The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-06
FIND FOUL DOORS
HOSPITAL FOB INSANE NOT
KEPT CLEAN.
Filthy Dishes and stenches in Dining
Room-Further Probe Into Death
of Enoch Silvers.

committee TO the state Hospital lot Lne
Insane was fruitful of some discover
les that brings the hospital manage
ment into further bad light.
The inspection was not ex-
pected by the hospital attaches,
and in some instances the condition of
the surroundings of the institution was
not what should be expected, especial
ly at this time. Several of the MEM
bers of the committee expressed them
selves as surprised at some Of the
places in and about the building. .es-
pecially the dining rooms, where, In
each case, there was a very disagree
able odor which none of the attendants
could explain.
While this odor was noticeable in
every dining room. the room Itself APP
peared to be in a clean condition in
all save one, in which one of the com
mitteemen discovered several dishes
upon the tables in a filthy condition.
In the yards where the patients exer-
else the grass was long and had the
appearance of not having been attend
ed to this season. 1t was also notice.
able thai old hats, papers and rags had
been allowed to lie in some of the cor
ners and along the walls and fences.
NJ AAC lDbtILOtIOlAB lAO INST NtiDC0G
called was DR.. Sandy. He said he had
charge of 225 patients: fifteen acute.
the rest chronic. He told of the bath
ing facilities for the patients. and said
each patient was bathed once each
week, and oftener if it was found nee
essary.
Q.-Is 1t true that fifteen or more
battle in the same water? A.--Don't
believe it.
Continuing, DR.. Sandy said forty of
his patients had typhoid fever, and
that the last death took place on Sat
urday, July rs. Mr.. Backes then took
up the matter of DR.. Sandy absenting
himself from the institution during the
typhoid epidemic, and he said that he
left the institution by the permission
of DR.. Ward, and with he understand
ing that he would return if it was
found necessary. He then told Of his
receiving a telegram that his mother
in-law was i'll, and of her subsequently
dying. He also toll of the condition of
his wife and their infant child. He
said hat he mad written to DIR. Ward
during his bsence from the institution
and that he inquired as to whether 1t
was necessary for him to return. In
Cd0Il 1dDC LIZ Old mn ina ~
was not necessary for him TO return,
and that he CDR. Ward) would send
for him when it was absolutely nee
essary.
Mr.. Backes then asked DR.. Sandy
IL he knew anything about the patient
Silvers, and he said he did not; that
he was not under his care. Mr., Backes
then called for the production Of the
| hoz0ffoI aaaa l1oI- and hoA nr Condu
read from the book as to the condition
Of Silvers. The book showed that Sill
vers insisted upon taking his clothing
off, and that he would refuse food,
fearing that 1t contained poison. Mr..
Backes then asked DR.. Sandy to ex-
anime the case book and see IL there
was anything contained therein which
would Indicate that Silvers was a
violent patient. DIR. Sandy replied that
there was not. 1t was very evident
that MI. Backes was e~ndeavcring to
prove that Silvers was not such a pa
tient as would give the attendants
trouble, and that it would not be nee
essary to even handle him roughly.
Mr.. Backes then called Supervisor
Wynne and endeavored to compel him
to admit that a person named John
Doe, who recently died at the institu-
ton through falling from a tree met
his death by having been scared into
climbing into the tree by one of the at
tendants playing a hose upon him. Mr..
Wynne denied this and said that the
man climbed the tree before the at
tendant was able to get to him, and
that while he was in the tree he worked
himself out on a small limb and fell to
the ground and was injured to such an
extent that he died the following day.
He admitted, however, that the man
was in the tree for over two hours, and
said the reason they did not climb the
tree was that they were afraid, If they
followed him, he would climb further
and might get on a small limb and fall.
Mr.. Backes also endeavored to show
that an INDECENT patient, John s.. Gray,
of Neshanic, who died at the institu-
ton, was shipped to his home in a
filthy condition. Mr.. Wynne insisted
that the body was washed and clean
clothing put upon it, as in all other
cases. This phase of the case will, in
all likelihood, be taken up tomorrow, as
1t is understood that relatives of the
dead man will be here to testify as to
the condition of the body and the
clothing when Ii arrived at Neshanic.
DIR. e. B. Funkhauser was next sworn
and, in answer to questions by Mr..
Backes, said that he remembered the
time when Enoch Silvers died at the
institution, and that he was not a ro-
bust man. He denied absolutely that
he had any information that Silvers's
death was caused by a brutal attack
by two attendants. He also denied that
he had any knowledge of the reasons
for the dismissal of the attendants,
Singleton and Skinner. He said, how
ever. that he reported them to the
medical director because they could not
explain to him satisfactorily the cause
of several bruises upon the body of
Silvers. DR.. Funkhauser said that he
did not believe the bruises were the
cause of Silvers's death. When ques-
toned In connection with DIR. Wards
testimony, that he instructed Funk
hauser to notify Mrs, Silvers of her
husbands condition. DR.. Funknauser
said:
II did not understand that [ was to
notify Mrs. Silvers, because DR.. Ward
had her address. 1 had her old adj
dress, therefore | could not send her
word until DIR. Ward furnished me with
the new address,"
BETTER FOOD FOR