The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-21

that time the above evidence was de- duced.
 The session of the commission vas its first and was thoroughly interesting. The meeting was held in the Council Chamber of the City Hal, and was att tended by a fairly large crowd of in- terested Montgomerians.
 Earlier in the day the commission was organized with Representative ]. C.. King as chairman, and Pat McGanIy as 'official stenographer. The members of the commission who were present were Senator Hayes, Representative Arnold, Representative Gaston, Gunter and the chairman. Senator Spragins, of Hunts vile, was delayed in reaching Mon.- gomery, and was. accordingly. present at neither session of the body.
 Eight witnesses had been summoned to appear before the body, but because of the failure of two to appear. J. F.. Stephens, of Dothan, and A. Boutweii, only six testimonies were given. In all of the cases except one, the witnesses had but recently left the hospital. and gave a plain statement of the trsat- ment they received. and of treatment of others with whom they came in con- tact.
 Messrs. Coburn, steps. Winters and Holman, nurses at the hospital, were the chief parties to De denou1ccd by the witnesses, while along wish the denunciation. in most cases, was an assertion that most of these. if not all, had since been discharged by the asy- lum officials.
 None of the witnesses reported a death due to beating at the hands of the nurses. though one of the witnesses was of the opinion that several de- mises were due to harsh treatment. Kicking, fist beatings and broom wield- ing seemed to be the chief cruelties resorted to by the keepers, as reported by the inmates yesterday.
 Only Two Reports of Cruelty.
 G. A. McWilliams. farmer, but for merly sheriff of Prattville. was the first of the witnesses heard. MT. Me- Williams stated that he was sent to the hospital November. 1906. for drunk enness, and that he, was dismissed January. 1907. During that time, he said, he had heard only two reports of cruelty.
 The first cruel treatment that he knew of, the witness stated, was short ly after he arrived at the hospital A man by the name of Fitzpatrick, of ElmorG County. he said, had been suf- fering from the morphine habit, and had been sent to the hospital to eff feet a cure. As a relief to the inmate. MT. McWiliiams stated, he had been deputized to administer medicine to Mir. Fitzpatrick. who on one occasion re- fused to take the treatment.
 The witness stated that he had to call in special nurse by the name of Coburn to administer the drug.
 "When Coburn reached Fitzpatrick's g room," he stated, "the inmate was suffering terribly, and could not be made to take the medicine. When the nurse was unsuccessful in his attempt to administer the potion, the inmate refusing to swallow, Coburn put his foot against the stomach of Fitzpat- rick and said that he ought to die"
 The second occasion referred to by Mir Mcwilliams was a little later, when he. accompanied by friend, was strolling in the hospital yard. In Ward IA, he said. he saw two belliger- cnt patients locked in each others arms. Later he saw nurse rush for ward to separate them. Grasping one of them by the collar, Mir. McWliliams stated, one of the belligerents was hurled down the corridor, kicked and scoffed by a nurse whom he did not know.
 MT. Mcwilliams stated that he had { plenty to eat, but that other patients