miss Hoy was very pretty girl indeed
Il can conceive" murmured a member of
the committee who shall be nameless, but
who frequently speaks of that dear Ohio,
how insanity might be a blessing" Where
upon the committee members began to
think up cheerful questions to ask Miss
Hoy.