The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-10
Calls fot investigation of the Alabama Insane HOSpi-
 tai at Tuscaloosa
STARTLING AFFIOAVITS
 ARE FILEO IN HOUSE
Former Nurses and Inmates of lnstl- tuition Make Charges of Cruelty Against Attendants That
 Are Incredible.

Montgomery. July 9.-(Specal.) )-Sensa- tional charges are made against attend ants of the Alabama Insane hospital at Tuscaloosa by several former nurses and former patients, in anldayits filed with the house of representatives today by Representative Jere King of Jefferson county, the charges being that several pa tlents were beaten and choked to death; that many are cruelty treated and that the food is poor and insufficient.
 Representative King offered resolu- tlon which was referred to the rules com- mittee, calling for a committee of five, three from the house and two from tho senate, to investigate the charges, and report to the governor.
 One of the affidayits was from H. s. Ward of Birmingham, who was a nurse in the hospital from June to November, 1905. 'I have seen nurses kick patients in the stomach in the halls of the institution. l know patients are very poorly fed and don't see how they live on tho food given them'
 Patients Stripped Naked.
 A. ]. Newton of Fayette, who was a nurse nine days during May. 19os says he was so disesisted with the way patloG were treated he quit whA. T saw iivs or six patients punished while there, he said "G saw one patient kicked in the stomach by nurse named Hill, and the man was knocked on tho floor. have seen patients stripped naked and put in tno cross hall, which has no furniture in 1t, and the room is dark with nothing To sleep on. l have seen patients so hungry that they would fish bread from slop barrel to get something to eat
 One Patient Killed.
 I D Neighbors of Hulls, says he was q nurse from November, 1902, to November 1905. "The diet is never changed for break fast and supper" he says This diet con sIsts of one piece of light bread with 6 spoonful of corn grts, and spoonful oP stewed beef At supper the bread grits were the same and to this
 added a poor quality of syrup At dlnier was added one kind of vegetables When | the board of trustees were coming they would make grand preparations Tor extra fare. and the patients were always siau for the trustees to visit the institution TOT inc reason that they could get something | axtra to eat There would be dt least three times as m-ch when the tras- toos ,vould come to the institution as tbore uo,ild be on regular days regard the management there as Tear full"
 l. Beaird of Avonda.e says that he was q patient at different lnterVals sun Sentember l6 1904, and May 2 l90t sd" H,.il1,am Todd. a patient from Jefferson l county beaten and cnoiroa into insensibli- itv and then his head put into "ater ing trough where cattle were "atereu'
 he said '',This was in the butcher pen '"', I saw this man Todd beaten anu InoNeu down frequently at the reservoir DS "'' .DI,,,a n,,rses until he was insensible
 ..T heard the nurses beating John lfihas of Iauderdale county and saw nm NoHli' | blood after the beating rms was pet" 5
 9 and 1 o'clock in the afternoon anu
 Lalnod dress him that night atter n'
 dicd This patient was stamped 10 ueaeh , | waited on him after he was staiiip'' ann heaten by trying to carry nm sol'i'
 ahu a.,,. inc nurse would not let hin ha,5e the water This nurse or superNlso
 ,sas named McDu6. patient naihe'
 sam Rodgers of Faunsdale, was so pau 1 beaten by a man I1med Daniels thaa IT ,
 han to be carried 10 the sick ward Ill
 ,,.as in January. 1907. and thls patlen
 was still suffering from theSe ,"Jui " { and confined to this sick ward "he a ioft in May i also heard or Johnso . hainy beaten to death. It was comIno
 tau. in the hospital that Johnson wa T ,nurdered have seen Wallace 1one @ neaten with razor strops. broom s'icN n and gas sticks and choked many tinles'
 have seen a patient, little boy ndiiie
 Joe Townsend, about IA Seai9 VI a'.l h beoteu almost every day. ThlS boy "oui
 cry and beg while the nurse was pea V tas htrn." He also spoke of the TOO 'i, as being poor
 Beaten lnsensiole.
 n II NJ uarton of Birmingham, wh sr was all inmate for two years secure IS nis release by habeas corpus. er ua said that within fifteen minute l. after was received into that institute l. was beaten into insensibility by an le tendant named McDun and left locked .. a room without any furniture when " rscovered sufficiently from the shock ,d .st trattne found that 1 was almo K. trozen and perfectly nude and was l 4r ia on the floor | became very st no nd vonited a half pint of blood. he l zoe tben given a bath fin water tn
 was freezing cold After a few days nm was removed to the sick hall. Wh ed there : was beaten over the neao w .a b,,,ch of large keys and nearly chok os ,o death by one attendant nam IS. Tucker" nd He said he saw patient named Jon i son of Chambers county beaten to dea
 He saw Dr. Bondurant of unionto'
 beaten severely in August and he died
 few days afterward. He states that
 aog, minister named Paulk beaten red death in September 1906 by attendan ln- sla, that pr. Due of Birmingham V