The Washington times., 1908-09-29
Congress Heights Folk Pro
test Vigorously at Conduct
of St. EliZabeth'S.
OBJECT TO PATIENTS
CARRYING WEAPONS
Mass Meeting Demands That In
mates Must Be Locked Up So
They Cannot Escape.

Letters Of protest against the conduct
Of the St Elizabeth Hospital for the In
sane were forwarded TO-DAY to the Sec
rstary OF the Interior. the District Com
missioners and DR.. William A White,
superintendent OF the asylum.
The action was taken by the Congress
Heights Citizens Association at a spe-
ciaI meeting this morning at the town
haH.
Indignation at the course Of the au-
thOrities in allowing the insane to march
thro Igh the village with pltchforkss
corn knives. crOwbars, spades and other
instruments that are practically weap-
Ons, was turned to an outburst Of anger
when the recent affair in which the
mulatto, Andrew Lightbody, one Of
those treated as j ''trusty," killed his
overseer and one patient and badly
injured n third person, was mentioned
a meeting was called last night AT
the town hall within sight of the very
spot where the double killing occurred.
The bad weather was responsible for
an attendance Of only about twenty Of
the citizens. In view Of this. Chairman
r E Butterfield, president Of the Citi-
~ens' Association. presented the protest
for discussion and ordered the special
meeting this morning at which large
membership. unanimously, passed the
motion to carry the protest to the au-
thOrlties-
Patients Same as Armed.
Until last Saturday squads Of ten and
twelve patients with only a single, ap-
parently unarmed, guard are said to
have passed through the village streets
with their pitchforks and other tools
over their shoulders. Saturday the
order was given that the tools should
be sent by wagon.
Anent this order. Mr.. ButterheId said
at the meeting
That is small protection, for an out
break that should occur in the fields
would not be known here. And 1t
would be as easy for the rioting pa
tients to swarm back to the village with
their mUrderous tools as for Light
body to escape from the hospital walls
and travel miles before being captured.
Only last summer I saw one of the
patients hOeing in the ield fell another
one with this garden implement. When
the injured man arose he continued
work. and his assailant paid no attention
at all to his victim. That shows how
irresponsible and vicious the patients
often are"
The st. EIzabeth's Hospital sends pa
tients to two farms, the Stevens farm,
TO which the gangs are walked through
the village streets. and the Oxen Hill
farm, to which they are driven in
wagons.
Say Precautions Are Ignored.
It is complained by the citizens that
they are entitled to full police protec-
ton, and that even ordinary precau-
tions are ignored at the hospital. There
are 300 children in the school who daily
are seen by the patients on their way
to The fields. The danger to them and
to the women Of the place is causing
the citizens special apprehension. The
wives and mothers fear now to be alone
at home or TO go abroad. 1t is said that
a number of children have been kent
from school since the tragedy Of a
week ago for fear of a repetition OF
just such an occurrence.
The protest as ii was formulated by
President Butterfield and ratified at the
town meeting follows:
Congress Heights, Sept IS 1908
We, the citizens of Congress Heights
and vicinity. il mass meeting assembled
DO earnestly protest 10 the Secretary
81 the Interior, DR.. William A White
SOD the Commissioners OF the District
"a Columbia against the practice of the
Authorities of the Government Hospital
for the Insane of allowing their inmates
TO travel the public rnoroughfares in
this section OF the District on their way
TO and from the hospital farms, often
with pltchfOrl1s, corn knives, and rakes
and other agricultural implements in
their hands. which we consider danger
Gus weapons to be allowed in the pos
sssion of insane men, who at any mo-
ment may be seized with a desire tC
murder.
Each squad Of insane patients is un.
der guard of one man, who often has
ten or twelve TO watch. What could
this man do IN the event OF a general
uprising7 Nothing but fee 10 the woods
for self-protection, leaving the insane
to themselves. TO commit any crime tha
their diseased minds may direct
We claim that the Government au
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