The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-08-18
GEORGIA LUNATIC ASYLUM AGAIN UNDER FIRE
One Probing Committee Has Just Reported and Another
One Has Been Appointed to Probe the Probing.
WHAT THE FIRST ONE FOUND
Charges That Insane Patients Were
Mistreated and Women Inmates
Used ImmOrally by Employees.

CSeu IInmOFaIly Dy employees.
ATLANTA, Ga.-Governor Brown
transmitted to both branches of the
general assembly the day before it
adjourned the report of the special
commission appointed by former Gov
ernOr Smith to investigate charges
against the state sanitarium at Mil
ledgeville.
This commission was composed OF
Dr.. Willis F. Westmoreland, presi-
dent of the state Board of Health,
Seaton Grantland of Griffin and
Judge w. F. Jenkins of Eatonton.
The charges which led to the in
yestigation were made by r. E. Dun
nington, former inmate of the asy-
lum, and others, and were published.
The criticisms of the investigating
committee as set out in its report
are chiefly as to the character of
the help employed, which is said to
be poorly paid and inefficient The
committee thinks there have been
excessive deaths from tuberculosis at
the sanitarium, putting the number
at one patient in seven. No fault is
found with the food given patients,
and the buildings were found gem
orally in good condition.
That patients have been mistreat-
ed physically; that some of the fe-
male patients were helped to escape
and afterward used for immoral pur-
poses, that the class of attendants is
unsatisfactory, that the asylum is lit
tie better than a death trap, that
one-seventh of the patients during
the last five years died of tubercu-
losis and that nearly all who died
were infected after reaching the in
stitution are some of the terrible
charges brought against the SANTA
rum.
The commission found that an at
tendant named Dennis had tripped
up and broken the leg of a patient
named William Lingold, and that
George +. Lawson a patient from
Augusta, had been injured by falling
downstairs while attempting to car
ry a bundle of clothing too heavy
for his strength.
Along with the committees re-
port Governor Brown also transmit
! ted to the general assembly a reply
| by the board of trustees answering
the report, and asserting that while
in an institution handling 5000 in
sane persons there are bound to be
occasional abuses the sanitarium has
been largely free from this.
Lunatic Called on Governor.
Strangely enough, the man who
caused the investigation, r. Z. Dun
nington, former inmate of the state
sanitarium at Milledgeville, who re
sisted arrest at Augusta last weel
by barricading himself in a house
and shooting an officer who APP
preached too near his place of ref
uge, later making his escape AM
: fleeing into South Carolina, toda,
7 made an unexpected visit to Govern
, or Brown at the executive office il
the state capitol.
Huntington came to appeal to tn
governor for protection from wha
he termed the persecution of his rel
o atives and some people who were, h
r said, unnecessarily alarmed for fea
y that he might commit some rash acr
y The governors SECRETARY, however
/, was not at ease while Dunningto
: was waiting to see the governor, an
b officers were telephoned for, but be
S fore they arrived Huntington quietl
k departed and was soon swallowed Il
= in the city. A vigorous search wa
g at once instituted for him by tn
county and city authorities.