The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-07

A young wonla, who had been adj
mitted to the asylum from a distant
state, escaped and found shelter with
hard-headed farmer. she told tales
that he not only repeated but de-
manded an investigation of. He had
just been elected to the legislature,
and he declared that when the body
met he would bring its attention to
the cruelty and abuses said to exist in
the institution. Doctor Treat went to
see him and laugh him out of his mo-
ticns.'' but there was no laughing.
The man called at the Argus Office and
demanded the help of it's columns,
and when the editor pooh-poohed his
allegations he threatened to go to the
rival paper. The public heard enough
was finally realized that something
must be done. While the doctor
claimed that there was nothing to con-
ceal, and that he willingly courted the
strictest investigation, and while the
editor of the Argus continued to treat
the stories told by the young woman
as the rawlings of a 1unatic, there was
a delay about the investigation. 1t
was given out that it would be made
after the legislature had convened. A
committee from that body would be
offered every opportunity, and its re-
port must settle everything.
The trick of getting a reporter into
a prison or an asylum for a few weeks
to report on the conditions of affairs
was new thing then, though old
enough now? ION the city staff of the
Argus was a man named Green. He
was bachelor about thirty years old,
and was in charge of the market and
marine reports, Heswas quiet, level
headed fellow and fitted by education
for a much higher position. 1t was he
who came to the editor and suggested
the plot that was carried out. He was
to go to a town a hundred miles. away,
where he had friends, and be sent to
Doctor Treats asylum for treatment
The editor took up the idea, not be-
cause he doubted the doctor, but from
o newspaper standpoint. Green would
find nothing to criticize during his stay
but his articles on life in an insane
asylum would. make good reading. 1t
would be a stroke of newspaper enter
awake. The details of the plot were
worked out. and then Green suddenly
disappeared. 1t was learned from the
editor afterwards that his friends had
him incarcerated in the asylum as a
troublesome person" In plain Eng
lish that meant that he stood between
somebody and property. Two doctors
were found to certify to the. fact that
he was "harmlessly insane" That
meant he was in the way but not ex-
actly given to chopping up people with
an AK His examination bv these doc
tors lasted less than half an hour.
They felt of his pulse, looked into his
eyes and asked him how old George
Washington was when he died and who
first discovered the moon. At that
time there were no court proceedings
before sending a person away to a
private asylum, although the legisla-
ture had the right to inspect them.
The editor continued to visit the
doctors retreat andYto assure him that
he believed in his integrity, but each
time he went,out there he managed to
secure a brief interview with Green.
In fact, he was handed written re-
port of what had been seen and heard.
Why none of these reports-twel--e in
all.were ever published, will be ex-
planned later. ~rreen had not gone to
the asylum to dissemble. He an
nounced on his arrival that he was
perfectly sane, and he continued to
talk and act like any sane man. His
friends had agreed to pay $25 per
week for his keen and limited that
they should not withdraw him for at
Least five years.
For the first three days he was we'll
treated. Then he was called into the
doctors Office and told that if he con-
tinued to play the hypocrite he would
bring down punishment on himself
The doctor meant by that, that if
Green still continued to act like sane
man he might expect trouble. He re-
fused to make any change, and was
placed in a dark cell for three DAYS.
AS he was still rational when he came
out one of the keepers knocked him
down with a club.
That was the beginning of the mans
He could have been re-
eased at any time by tipping the wink
20 the editor, but he had determined
20 make his investigation a thorough
,ne. One of the punishments was be-
ng tied down on a cot, face upwards, |
md a dish of water suspended from |
he ceiling in such manner that |
single drop struck his face every Sec
md. At the end Of an hour each drop
seemed to have the force of a sledge-
hammer Another was to tickle the |
loles of his feet until he went intoeI
1ysterics. There was ferocious
treat hound at the asylum, the prop-t
.rty of one of the attendants GreensI
md others patients would be tied in a /
chair, and the dog tied to ring in the |
vail and left together for half an hour,
rhe rope of the dog would be tied so |
hat he could get his teeth within an |
nch of his victims legs. On several |
occasions the rope stretched and en-
Ibled him to inf1ict terrible bites. /
Sreen concealed pencil and paper and
managed to write of these things and |
,ass them to the editor. After a /
month had passed he had made a good |
,ase against the doctor and was told
o chop it on there. This he refused /