The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-15
DEATH OF PATIENTS
 IS FULLY EXPLAINED
Letter of Chairman Jere King of the Legislative Commission to Solicitor Verner-The Prohibition
 Campaign Is Opened.
BY HERVEY w. LAIRD.


 Tuscaloosa. September 14-(speciaL)- The grand jury made final report of It's labors to Judge Henry B. Foster today and were discharged.
 The most interesting feature of the re- port was the declaration that after a careful investigation of the charges against officers and nurses of the Bryce Insane hospital, the jury is unable to find testimony on which to base any in- dictnent
 The jury had the following to say in it's report in regard to the hospital in vestigation and what action it took in consequence of the suggestions of the in- ycstgation committee of the legislatures "on Friday morning of this week the solicitor of this court received letter from the Hon. Jere C.. King of Brming- ham. as chairman of the hospital in vestigation committee which is attached hereto, as part of this report, calling our attention to certain recommendations of that committee. We were surprised not to have received this notification soon CT, and we think that this committee should have also furnished us with transcript of the testimony on which they based their findings and upon which they wished mp to proceed in this matter. However had already taken up this matter of our own motion and had sun,- moned and examined many witnesses etum the reports that had, been elrca-
 .e ,a5ui that institution. Aftet the receipt of his letter we continued the in- rsstisation and in all we examined about
 
 iUet of the hospital and especially in regard to the death of Patients Hines and Kinch Mazengo, who were reported to have been killed by certain nurses. The grand jury in body visited the hospital and spent considerable time in going over the same and examining nurses. patients. and the general conduct of the management and the officers
 We found that the Patient Mazengo who was reported by eX-nurse to have been killed by patient in 1898, died of Aux in August, 1901, after having been confined to the bed for at least four days. We further find that Hines death was ac- cidcntal and was caused by his violent resistance of the nurses in their efforts to subdue him in one of his spells We could find no evidence upon which We could predicate and sustain an indict ment
  unanimously of the opinion that this mat ter should be gone into fully so as to fully and finally determine whether or not there were any cases of i'll treatment of patents where prosecution should be had, and we have found none"
 The King Letter.
 Following is the letter of Hon. Jere C. King to Solicitor C. B. Werner of Tus- caloosa county:
 September F. 1907. Hon C. E. Werner. Tuscaloosa Ala
 Dear Sr-'rhe Alabama insane hospital commission instructed me to give you as solicitor the names of certain parties to have before the grand jury to investigate several matters that were developed by the investigation of the Bryce Insane hospital In compliance with that re- quest l have to say that the commission was advised that Will Horan is said to reside at Meridian, Miss. and is in the employment of some railroad; also Mill ton Harris, who resided at Greensboro, Ala. and who has a brother at that place. and Wallace Jones who is now on ward II in the hospital were all eye witnesses to the killing of John Hines on August 2i 1906 We did not examine the witness Flowers who was a nurse at the time and was also present al the time of the tragedy.
 I think you can develop the fact that there were two wounds or abrasons on Hines body which corroborated the state ment made by Wallace Jones that Hines was stamped to death. You will find that physicians do not agree as to the strength or tenacity of the lining of the stomach. Some physicians say that 1t is very tough and difficult to burst or break, as in the Hines case. while others say that it is comparatively easy when distended. If you could see the bench and place where Hines is said to have been killed, or let the grand jury see it, you could get much clearer idea of the situation. The commission was unanimous in it's conclusion that Hines was not killed by being thrown across bench. as testified to by Nurses Curry and Hewitt
 in your county can give you some inter- esting testimony relative to the death of some patient whom he said was killed in 1899. An examination of this witness will develop the name of the patient, or his name can be found on the record of the hospital. as well as the date of this homicide.
 also suggest that you examine Ern- est Thomas. the supervisor of the poor house of Tuscaloosa county. who will detail to you some very eliminating testimony relative to the death of Joseph Burka on July 14 1902 He gave the name of John Durrett, who also resides fin your county as a witness who cor foborated his testimony. Some members of the commission thought Johnson received injuries which had something to do with his death in August 1906. The testimony of two of the witnesses. that of Philip Broth CTS. very intelligent man who is now fin the hospital on ward II. and H. M. Harton, who resides in Birmingham, in- dicated very clearly that the man was killed. A majority of the commission, hcuaver. was of the opinion that he