The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-25
PATIENT KILLED BY BEATING
INSANE HOSPITAL SCANDAL
HUSHED " NEW JERSEY.
Dr. John W. ward Admits That Enocb Sill
Vers Dted ~ Injuries Received From
Two Attendants Told Judge Vroom
About n-Assailants Allowed 10 60.

Vers Dlrd az Injuries Received From
WI Attendsnss-TOld Judge VrOOn
About h-Assaiiants Allowed 10 90.
TRENTON. July ?4.-Dr. John W. Ward,
medical director OF the New Jersey State
Hospital for the Insane in this city admitted
to the Assembly investigating COMMITTEES
to-day that a patient in the institution had
been 90 beaten by two attendants that he died
shortly after. One Of the attendants held
him while the other administered blows
upon various vital organs.
Under a sharp DISCRIMINATION John II.
Backus, counsel for the committee, obtained
from DR.. Ward the admission that so far
AZ he knew no steps had been X 70
prosecute the offenders. although IL was
shown that they had not acted IN sell
defence and that the beating from which
the patient died was OF a brutal character.
DR.. Ward said that he reported the affair
at once Il Judge q. ID. w. Nroom OF the
New Jersey Court OF Errors and Appeals,
who is also president OF the board OF mana
gers Of the hospital, but It seemed TO be the
judgment Of the board that the occurrence
should be hushed up TO prevent a public
scandal. As a consequence the guilty.
attendants went scot free.
In leading up to this part Of the inquiry
Mr.. Beckes asked DR.. Ward II he had known
a mar named Enoch Silvers who was as
saulted and beaten at the hospital ana
rs. 1905. DR.. Ward answered In the afhr1n-
alive. He said Silvers was ABOUT %
years old, lived in Trenton ana .Deslues
being insane when he was adinitten 20
the hospital a short time. before was IN
poor health physically. Silvers, DR.. Ward
said. was under the charge Of two attend
ants. Frank r. Singleton and W, 3. skinner;
Both had left the hospital and Ut waro
was unable 10 give their present addresses.
They beat Silvers TO death, did they
not, doctor2" ask ed Mr.. Backee.
II don't think he died Immediately from
the results Of the ~maltreatment." replied
DR.. Ward. They did maltreat him ana
/ knew Of it and investigated it at once
He was n sick man. r
They maltreated a sick man.
Yes. sir"
I'VE send our sick and mentally infrm
to an institution and they are beatenE
"Yee, il is horrible to me-
-In what way did they maltreat himT
They beat him with their fists. i suppose
Singleton admitted that he struck him'
Skinner said he held him. ,
WAS he grossly beaten. severely beaten
THAT was my impression at the time:
would he have died at the time II he
had not been beaten!'
Il think not"
Then the beating was the immediate ana
direct ca use OF his death"
Yes, l should say So
DIR. Ward then admitted that II death
resulting from a beating was murder
Silvers had been murdered by the two
attendants The doctor said he went
directly 70 the home Of Judge Vroom and
reported the matter. he could not recan
Judge vroom's exact language. but SAD
the Judge deplored the occurrence ano Was
much disturbed. because Silvers was the
husband Of a person to whom his iamhly
was in some way attached: Dr., "aru
said he did not realize that by failing TO
report the death TO the public authorizes
he had made himself an accomplce.
In answer to questions by Assembly
man Perkins, DIR. Ward said the attendants
were not acting in self-defence. Silvers,
he said, war uncleanly in his habits, n
he presumed that was the cause OF the beat,
ing. MIR. Backes asked II he tolerated
the punishment Of insane people. and DIR.
Ward replied that he did not. There was no
justification. he said for striking a patient
except in self-defence.
DIR. Wards Investigation showed that
Silvers had serious injuries about the abdo-
men and heart caused by the blows OF the
He could not say he had
been kicked. but said that he had been
s~dreadfully abused" with all that that ex-
preston implies. The doctor had seen
no sign that n weapon or any other lnsIru-
ment than the fists had beer used. When
he saw Silvers he was in a stupor. from
which he did not ecove
The committee also continued ITS m
v~estigation of the epidemic OF typhoid
fever at the hospital which has resulted in
FEN deaths since last April. From the
testimony Of DIR. Ward il was made plain
that since the appointment OF a warden
who shares Responsibilities with the medical
director there has been friction between the
officials to such an extent that zach
insists upon the other confining himself
strictly within his own jurisdiction
As a result the medical director, who is
supposed to see that proper and clean
food is furnished to the patients, has not
visited the kitchens Of the institution Tor
two years. his jurisdiction beginning when
the food comes TO the dining rooms. For
a similar reason the medical director would
not visit and inspect the COW stables, which,
il was supposed, might have been the cause
Of the pollution of the spring from which
the water supply was obtained and which
was responsible presumably for the spread
Of the typhoid fever.
Prosecutor William J. Crossley Of Mercer
county said tonight that the facts con-
nected with the death OF Silvers had never
been brought to his attention. Had he
known Of the affair he said that a thorough
Investigation would have followed. Mr..
said he would confer with Mr..
Bockes and would present the facts to the
next Grand jury.