Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12
NEED MORE EMPLOYEES
Assertion of st. Elizabeth Asy.
lum Attendants.
SERIOUS CHARGES MADE
Inspections by DR.. White Declared TO
Be Infrequent.
THE MALE NURSES TOO YOUNG
Hearings Resumed Of the olcott Com. {;
mittee Investigating Conditions
at the Hospital
THE MALE NURSES TOO YOUNG

The Olcott special COMMITTEES which 10 IN.
quiring into conditions at st. Mizabeth's yue
sane Asylum resumed its hearings today
Testimony was given tending to show that
since the employees of the institution were
placed under the civil service the class ot
| attendants had deteriorated. The male
| nurses. 1t was alleged. were too young and
| too irresponsible.
Most Of the witnesses on the stand today
were employees Of the institution Several
attendants testified that there were too few
employees at the institution and that Dt,
White the superintendent of the institution,
and the board OF visitors were very infras
quent visitors to the various wards of the
hospital. The committee will hold its next
session Tuesday Of next week when
some Of DIR. Whites witnesses will be heard.
James A. Ogden.
James A. Ogden Of PSI N street north
west an attendant at the asylum for nine
years. but who left there last August, was
| the first witness called. He had never seen
any Ill treatment OF patients. Occasionally
| it was necessary to handle violent patients
rather roughly, but the greatest care was
| exercised by all the attendants. The food
| at the institution was all right 30 far as
he knew, the witness said.
Winnie Frazier, colored, for ten years
an employee in the laundry of the asylum,
| said she had never seen Foreman Maencha
Of the laundry intoxicated. She had seen
Satterfleld, laundry employe, and .
patient in fight one day last summer.
She had never seen any patients knocked
down or abused. One time. however, she
patient in fist fight. The food at the
asylum was very good according to tho
witness. Sometimes 1t was better than
others.
Lloyd Green.
Lloyd Green, twenty years old. a resident
of Anacostia. and for six months In 1904 an
attendant In the hospital ward Of st. Eliza
beth,s. was sworu He had never seen pa
tients Ill treated.
You couldn't hit a sick man." said the
witness.
"Could II you wanted to-" remarked Rep
resentative Smyse-.
'I didn't want to-" rejoined the witness
laconfcally.
Mr.. Green said he had been discharged
for sleeping while on night duty.
During witness term OF service DR..
White had visited the hospital ward about
once month.
Green had never seen the board of visitors
in his ward during his six months service
The witness remembered signing petit
ton two years ago compile ming to the board
of visitors of certain evils in the institution.
His sole reason for signing the petition,
Green declared, was that the food furnished
to attendants was very poor.
Mrs. Mary Mclaughlin.
Mrs Mary Mclaughlin has been ems
ploye of st. Elzabeths for the past TWEEN.
ty-five years in tie capacity of nurse. In
the male hospital ward where she Is now
| stationed. there was an insufflciency of
help, but DIR. Whites administration had
been of the very hest. So far as her ward
was concerned she had seen absolutely no
cruelty. Moreover. the patients In the hos
pital ward received good food and the best
of attention Oatmeal milk toast, creamed
chicken. some kind of meat, coffee, tea and
milk were some OF the articles on the bill
of fare of the hosuital ward.
Mrs. Mclaughlin complained that the at
tendants had to work very long hours. II
the pay was better and the hours shorter
she thought better service would be rem
dered. She thought the attendants should
be of different class-older and not SO
irresponsible. Some of the young attend.
ants were not able to properly care for
| some of the old patients in the hospital
In reply to a question by Representative .
Wallace. Mrs. Mclaughlin said she had
never seen Attendant Thorne abuse pa
tients but had never heard a patient
speak we'll of Thorne. Several patients had
told her of abuses.
Witness said DR.. White had visited the
ward in which she worked just twice since
last July A ward where she had pre-
yiously worked he had visited every Sum-
day, She had not seen the board of visi-
tors In the institution at any time.
Under DIR. Richardson, Mrs. Mclaughlin
said, the wants of the patients had been
more freely supplied than under DR..
White.
Mrs. Mclaughlin said that the con-
ditions at the hospital had been better
before the institution had been placed
under the civil service rules and regu-
Iatons.
1t was Mrs McLaughlin's opinion. found
ed on twenty-five years experience, that
larger pay and shorter hours would secure
the employment Of more responsible class
of attendants. She did not believe that
the fault for wh;ltever evils exists lay
with the SUPERINTENDENT or his staff OF
physicians.
DR.. j. O'Donohue, thirty-two years old.
for the past three years an attendant at st.
Elizabeth's was the next witness. He al
ways treated patients decently and had not
witnessed any acts of cruelty In the apply
ing of straightjaekets. straps or the like.
"would you stand, by and see patients III
treated?' asked Representative smyser.
II would not" replied the witness. My
conscience would not permit it,
1--WE take our hats off to you. replied Mr..
Smyser
The witness said that he considered the
administration of the hospital was OF the
best. Shuster. one of the former inmates OF
the hospital. who testified before the COM
mittee this week. wis violent man, ODon-
ohue said While he to'Donohue) was en-
ployed in a local hospital some years ago he
had been forced to put straps on Shuster-
witness considered the hours of work en-
tirely too long.
ssThat,s not Dr. Whites fault" replied the
witness .If Congress would appropriate
more money DIR. White would be glad to
use it,
In reply to questions by Representative
Rarchfeld witness Baid he had secured his
position through the civil service. There
was no mental examination.
.sThat's your civil service" remarked Mr..
@Barchfeld, in a tone of disgust.
rt.1 sfx1au ~ q q pfr,rr fha
food.
..Thats a pretty large boarding house."
It would be II cooked In smaller quantities.
Rorer QuIIfuan