The Washington times., 1906-05-15
Attendants Testimony at
Hospital Hearing This
Morning.
LEFT HELP INADEQUATE
More Evidence to Show
Abuse of Patients Sub
mitted to Committee.

DR.. William A. White, superintendent
OF the Government Hospital for the In
sane. has twice reduced the force of at
tendants of the institution since he took
charge Of IT. and has made II inadequate
TO properly handle the patients confined
there. according TO the sworn testimony
Of Albert Hayden. now employed as an
attendant of the asylum.
Mr. Hayden testified today TO this ef-
feet before the special Congressional
committee investigating the institution.
Mr.. Hayden made the statement that
when one of these reductions was made
he protested 20 DIR. White, who promised
that II should last only for the re-
mainder Of that year. The reduction,
however, became permanent.
Additional testimony was given that
patients OF the institution were cruelty
treated, choked. and beaten with a
wire
None Of Dr. Whites witnesses was ex-
amined. and II is thought that his wit
nesses VIII not begin 10 testify until to-
morrow mornings session.
Told by an Attendant.
A. c. Heyden. an attendant at the
asylum. In the beginning OF his testi-
mony. said he know directly OF no
cruelties to patients
The food given patients, he declared.
'ccr.d be improved on" although he
/ thought 1t generally wholesome.
I have seen DR.. White IN my ward
twice IN the last eighteen months" said
/ Mr.. Hayden. 7 have never saen the
board of visitors In my ward at all"
lie thought the cIassfficat ton OF
patients at ST. EIizabeth.s incorrect
He was Of the opinion that a recIassi-
ncatioH would help many patients. He
does not have sufficient help in his ward,
ne said OF this he had complained 10
Dr. White and one other physician.
To this no heed had been paid.
The witness then made the statement
that DIT White, since taking charge of
the institution, has reduced the number
OK attendants in charge of patients
ms ms, me ne SAID, worked hardship on both
attendants and patients,
mere are thlrty-two patients in nv
] ward, said Mr. Hayden, cared for nv
Two men, and on an average OF three
GAYS q week one man has 10 look after
/ those thirty-two patients Many of the
/ try youths
He declared there is no civil seryice
| at the institution now The civil sery-
Ice examination has been waived since
Complained of Long Hours.
The long hours are bad" lie con-
/ tinued. They wear out a man and
make him irritable. I sleep in a dormI-
tory where there are nine beds In that
dormitory there IS one chair for the
nine men. That seems pretty rough to
me- The housing conditions Of male
nurses and attendants are bad.
I have complained about the long
hours, but DIR. White told me he would
not only not agree to shorten hours
I but would fight any such idea as an
! eight-hour day for the attendants.
Replying to questions by Mr- Hay,
the witness said DIT. White has twice
reduced the number of attendants At
/ the asylum, once within a year after
DR.. White took charge. and a second
time six months later.
Charles Hayes. formerly in the dairy
and now in the green house of the asy-
lUm, said:
q have seen bad treatment of
patients in the green house. I saw one
attendant try 10 throw a patient down
TO choke him The patient, however.
! tnreW the attendant, and then two en-
| pIoyes helped the attendant 10 get the
/ best or the patient.
No Use to Report Abuses.
'I would have reported this cruelty,
/ but once. about FIVE years ago. I report
ed man. He was fired. but all the at
| teGdants got down on me and for several
months did not speak to me. Anyway. it
wouldn't have done any good to report
| it"
How badly was he hurt?" asked Mr..
Olcott
"Oh." said the witness. ''he was only
chOked"
Mr.. Hayes then swore that there is "a
clique between the bosses out there and
they can do anything they want The
attendants got the rough end Of the deal
There's that fellow Maenche. He's a
noted drunkard, and he can do as he
pleases. l have seen him drunk again
and again Hes noted drunkard.
say. and the chances are the superin-
tendent knows it. He's still there, too
The food also is very bad"
Mrs Malvina Temple SAID her hus-
band was in the asylum from 1901 to De
cember. 1903. He was badly treated. she
said, and she often found him badly
| bruised. Although she had not seen the
attendants infiict these bruises she be-
| heved they were guilty of such cruelty.
Toward the last part Of his stay, she
SAID he had consumption, % d he would
! have lived longer except that his bed
@ Mas SO placed that draughts from the
open door blew upon him constantly.
MIS- Temple believed that his bed cloth
lnS was not properly looked after. She
complained to the attending doctor. but
1t made no difference.
Saw Attendants Kick Patients.
Turner A. Dulany, formerly employed
with the carpenters at ST. Elizabeth's :
| said he had seen patients kicked nv
attendants on several occasions. He said
| this kicking occurred while the patients
were out walking.
! BE did not report it because it would
, have done no good The rule out there
'is TO keep mum" He knew this he
cause once. when he was sick. he had
been rebuked for asking for sick diet. -.
Finally. however, he got the diet he
| wanted.