Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-13
AWFUL CONDITION
SHOWN At ASYLUM
Insane Patients Were Mistreated,
Women Inmates Were Used I'm
morally, and one-Seventh Has
Consumption, Report Says.

| A resolution by Mr.. Henderson of Irwin
providing that "A committee OF seven from
the house and four from the senate be ap"
pointed to investigate and report on the
charges made against the state asylum
1 for the insane by the special commission
appointed by former Governor Smith, was
referred to the committee on rules by the
speaker of the house Wednesday.
The resolution provides that the COM
mittee dc its work during vacation and
report next year
The state asylum for the insane svas
| severely scored Tuesday before both
/ branches of the general assembly in the
/ report OF the commission appointed by
former Governor Hoke Smith TO investi-
/ gate certain charges against that insti-
! tuition.
| That patients have been mistreated
! physically, that some of the female pa
tients were helped to escape and after
ward used for immoral purposes, that the
class of the attendants is unsatisfactory,
that the asylum is little better than
! death-trap, that one-seventh of the pa
! tienIs during the last five years died of
! tuberculosis and that nearly all who died
were infected after reaching the institu-
tion-are some of the terrible charges
brought against the sanitarium
The trustees have replied with general
denial to the findings of the commission,
except that they admit certain conditions
could be ameliorated by appropriations
from the state. which the state has re-
fused to grant.
The commission, apparently, blamed
most of the atrocities upon the fact that
the class Of helpers is poorly paid, ire
sponsible and inefficient.
BROKE A PATIENTS LEG.
The commission found that an attendant
named Dennis had tripped up and broken
the leg OF a patient named William Lin
gold. George 4. Lawson, patient from
Augusta, had been injured by falling
] downstairs while attempting to carry
bundle of clothing too heavy for his
strength.
The commission found no base for the
charg rs that an Atlanta negro had died
from a fracture of the skull inflicted by
attendants ana that others had broken
the leg of Mr. Glenn, an Atlanta patient.
In reference TO the charges that te-
male patients had been used for immoral
purposes, the commission submitted the
following statement:
ON the fifteenth day of August last
one of the yard watchmen and a helper
cut the wires from the window of one
of the rooms in the recreation hall and
from the Green building. They carried
these women to the basement of the
male convalescent building. where they
kept them until Sunday night.
Some of their garments were To-
Gated in Milledgevilc, where they had
gone to take the train. The fact is that
some of their garments were found IN
the basement of the building, and that
though they were separated from each
other, they each told practically the
same story. giving the names of the par
ties
These men were first indicted and tried
in the superior court, being prosecuted by
the solicitor general. There was a mis-
trial. It was at the request of DIR. Jones,
the superintendent, that these case were
not transferred to the county court In
the first instance. They were tried a sec
ond time and dismissed in spite of every
effort made by DR.. Jones, who believed
them guilty, and desired to convict them.
STATEMENT ON FEMALE PATIENTS.
1.-The charges that female patient was
crinlinally assaulted was proved to be
without basis.
.Much testimony was introduced by
sanitarium officials going to the credi-
biIity of Huntington as a witness and
showing that he was an exceedingly trou-
blesome patient while at the hospital
AS to the character of the attendants
generally the report says:
"In the male department they have
several grades of attendants; first, su-
pervisor. assisted by two assistant SUI
pervisors who have control OF and direct
in the performance of their duties the
attendants and assistants attendants. The
supervisor has charge of about 100 en-
Moves This is one of the most import
ant nosftions connected with the institu-
tion. To our surprise we found this po-
sition filled by a man so years old, long
since superannuated and confined to his,
house.
'aThere are practically 100 attendants
IN tne male buildings; with few ex-
centions. the class Of men filling these
positions is not satisfactory. Within
the last two years there were dis
charged for mistreatment of patients
sfx. neglect of duty, three; stealing,
three: characterization. three; drink
ing. three: drinking and fighting, two
ION examination under oath these
men appeared absolutely unfamiliar
with the rules. On the witness stand
thew were untruthful. and, in the
whole first days examination there
xtas not a man but swore that he had
never seen patient mistreated or any
rules violated this even when they
were present in the wards where Of
lenses were committed, as was
wards proved. One of them was in
toxicated during the investigation
while giving testimony.
The compensation paid attendants
is not sufficient to attract the class of
men Of the proper qualities for these
positions"
TRUSTEES MAKE REPLY.
The reply of the trustees Of the
sanitarium is rather tart in some Of
Its features. the trustees assert that
the commission mad heard a lot OF
false charges against the institution
and came to the investigation with sus-
picious and biased minds. They say
the commission failed to state that
the trustees had themselves asked for
an investigation.
1t is admitted that abuses are bound
TO sometimes occur in an institution
which has 5000 inmates. 1t is said
that efforts are made to restrain the
patients in a kind and gentle manner,
but that attendants who carried tn cir
gentleness so far as to permit patients
to spit in their faces, pull their hair
and tear their clothes, would be worth |
less to the institution.
The trustees deny that one patient in |
every seven dies Of tuberculosis. 1t !
is said the real statistics show one