The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-21
Miss Crump Says She Saw Mrs. Allen Choked to
 Death By Nurses
DEFENSE WILL SHOW MRS.
 ALLEN IS STILL LIVING
Numerous Witnesses Heard In Insane Hospital Hearing and Work Will Not Be Completed Before
 Legislature Adjourns.

Like a vivid moving picture was the investigation by the special committee of the legislature into the charges of cruelty against the state asylum for the insane at Tuscaloosa which flashed out here in Birmingham yesterday.
 Only the witnesses against the insti- tuition were introduced, but their testi- mony was of murder and horrible cruel- ties, which can hardly be imagined. How ever Judge J. M. Chiffon promises to introduce testimony which will refute all the evidence, and claims the words those of witness which he will bring forward.
 The ponderous work before the 'com- mittee has hardly yet begun. Not half Ine witnesses have been heard nor will they be until after the legislature has adjourned. The committee, after an ex- ecutive session, adjourned to meet in Montgomery next Tuesday for a confer ence. No witnesses will be examined at that time, but the time for future ses- sions will be set. MT. King stated that there was no possible chance for the committee to finish it's work before the legislature adjourns
 Entire Committee Present.
 Represep tative Jere c. King, chairman, and his committee did not arrive until 111O o'clock yesterday. However, they
 
 Kings office on the fifteenth floor of the Brown-Marx building. The commit tee is composed of King, chairman; Sen ator Spragins of Madison, Senator Hayes of Limestone; Representative Arnold of Calhoun and Representative Gunter of Montgomery. Judge J. M. Chiffon repre- sented the asylum, with the assistance of W. B. Oliver and Representative Sam VIII John. Present also was a brother of Or Searcy from Columbus, Miss.
 It was announced that Dr. Searcy is in Birmingham, but the committee did not see fit to summon him at this point in the investigation.
 Miss Bertie Crump of Crossville was the star witness of the morning. She testified that she had been a nurse at the asylum from January Il to May 99, of this year at work in Ward No. :. When asked if she had seen any cruelty ct the hospital, she dramatically replied that she had seen Mrs. Allen killed.
 Choked Her to Death.
 Sle said that because Mrs. Allen was quarrelling the nurses tried to put her in a cross hall, that five sat on her and choked her until she was black in the face and couldn't speak and that they then attacked her again, trying to make .-er speak, and when Miss Harris be- ,d. e tired of choking Miss Rutherford took her place. After thirty minutes of choking, stamping and mistreatment the unfortunate Mrs. Allen was a corpse. The witness gave the names of the nurses as Lilly Stapp, Emma Watts. Molly Lind sey, Francis Hay, Nancy Harris and Miss Rutherford.
 "The body" she said, Hay on the floor until Dr. Searcy arrived, and the nurses told him that Mrs. Allen tried to hurt them, and died while they were holding her. I told him that those nurses cholied her to death. Dr. Searcy seemed hurt about it, talked to the girls and told them they ought to be discharged. He then told us to say nothing about it, and went out. No one was discharged, and no coroner came to investigate"
 The witness was very bitter against Miss Buck, the supervisor, claiming that she was cruel and high tempered and connected her with numerous incidents.
 q saw them tie pillow cases on my Aunt Bettie Crump's head, put her in d dark cross hall without bit of cloth ing on her, and leave her in there four days without any attention whatever, and no food but bread and water. This was done by Miss Davis, Lizzie Parker and Willie Sullivan.
 q saw three nurses sit on Mrs Attrig, while Mrs. Price took off her shoe, and whipped her over the head with 1t until she bled. I saw Mrs. McRae knocked out of the dining room with a chair by Mrs. Price because she talked aloud.
 Choking Is Regular Habit.
 "The general atmosphere is one of cruelty and it is a regular habit to choke patients to insensibility in order to sub due them.
 Miss Brown was hit with a chair by Miss Viola Jourdan. Misses Lindsey. Hayes and Harris knocked another wo- man down, stamped on her, hit her with a chair, and she went to a sick ward from her injuries, all because she sang too much Mrs. Mcdonald was pulled across the Hall by her hair, whipped with a shoe, knocked down in the bath room, because she stood around in the way
 Misses Ida Driver, Ida Taylor, Francis Greer, Minnie Greer and Georgia Sul- livan. When the patients make complaint to the doctors they pay no attention, and Dr. Searcy just scratches his head.
 'I reported the manner in which they mad at me. They started to put me Tn another ward, and Miss Buck asked me to say nothing about what I had seen. The nurses took out their spite on me and I left.
 MT Oliver asked if she was not dis charged on account of a letter from d woman who stole things at the asylum, and that she had gone off with a man and further questioned her about where she has been stopping in Birmingham, and what she has been doing. He asked for an executive session in order to put some private questions.
 Asked About the Feed. All the witnesses were asked about the