Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-15
whether the board of visitors had ever been
through or not

n. u. Aahuo.
H. B. LaRue of Baltimore. from May to
August of 1905 patient at St. ElIzabeth's
was next called. He had also been pa
tent at the institution In 1896 How did
you come to go to the asylum this last
timer" asked Chairman Olcott.
"Pm trying to find out" replied the wit
ness.
LaRue said he didn't even know the COM
plainants name or anything about the pro-
ceedings by which he was committed. His
home was In New York. and he was taken
into custody while attending the interna-
tional railroad convention In Washington
last May. LaRue said he had been rail-
road man all his life.
Witness said he had written seventeen
letters to his family and mailed them In
regular United States letter boxes. Not
one of them had ever been delivered
Finally through the courtesy OF DR.. Stack
he got a letter through to his wife, The
latter came to Washington with LaRue's
son the chief claim agent OF the Delaware
1ackawanna and Western railroad. who got
him out. LaRue declared he was taken out
of the asylum without any court proceed
ings whatever.
"A great change has come over the hos
pital since DR.. Godding's time. DR.. God
ding saw every patient every Sunday morn
ing. i never saw DIR. White to my knowl-
edge. while l was there.
LaRue declared that he had been badly
treated by an attendant named Hogan.
The latter said that on one occasion when
lie had been roughly handled, Hogan
told him that 1T was by order of the
physicians.
There are some things you do not care
to divulge, are there not?" asked Mr..
Smyser.
Yes replied the witness.
You have had various dealings with
big affairs, have you not?" inquired Mr..
Smyser.
Il have" replied the witness briefly. 81
secured the contract for the Brooklyn
bridge"
This is the beginning" said Mr.. La
Rue as he left the stand. "of some very
interesting proceedings.
Mr.. Marshall's Testimony.
Lewis J. Marshall of Philadelphia, from
May %. 1904, to June 5, 1905, an inmate
of St. Elizabeth's, said he had been ar
rested on Pennsylvania avenue because
he mentioned to policeman that he was
going to make a speech at Market space
I at one of the Sunday religious meetings
s held there. In the witness lapel was a
/. button inscribed Jesus is Coming" After
/ on examination by three police surgeons
he asked that friends living at 315 John
Marshall place be notified. This was not
done. and that evening he was taken to
st. Eiizabeth's. Soon after being admit
ted he saw an attendant named Bernard
: Allen throw a patient to the floor.
49, In reply to questions by Chairman OIL
. colt the witness admitted that when ar
! adopted by him a public protest
against the dishonest acts of officials Of
the United States government
AT this point the committee decided that
: they didn't care to hear anything further
from the witness and he left the stand I'M
der protest
A C. Hayden. an attendant at st. Eliza
beth'S for the past thirteen years. teStfhed
that he had never seen attendants treat
patients cruelty. The food could be i'm
proved. 1t was wholesome, but not. very
u had ffna1 l.txf rf1t &c
on the table, but had soiled fruit
served without washing
He had helped TO restrain patients, but
always in a humane manner. He regarded
all the methods of restraint used in the
asylum humane in character. Hayden
did not consider the force of attendants
at the asylum to be adequate.
rs your salary adequate7' asked Repre-
sentative Hay.
"As an attendant I receive $780, re-
piled the witness, land $3.50 extra month
for playing in the aggregation known as
the asylum band" Uaughter)
Hayden had seen DR.. White In his ward
only twice since a year ago last October
He had never seen the board OF visitors
through the place.
He wAD Of the opinion that the classical
ton of patients at the asylum was not
proper. For instance. he thought that one
half of the patients in his ward should be
somewhere else He lived in constant dread
of hurting a violent patient in handling
him alone.
Moreover. I would report any instance
of cruelty TO a patient. even If my brothers
were concerned.
Complained of Lack of Help.
Witness said he had complained about
the lack of help. No change had been made
as result.
II am afraid / am too N / of a kicker"
said Hayden. But 1 felt that this lack of
help worked a hardship upon patients as
well as atteudants''
Hayden further said that with sufficient
help the use of restraints could be obviated
In many instances. Most of the attendants
the witness said, were country youths, who
had never seen an insane man before.
Have you got better class of employees
at the institution since 1t has been under
civil service?"
No. sir. replied the witness emphat-
ically.
1.-The civil service examination has been
waived there since 1897" Hayden said.
But l believe that nothing should be left
undone to INQUIRE into the moral and other
characteristics of the attendants.
Moreover the conditions should be i'm
proved. The hours Of service are by far
too long.
The housing of the male nurses and at
PENDANTS Is very poor. They have the dormi-
tory system.or eight or nine beds very close
together In my dormitory there is just one
chair
ihSit mas pe>H so fTuCn TO complain OF
that don't know that 1 have got around to
all of the things. l have tried to induce
DIR. Richardson and DR.. White to better the
conditions at st. Elizabeth's
Il have found that DIR. White Is much
opposed to any change of hours or any di-
v1ding of responsibility among those in
charge OF the wards"
Hayden told the committee that the force
OF attendants had been twice reduced since
Or. White took charge. The reduction was
between or 10 Der cent. DIR. Richardson
Just before his DEATH asked for 100 addi-
tonal attendants and nurses. After Dr.
White took charge. instead OF an Increase
the force was reduced
Hayden said that the wage scale at the
asylum was not rs good as il was thirteen
years ago.
lis 1t true inquired DR.. Barchfeld that
this asylum has great a ratio of attend
ants 10 patients as any in the country
Il don't know" replied Hayden.