Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05
SOME WITNESSES EXAMINED
Stories Of Brutal Treatment Of Pa
tients.
COMPLAINT MADE TO DIR. WHITE
In It at First-Stories Of How
They Were Wrung Out.

Elizabeth's Insane Asylum was begun In
earnest this morning by the Olcott special
committee appointed by Speaker Cannon.
The committee sat from 10 o'clock until
noon and heard nearly a dozen witnesses.
some of whom testified to the Ill treatment
OF patients who worked in the hospital
laundry. Other witnesses testified that
Foreman Edward L. Maenche Of the laun-
dry was frequently drunk and incapacitated
for duty and that Henry Satteraeld. one Of
the employees in the laundry habitually
leased patients to make them angry and
excited and then punished them for be-
coming So None Of the promised sensa-
lions was sprung at today's session The
committee will resume its sessions at 10
o'clock Monday morning.
Mr.. Burrows Testimony.
James L. Burrows, formerly an employe
in the hospital laundry. testified that after
seeing a number of instances of brutality
toward patients he went to DR.. White
superintendent of the institution. about the
matter, but was accorded scant attention.
Later, however, after the Medico- Legal
Societys charges had been published DR..
White Burrows testified, sent for him ana
wanted to take up the matter.
Chairman Oleott wanted to know why
Burrows hadn't interfered when. he saw
patients brutally treated. The witness re-
piled that the foreman had been present
at the time and that 1t wasn't any or his
(Burrowso affair. Finally. the witness
said, conditions got so bad that he went to
Dr. White with his story. but got no salts
faction.
Burrows testified that Foreman Maenohe
was drunk a good deal OF the time he
had also reported this to DR.. White. So faf
as he knew Maenche was still foreman OF
the laundry He had reported Maencne
Burrows said, because on one occasion the
Il .v,1
foreman had got drunk ana kspt . IN. 80, w
the female employees in his office for two
hours. cursing them and saying things
to them that no gentleman would say 10 d
lady"
Burrows testified. In reply to questions
by members of the committee that Satter-
field previously mentioned as one OF the
employees in the laundry, had wrung out
a patient-that Is, that he wrapped tower
around the patients neck and chokeo iiiin
by twisting the towel.
Spencer Herbert's Evidence.
Spencer Herbert Of GIG Sd street south
west. an employe Of the asylum laundry
from September. 1903, to September, looo
and now a street car conductor. was next
sworn He had seen one patient In a can
vas straightjacket, one patient strapped IN
bed and one patient with leather handouts
on. He had never seen Foreman Maenche
drunk while on duty, but had seen HIM In
toxfcated once in the grounds. he hao seen
patients ill-treated. but had never attempt
ed to interfere. He didn't bother with the
patieuts. He had seen De Sales Lyon, one
of the attendants, wiring out a patlen.
on one occasion. Lyon was still employed
at the hospital. Patients We're nl-treateo
in the laundry. witness said BY naS S,a
new an employe was one of the Offenders
In this regard Satterfield had also done
this.
Patients Kicked and Cuffed.
7 s. McMurray of 515 9Th street south
west. an employee of the asylum laundry
from September %. 1901, to January @@'
1905 was sworn. He had seen patients
badly treated but never severely hurt. NC
Murray gave the names OF several patiehts
he had seen cuffed, slapped ana kckeu
around by Satterfield. Willard sidney anu
Others. The witness said that Satterileio -
particular would make the patents ansIy'
and then punish them. He had nearo fole-
man Maenche threaten to nave amy en-
pIoye discharged who ul-treateo pa.leh'
McMurray testified that he hao seen Vi
man Maenche drunk on duty numoer Oh
times. 80 haan dis
witness admitted that he had Deen als,
charged Seven charges had been proiefieu
AGAINST him five of which were ignored.
Remaining charges were that he had at
tempted to strike a patient, ana 1nat he
had wasted materials In the Laundry NC
Murray also charged extravagant purchases
of washing machinery for st. Elizabeths.
Grace Tippett. an employe OF the asylum
laundry since September /. 1903. testified
that she had seen patients badly treated.
Once Satterfield had thrown a patient
choked him. She had never seen the fore
man drunk.
Praised by DR.. Ford Thompson.
DR.. ]. Ford Thompson testified that for
more than thirty years he had been visiting
the asylum at intervals in his capacity as
consulting surgeon and had never seen
anything to complain of. He thought st.
Elizabeth was a model institution-the
finest OF It's kind in the world. The adj
ministration of the institution, In his opin-
ion was adj that 1t should be.
I'm all these years you have been visiting
the asylum what complaints have come to
your ears?' asked Representative Smyser.
None at ALL replied DR.. Thompson.
Nellie Dement,. an employe OF the laun-
dry for six years. testified that she had
seen patients abused Letterf1eld had beat
en- and kicked a patient named Alfonso
Ro;lin, on one occasion hurting the patient
badly She had not seen Foreman Maenche
drunk.
Saw No Brutal Treatment.
Ode Bull. for fourteen years an employee
In the laundry OF the asylum. testified that
he had never seen patient brutally treat
ed and he had never noticed that Maenche
was ever intoxicated.
Gertrude Hazel, chainbermaid at the
institution for seven years also said that
she had never witnessed any acts of bru-
tality toward the patients.
Ernest K1etsch. who was employed in the
laundry from May. 1903 to September. 1905.
and now fireman at the Department OF
Agriculture testified that he had seen Fore
man Maenche drunk while on duty many
times. He didn't consider the latter At
man for the position. Witness had not seen
patients treated brutally.
This completed the list OF witnesses sum-
moned by the committee for today's ses-
sion. Mrs. e. A. Ogg asked to be heard.
however and her request was granted. She
testified that her husband had been sent to
the asylum. suffering from melanch0lia but
was now sane She wanted him at home,
but DIR. White would not release him.
HE Is as sane as am" she declared. IT
went to see DIR. White about my husband
and he was barely civil to me-
Mrs. Ogg was advised that the commit
tee had no Jurisdiction in tho matter, and
that II she believed her husband to b sane
she should bring action before the proper
authorities to secure his release.
The committee then adjourned until Mon
day morning at 10 o'clock
Walter Welman to Test Airship.