The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-08
Hospital Investigators
 Report. TWO VIOLENT DEATHS
 LEFT WITH GRAND JURY Commission Insists More Money
 is Necessary. Suggestions for Improved system in Many Respects fin Various Depart 1ents Contained in Summary of Evidence Adduced
 From Nurses and
 Patients.

The commission to investigate the charges against the Bryce Hospital for the Insane, in its final report submit ted to the Governor last night, declares that 1t Is of the opinion that the in- stitution is one of the greatest and most valuable of its kind in the South. and indeed a place where the people may safely entrust their afflicted and unfortunate"
 At the same time the commission finds that acts of violence have been done by the nurses and 1t recommends that the grand jury of Tuscaloosa county investigate the death of young John Hines in the hospital and the testimony of G. M. Cornelius in ref erence to Nurse Montgomery and the death of an unknown patient in the hospital
 In this connection 1t Is interesting to note that the Hines case has al- ready been investigated by coroner's jury which exonerated the nurse.
 It is pointed cut in the report that 1t is impossible that in an institution of the magntude of the Bryce Hos pitaIs there should not be eases of violence, and that it was the deliberate judgment of the commission that whatever acts of violence described in the testimony as having occurred were not due to neglect or inefiicfency on the part of the superintendent or his corps of assistants and supervisors, but rather to the tact that in his null tiplieity of duties the supervisor could not possibly keep his eye upon the nurses all the time.
 The report declared that much testi- mony had been adduced charging Win ters and Holman, two nurses of the hospital, with cruelties and large part of the charges against the man agement Of the hospttal had been based upon allegations mde against these two men, who had been discharged before the investigation began.
 C& the greater number of the nurses not a word of complaint had been reg istered. The commission recommends that the power of the nurses be so lm- ited that they will not be authorized to put any patient in cross hall with out the consent of the supervisor.
 Death From Natural Causes.
 Of most of the sensational mur- der charges made by patients and ex- patients the commission found no truth. Witnesses of this character had testified as to the death of Messenger, PauIk, Johnson, Harrison, Bondurant, Hines and Due. Except as to the case of Hines, which the commission recom- mended be investigated, the comr11ls- sion found that no charge had been based upon anything resembling the truth. All these men with the excep- tion of Hines came to their death from natural causes.
 The Mrs. Allen who was said to have killed, never had any existence In fact except in the minds Of the patients or ex-nurses who gave testimony
 The most important feature of the renort Is contained in that part of IL which declares that the State should be more liberal in the treatment Of the hospital The amount now appro- priated to the support of each patent ia S3 a week and out of this must come food clothing, medical treatment, nurse hire and supervision. In the ounion of the commission the amount is too small
 Tne Commission recommends a bet ter variety of food. It is declared in the report that evidence was intro duced to show that the food was not hefore the investigation of sufficient variety or quantity and that 1t had been improved since the investigation started At the same tme the Com mission states that the finding Is based upon the testimony of patients and ex- patients, while the hospital autnorl- ties enter a denial of it.
 Evidence of Inmates.
 It is evident from the report that the Commission accepted testimony from the inmates of the hospital ana that 1t had weight in the findings. The report explains that the Commission has. however, been loath to make find ings upon such testimony, unless 1t was corroborated by other evidence of A clrcumstantial or direct nature.
 The report shows, though, that some of the evidence of the inmates was taken by the Commission and incor- porAted in the Teport' though this wa@ otbar Imnortant recommendation of inc report is that number of dement, ed old people should be removed from the hospital and sent to the county almshouses, where they properly be- long Several hundred of the patients of the hospital, the report says. are of this class. and the State should be re- lieIed of their care.
 In the detail of the management Of the hospital the Commission made several recommendations. For one thing 1t said there should be better classih- cation of the patients in the dining rooms. so that the cleanly and un- cleanly patients should not be made to eat together. The suggestion Is also made that the diping room windows should be screened as protection against flies. a precaution which has not yet been taken.
 The question of Intelligent, kind and skilled nurses gave the Commission considerable thought It came to the conclusion that the nurses should have in expectancy higher salaries as soon as they became skilled in their du- ties. This would prevent in measure the recurrence of the acts of violence that had taken place, in Ward and Ward IA, the violent wards of the hos pital.
 As a means of carrying out its rec ommendation the Commission urges the State to give $4 a week for the care of each patient instead of $3 week, the amount paid under the existing law.
 Report ia a Compromise.
 The report Is in the nature of a com promise It is not sensational It does not sustain the terrible charges that were originally made. Nor does the