Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-26
PATIENT GARTNELL
BADLY BEATEN
Testimony Before the 0Icott
Committee Today. .
NURSES AND DOCTORS TALK
Assert He Was the Most Dangerous
Man in the Institution.
WHAT HIS BROTHERS SAY
When They Visited Him Sunday Aft
ernoon- He Was in a Pitiful
Condition
WHAT HIS BROTHERS SAY

the alleged assault made upon William NJ
Gartrell, a survivor Of the Inflated battle
ship Maine and now an inmate OF the Gov
ernment Hospital for the Insane by the at
tendants employed at that institution. All
| the nurses and physicians who had any
knowledge of that case; all who had been
connected with the treatment or care Of
the patient since his admission to the hos
pital on April were called upon to testify
One of Gartrelrs brothers declared that the
patient had been terribly beaten. but this
statement was controverted by testimony
from asylum employees to the effect that
Gartrell was the most dangerous man In
the institution; that he had attacked an at
tendant without warning and that no more
force than was necessary to restrain his
maniacal fury was used.
Philip J. Martin, the hospital nurse who
received Gartrell in his ward Sunday after
noon, told the committee that there were
bruises the patient the back and
jaw and that his nose scratched He
did not consider that these injuries were
in any way serious. Gartrell, Martin said,
was often violent and frequently made ef-
forts to kill other patients. Only this morn
ing the witness had found a piece of tin
concealed in Gartrells blanket, and the
latter declared that he intended 10 cut his
throat with it
What did this man Gartrer tell you
when he was sent to you Sunday after
noon?" asked Representative Smyser.
He said he had tried to kill attend
ant, replied Martin.
F. j. Hawkins. 9n attendant, testified that
.Gartrell is violent and treacherous man.
He is looking for trouble at all times
Story of Restraint
George B. Thorne. night attendant. tes-
titled that last Saturday night he stationed
Attendant Cowhig Gartrelrs door 10
watch the patient carefully. Some time
in the night. he did not remember the ex-
act time he found Cowhig and Gartrell
were struggling. He went to them and
threw Gartrell to the floor. Both GartTell
and Cowhig were bruised and bleeding
when Thorne arrived on the scene. AS soon
as the patient was subdued he had to be
put into canvas Jacket to restrain him
and this had been left on from 9 Clock in
the evening until o'clock the next morn
ing.
BY whose authority was this restraint
applied? asked Representative Hay
put II on on my own responsibility"
replied the witness
Representative Hay then asked how this
could be- inssmuch II had been so fire.
quently testified to before the committee
that restraints were only used on the order
of physician. The witness then told the
committee that, owing to the violent char
acter Of this particular patient, he had re-
ceived Instructions from his head attend
ant TO apply the restraint to Gartrell as
often as in his judgment 1t was neces-
sary.
Cowhig. an attendant, was sworn. He
told the committee that he sitting
quietly in a chair when Gartrell rushed
up and struck him-firSt on the right
cheek and then on the left side of the
head, knocking him CCowhig) down. The
latter then jumped up, he said. and caught
Gartrell by the throat.
'Why?' asked Mr.. SmySer.
Because 1t was the first and only hold
that could get, replied the witness. 7
had to choke him. Mr. Thorne and then
put the jacket on him right away
K. F. Knight, an attendlnt, told the COM
hot ha had
GartrelI make threats of violence and that
the patient was so treacherous and dan
gerous that I special attendant looked after
him all day.
DR.. Glasscock's Story.
DR.. Alfred Glasscock reviewed the
Gartrell case at some length. Gartrell he
said, had many delusions. One of them
was that he was soon TO be married and
that his wife's jewels were to be more
beautiful than those given to Miss Roose-
Welt when she became the wife of Repre-
sentative Longworth. The patient at other
times thought that he had diamond eyes
and tried to tear them out. He frequently
struck himself in the eyes and In the race.
On one occasion he had scratched himseir
from head to foot with a safety pin, and
on another occasion he had removed
buckle from his belt and lacerated his legs
and arms and breast Another time he tore
the outer layer of skin from his hand. DR.
Glasscock considered Gartress 10 be a very
dangerous man, indeed.
Mary Martin, a nurse, gave testimony
along the same lines.
DR. Arthur Fitch, one of the assistant
physicians at the asylum, thought that Gar
trep was the most dangerous man In the
institution He had authorized Attendant
Thorne TO use mechanical restraints on
GartreH whenever in Thorne's judgment 1t
was necessary The patient man of
fel dish cunning. He had attacked Attend
ant Cowhig in the night without warning.
To a Di+if,,l Condition
George B. Gartrell, brother of the pa
tient told the committee that when he Wis
tied his brother at the institution on Sun
day afternoon the latter was In pitiful
condition.
He had been beaten up unmercifully,''
said GartreT. His eyes looked like raw
beef. and / could tell by the marks on his
neck that he had been kicked and choked.
1t was terrible"
The witness said that he had asked an
attendant named Yensey how his brother
came to be in such condition, and Yensey
replied, THE two night men did 1t"
The witness said he then went and got
DIR. Giasscock and they Undressed Gartreli.
the patient. The weight of DIR. Glasscocks
hand on the patients limbs brought forth
cries of agony. Gartrell the witness. told
the committee very emphaticaIly that he
intended to follow the case and prosecute
those guilty of mistreating his brother. He
had never made any complaint about the
institution uD to this time, ana had tnouBnl
that his brother was being well treated, and
that he was getting along very nicely. But
no matter what his brothers condition
might be the witness thought IT was out
rageous for three strapping men. two at
tendants and one tTusty, to jump upon the
patient GartreIl and beat him SO unmerci-
fully
brothers. took the stand. but he added