Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-08
THE ASYLUM INQUIRY
All Sorts of Conflicting Testi-
mony Given Today
IN REGARD TO CONDITIONS
At st. Elizabeth as to Meats and En-
ployes.
DIR. WHITE CALLED A POOH BAH
By One of the Witnesses-Centrad
tory Statements as to the Food
and Cooking.

were the only things fit to use served on
the asylum tables. Other witnesses de-
clared the food was fair, some said it was
good and others thought 1t was fine. Nc
sensations were sprung. but a good deal OF
the testimony was of general interest
William H. Williams. coiored, for twenty
seven years a United States soldier. was
the first witness. He had been an Inmate
of the asylum and during the brief time
he was on the stand he gave no testimony
o. general interest.
T. b. Medley.
T. III. Medley. for five years an asylum
ernpioye. and now a nurse on Allison ward
a. the asylum. told the committee that
patients were given the best of care. A
great many times. however, there was an
insufficient amount of help. His ward was
a hospital ward of forty-three patients.
Five attendants-when they were all there
took care of these patients. Many of them
were bed-ridden. Three had suicidal ten
denotes. and the orders were not to let
these patients out of sight of the attend
arts.
The food was. as a general thing very
good and there was ground for COM
paint. Occasionally the food supply was
short and this was always reported to the
supervisors. Medley complained, as mad
many other attendants who have appeared
before the committee, of the extremely
long hours of work at the asylum
Sleeping quarters, especially those in the
Relief building, were poor. Two attend
ants We're required to sleep in a room ten
feet by ten feet. with one window He
thought. moreover. that the epileptic wards
In the Relief building were unnecessarily
overcrowded. He complained of the treat
ment OF the female nurses who, on COM
ing into the hospital grounds at night were
forced to walt for the night medical OH
Ger In order to get into their dormitories.
Fewer Nrarsac Nnu,
Medley insisted that, despite what DR..
White and others had said. there were
fewer nurses and attendants now than
there were some years ago. He had made
a calculation. he said. that there were now
less than go persons at the institution
charged with the care of patients. He be-
neved that the fact that since the begin
ming of the present investigation the asy-
ium domestics had been ordered to do ward
auey was a. confession that there were not
enough attendants at the hospital The
witness asserted that attendants were not
gwen the proper protection. Some days
ago. ne said several patients made an at
tack on DR.. Lagee
They were punished by being locked I'M
IN Howard Hail. No patients had ever been
locked up for striking attendants He
s s, or no case of III treatment of patients
mat had not been followed by the imme-
date discharge of the offending attendants
James w. Burroughs. previous witness,
recalled before the committee today. was
asked by Representative Hay whether he
had ever had any experience in the meat
business.
"A number of years experience, replied
the witness. II have been EMPLOYED In re-
sponsible positions by Armour, Swift &. Co.
Cudahy Packing Company-aImost every
Chicago packing house except Nelson Nor
ris & Co.
The meat, especially the corned beef,
served at the institution was usually rot
ten" said Burroughs.
THE contract for diminishing meat to
the asylum" said Representative smyser
is let by contract. which calls for beef of
not less than coo pounds"
IF that is the case" said Burroughs
the contract Is being constantly violated -
The witness then interested the committee
by describing the manner in which rotten
and putrid beef is 'freshened up He
said the rotten meat was soaked in pre-
servaline, which drew out the green
ness and removed the odor. Then salt
peter was used to restore the original color
of the meat
Was there anything good you ever saw
served at the institution" asked Repre-
sentative Smyser.
1.-THE salt and pepper was pretty good ;"
replied the witness.
Burroughs then got Chairman Olcott's
dander up by saying that although various
that they didn't eat butter, but used oleo-
margarine. this was not the case.
They and their families use the best
butter" he declared.
Suppose they do continued Mr. Olcott
you don't know whether they buy 1t or
not, do your"
NO" replied the witness
Burroughs was advised not to romance
and not to give hearsay evidence.
Karl n. Lopez.
Karl II. Lopez. a friend of Foreman
Maenche of the asylum institution. testified
that the latter was frequently drunk and
uRruiy. Witness kept coffee and sand
wich stand in Anacostia and he had to
throw Maenche out on one occasion.
Curry Thrift, from November %, 1901.
10 June 2. 1905. was called Patients were
treated as good as possible considering
All patients could not be HANDLED witt,
Kid gloves said the Witness. .but no IN
necessary harsheess was ever used"
Snairman Olcoft referred to the testi-
mony OF one kinsey, a former patient, who
alleges that Thrift had put his arm around
hinseys neck and choked him: ali this
without provocation.
Il never had occasion to hug Mr. Ytn
sey" replied the witness.
How about the food?" asked the CHAIR
man.
Sometimes IT was good: sometimes 1t
bad, replied the witness.
i saw that one of the fellows who testf-
fed before the committee" said Thrift
said that man couldn't get nnarried on
$50 month. wasn't so wise T Thought
I'd get myself a wife and I did. Buf I
never got the $3.50 month raise 1 was
promised, so left
But you wouldn't swap your wife for
that $3.50. would your asked Representa-
tive Smyser.
oh. no." replied the witness. ..Pye still
got her and am making out to keep her"
Thomas Seaton
Thomas Seaton of 928 22d street north
west. an attendant at ST. Elizabeth from
April Is. 1904. to October 1, 1904. was
sworn. In his opinion the institution
didn't have enough help. He served on
Gray Ash ward where there were four at
tendants supposed to be on duty. Often.
however, there was only one man on d1ty.
Owing to the Lack of help he had been
compelled to strike patients who Jumped"
him. He had never used more force than
was necessary, however. and had never
hurt a patient very much. He had never
seen other attendants abuse patients
sS0metimes the food would do and some
times It was pretty bad said the witness.
II was on my ward about six months and
the board OF visitors was never through
~. Il