Bisbee daily review., 1906-05-13
TIE AsyLum SCANDAL.

rNS 1S
 Arizona has been in the past sig asisy free from official scandal The ruio has been that public officials in this territory have discharged their dx,ies efficiently and honestly. Now, however. the territory has a disgrace ssal scandal in connection with the ter ritorial insane asylum which calls for swift action in the matter of cleaning that institution of these who have by their acts of commission and omis- sien brought disgrace upon themselves .lnd the territory. The first step should be taken by Governor Kibbey in removing every person having even t. senlotest connection with the ins- t.tut.6n who is found to have been rs..igs in his duties. Then the pub lie prosecutor should promptly bring those directly responsible for the bru- ti. treatment of the inmates of this institution before the proper tribunal fer ir.aI
 concSrning this scandal, the Ari- zeaa Republican says:
 '.,The finding Of the grand jury with reference to the affairs of the insane asylum amounts to an indictment of all who have in any way contributed to the depiorable state of affairs the report finds to exist there. The case is row presented to the proper author ities for action, which may result in the punishing of those who are re sponsible for the alleged crimes of commission and omission.
 There is one recommendation in the report which, though commenda- ble. leaves doubt as to whether the grand jury was fully advised of the law providing for the conduct of the asylum. That recommendation was that the board of control, the supreme authority. with power to appoint or remove all officials, in the future make a thorough investigation at least twice year into the manner in which the said institution is being conduct ed The statutes cover this point much more effectively than the grand jury has done. Section 3621, prescrib- ing the powers and duties of the beard, says:
 They (the board) shall make thorough visitation of the asylum monthly Section 3570, relating to the general supervision of the board over all the territorial institutions un- der it's control. provides that it shall visit all these institutions at least cnce every three months
 "The recommendation of the grand iury, however, that semi-annsal ir- specticns be made, can do no harm, and if the beard has been 6erel;ct. it may stimulate it to the full perform ance of the duty imposed by the. law.
 'The report finds that the unfortu- nate patients have feen horribly nal treated by brutal attendants, and that the imperiling of their lives by ignor- ant and lazy attendants had become a common practice.
 Nothing can be more atrocious than the treatment Of some of the vio- lent patients who appear to have been regarded ss unruly animals Their suferings must have been intense. An insane nan is like child in his sus- ceptibility to physical pain. What. then, must have been the suffering of these unfortanates under the weight of tho cuffs. lfcks and chokings by which they were forced into s1bsec- ficn?
 .The report contains disclosures of ca-eiesness which was absolutely criminal; of the misappropr;ating of public property to private use. All this was going on within the know ledge of employees who, though not active participants in the crimes the grand jury finds have been commit ted. have thus, by their silence, be- come accessories.
 An asylum scandal, for an obvious reason, is tho worst Of ail scandals. Happily, scandals of this kind have been comparatively few, and the few have been swiftly followed by pun isbmert
 Tt TOW becomes tho duty of the public prosecutor to follow up the work of the grand jury just as he would follow a formal Indictment for murder CT any other felony. In this