Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1906-05-19
{. S. State Hospital Investigation

The special legislative comm Tree
resu ned its investigation OF TIC
management OF the Eastern s. ate
Hospital Tuesday morning. a. tire
members being present.
DR.. Henderson completed MS
testimony Tuesday morning. arc
was followed on the stand by DR.
p. I SOuthall DR.. SOutha.is .es-
timony. ike DR.. Henderson's was
straightforward and freely given.
He said that bed bugs Were present
in his side OF the institution. bu,
that every effort had and was BENG
made 10 get rid of them. He &C
knOwledged that some papients had
been duCked and said that ne be-
lieved il did them good rather than
harm. He said that the recent IN
fortunate trouble in-the congregation
of BrutOn church had caused an es-
arrangement between the specia.
board and himself. also that he and
the superintendent were not on good
terms al the time because he was
opposing his chief for superintendent.
All these breaches had been healed.
He thought that the patients should
have differentfood. DR.. Southall said
that he was compelled 70 sign 2
pledge 10 support the hospital ad-
minisuauon.
Mr.. A. l. Cloves was a witness
Wednesday. He told OF his several
fights with Dr.. Foster, and the ia
mil:ar story OF their personal rela-
lions. He said that the attendants
were frequently drunk in the wards
and that they beat the patients. two
being discharged for this offense.
He told Of alleged cruelties by DR..
Il. MEG. Williams. an inferno. DR.
Williams burned many of the pa
tents with caustc and creosote on
account Of q perniciouS habit. Ere
quenuy this burning and similar
treatment was done more as punish
ment than as a remedy for their
disease. Mr. Cloves testimony n
regard to treatment OF patients was
corroborated by MeSSrs. P. T.
Powell. Robt Badkins and and Z.
II. Proctor. The latter said tina,
DR.. Williams had patients ducked
as punishment. All these witnesses
testified that DR.. Williams was very
cruel.
Mr.. J. P. Van Fossen and Nj
Badkins testified to the ducking of Z
patient named Atkinson for striking
DR.. Foster The patients hand.
were ted and ne was put in a bath
tub two or three times. DR.. Foste,
had ordered the ducking and wa.
present. Witnesses thought il wa:
good for the patient.
Yesterday was a tame day at IN,
investigation The witnesses wer,
the architects in charge of the con
srrucuon of the Montague building
The object seems TO be TO develoI
the fact that the construction of tn,
building was faulty and inferior.
The main points developed by
this weeks investigation may bs
summed up as follows: The pres
ence of bed bugs in the Montagu,
building; the ducking and burn
ing of patients as punishment. anc
the cruelty of attendants toward pa
tients. All the witnesses testified
that DR.. Foster was kind and con
Siderate superintendent.
Col. Joseph T. LawlesS. who rep
resents DR.. Foster. was accosted BY
Peter Cloves and asked what h,
meant by referring TO Mr.. A. T
Cloves as that creature. Col
Lawless reported to the COMMITTEES
what Cloves said to him. and stated
that he was able to and would pro
tect himself against Mr.. Cloves, hi.
sons and any others who might at
tack him. There has been nothing
sensational in the Developments thi:
week. and no excitement SO far a:
an outsider can see. When the