The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-19
AWt1lI CrueIfeS Are
 Charged to the Asylum
Legislative Investigating Committee Begins Work at Mont gomery-Nurses Report That Three Patients Were Killed in the Insttution-Solcitor Buck Oliver Represents
 Dr. Searcy Who is Too III to Attend Meetings

Montgomery, July 1S-(Special.)- Awful cruelties are charged to the management of the Insane asylum in testimony of witnesses before the legis- lature court of inquiry here tonight Charges are made that nurses beat pa tients into insensibnity from which punishment several died. Hines of Lau- derdale, Bondurant of Perry and John son of Chambers were reported to have been killed by nurses.
 Solicitor Buck Oliver of Tuscaloosa. J. M. Chiffon of Montgomery and S. VI. John appeared for the hospital. Dr. Searcy being i'll could not attend, but sent MT. Oliver to represent him.
 Morning Session. The committee convened in the old rooms of the educational department at the capitol today, but adjourned over to this evening at o'clock. All of the | members were present today, as fol- lows: King, chairman Arnold and Gum ter of the house; Spragins and Hayes of the senate.
 After agreeing that the sessions shall be open to the press and the public 1t was found that the hospital was rep resented by Judge J. M. Chiffon of this city, along with Col. S. w. John of Bir mingham, J. B. Gaston of Montgomery and J. M. Foster of Tuscaloosa, mem bers of the board of trustees. All of these gentlemen urged that the fullest investigation of the charges be made Iaft fo prove or disprove the allegations of cruelty that have been made.
 Colonel John wanted to have the ses- sions held at Tuscaloosa, as, he pointed out, most of the nurses and others who will have to give evidence are at that place. On being told by MT. King that there were many witnesses who could attend here and at Birmingham, but could not pay heir way to Tuscaloosa, Colonel John said that the asylum board would meet their expenses. Mr. Spragins thought this could not well be assured, at which Colonel John said that in case of failure of the trustees to approve the outlay he would see that it was made good. How ever. 1t was decided not to make the change, and the meeting was postponed to this evening at o'clock In the rooms of the city hall.
 Chairman King gave the following list of names of witnesses who have been summoned: Angus Kirkland, Ab- beville; M. F. Crenshaw, Mrs. Solomon Wilson and James Forbes, Montgomery; Ludwig Boutwell,, Greenville; w. T. Atkins, Sr.. Selma, and II. M. Harton, Birmingham.
 First Witness.
 The first witness called in the investi gation tonight was August Kirkland of Abbeville. MT Kirkland said he saw an old man of 80 years stomped in the stom- ach by man named Ramsey. He also saw d man whipped with gas sticks. He said the food was poor and inadequate. He wrote a letter to his father telling of the place he was in and was let out.
 The cross hall has no furniture. If pa- tients do not do to suit the nurses they are thrown in there He was sent to Tuscaloosa for treatment for morphine habit. Patients were allowed to go to the library once a week and to walk in the park about often. He thought if the doctors had known of this cruel treatment the offending nurses would have been discharged. A patient named Headley was choked into insensiblity. He also knew of a patient named Jack son being beaten, Tor which a nurse was discharged.
 Mrs. Solomon Wilson.
 Mrs Solomon Wilson of Montgomery was an inmate of the asylum for about four months. She said she saw a girl .rown on the dining room floor with two nurses sitting on her at one time She saw a woman stripped and thrown into the cross hall She was dragged there by her hair, all the nurses in the ward sat on her at one time.
 Nurses came in from other wards to sit on her. so many were on her that they looked like bees. The woman thus maltreated was Mrs. Moorer of Mont gomery.
 Miss Lula Crump. patient. was locked up all night. because she asked for dry clothes after working all day in the iron room.
 Because the witness would not take