The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-01-31
DR.. YOUNG MAKES A REPLY
DEFENDS NORFOLK HOSPITAL
AGAINST lNSINUATIoN.
SPEAKS OF HoLDoeLER CASE
This Patient, From Wayne County,
Thinks That Everybody is Seeking
to Destroy Him-lf Released, He
Would be Bound to Commit Murder.


pital, at the close of an address be-
fore the Nebraska conference of char
tiles and corrections meeting at Oma-
| ha, found occasion to reply to certain
charges that had been made against
the hospital in connection with a pa
| tient, Joseph Holdobler from Wayne
county, who with his wife has been at
the hospital for some time and who
has obtained a good deal of publicity
| through constant letter writing.
The following accounts of DR..
Young's remarks appear in the Oma.
ha papers:
Omaha Bee: Superintendent G.. A.
| Young of the Nebraska Hospital for
the Insane at Norfolk, defended his
institution against the charge of
cruelty intimated by President Joseph
REFUSING of the Conference of Charities
and Corrections, before the Tuesday
morning session.
The president of the association said
Monday that the case of a German in
mate had been brought to his attention
and that it was charged that the Ger
man was mistreated He said he pro-
posed to make an investigation and
yellow newspaper made a sensational
story of the intimation, casting reflec-
lions on the hospital at Norfolk.
This man, Joseph Holdobler of
whom President REFUSING spoke, has
had nothing but the kindest treat
ment,' said DR.. Young. His partic-
ular malady is that he lives in con-
slant fear that his supposed enemies
are going to destroy him and his prop
erty. The delusion has worked on
his mind and he believes he is the
most prosecuted man in the world,
while his conversation and letters
which he writes have an air of con-
vincing sanity to those who do not
know the man
There is no doubt in my mind that
if Mr.. Holdobler was given his liberty
the result would be that murder
would be committed some day, and he
might injure number of people, labor
ing as he does, under the idea that
enemies are seeking to destroy him."
Superintendent Young urged the
need of a nurse home at all hospitals
for the insane, where the nurses could
live in comfort and which would en-
able the state to secure and keep COM
petent help.
| Omaha World-Herald: Concluding
an interesting address concerning "a
Forward Step in the Treatment of the
Insane" DR.. Young, superintendent of
the Nebraska hospital for the insane
at Norfolk, at yesterdays mornings
session of the Nebraska conference on
charities and corrections spoke of the
case of the educated German at the
hospital, to which reference was made
Monday by Rev. Joseph REFUSING, the
president, in his address. The pur-
pose of Father Ruesing in speaking of
the widely circulated and alleged ill
treatment of the patient, in which the
German government is interesting it.
self, was to show the advisablity of
a state board of charities and correc-
ton, to officially investigate such
charges and to remedy the condition
of the hospital if found true, or to en-
phatically deny them and put them to
rest, if untrue.
| Patient Is Paranoiac.
| The patient in this episode, DR..
Young stated, is paranoiac-or one
possessed of all of his normal faculties
and to the casual observer a man who
should be free-but yet who has the
belief that some person or persons
are continually plotting to destroy
him or his property; condition that
eventually leads to homicide Such
was Booth, who killed Lincoln; and
Czolgolz, who killed Mckinley, in DR..
Young's opinion.
This patient is continually writing
to friends and public officials, and the
German consul, and every one else
whose name occurs to his mind" said
DR.. Young. always with the same
story that he is unjustly confined and
stating or intimating that plot exists
against him. Some time ago the ed
ltor OF German paper in which was
published some of the patients poetry
complained to me and offered TO ma.
role the patient to him, providing that
he would be responsible for the mans
actions, He wrote to the governor at
the same time and informed the gov.
ernor fully of the circumstances and
of what | had done.
| Instantly there was an uproar in
the neighborhood in Wayne county,
from which the man had been sent,
against his release. 1t seems that in
his fear that some one was trying to
destroy his property he had planted
spring guns on his farm, warning peo-
pie to keep off; and he went to cult
vate corn with a repeating shotgun.
The German editor replied that he did
not want to assume the responsibility,
but that he would try to find someone
who would, and that the two would
come together for the patient. No one
has called for him yet" -