Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-18
RELATIVES
SUSPECT
FOULPLAY
Discredit Reports of
Suicide
SAY BODIES BORE MARKS NOT
SELF INFLICTED
NEW CASE OF BRUTALITY is UN-
EARTHED
Management and District Attorney
VIII Begin Thorough Investlga-
tion of Affairs Of Institu-
ton Tomorrow
mWo more names were added

TN WO more names were added
yesterday to the list of
"A deaths at the Patton state
asylum for the insane, which will
be the subject of an investigation
by District Attorney Byrne and
the board of managers of that
institution tomorrow.
The two names added to the
roster of cruelty and outrage are
those of Eugene Copeland of
San Jacinto and Lee Woods of
Hemet. Both men were said by
Patton officials to have commit
ted suicide. Relatives declare
that the bodies bore marks which
could not have been self in
flicted and refuse to believe that
either committed suicide.
The days investigation, in adj
dition to the accounts of the two
deaths, revealed another story of
alleged brutality in the beating of
Walter Mayor, son of Thomas
Mayor of Los Angeles. The eld-
er Mayor, upon investigating a
report that his soon had been ill
used, learned that his jaw had
been broken. The asylum man
agement admitted that the young
man had been injured, but, as in
all the other cases under investi-
CATION, said that the injuries were
received in a fight with an at
tendant.
The probe into the affairs of the
institution, which will be renewed
tomorrow, will be searching and
relentless and the district attor-
nev and members of the board OF
management have announced
their intention of using every pos
sible means to learn the truth of
the repeated stories of brutality
and outrage eliminating in the
murder of one patient and the al
legged murder of three others. In
it's entirety, the recital of the
cumulative horrors of the institu-
tion forms one of the most revolt
ing narratives in the history OF
similar revelations.
Inouiries made by representatives or
The Herald during the last three days
have revealed what is claimed by Un-
dertal5er r. J. Ralston and others OF
San Jacinto and Hemet to be an un-
usual array of circumstances, to say
the least, in the case of two men al
ieoad 10 have hanged themselves at the
a s2ll,,Y, in the months of January and
March. 1905 That these facts have not
eooner been brought to the attention or
tha nublic is attributed by relatives o.
the dead men to the fact tnal tne
authorities at Patton apparently haVe
tha mower to sign death cert1f1cates
S,,itbout q coroner's inquest and to re
tain bodies so long as they may wisi
hefore notifying relatives of the de
ceased.
The two men, Lee Woods and Eugene
Copeland, about whose deaths, II IS ue
dared there was woven a peculiarly
snreestive uncertainty of details, ha"
lived for many years in Hemet ana sal
Tacinto. and both had many friends IL
the two Southern California villages
The elder of the men, Eugene Copeland.
at the time of his commitment was con-
sidered prosperous, and except Tor a
haunting desire to sacrifice his large
farm and ego away to work" was be-
lieved to be rational. Copeland enjoyed
the suggestion that he go to the asylum
for a rest. and like his immediate
friends and relatives considered the
advice of his physician to do so was
merely given to permit him to take a
needed rest. He was not considered In
sane though admittedly irrational on
the subject mentioned. Copeland ac-
cepted his commitment to Patton with
evident pleasure and seemed to enjoy
his stay there up to the time he was
found dead, indicating In the last let
ters to his family that his condition
rapidly was improving. He left San
Jacinto for the asylum November IL,
1907.
On the 18th day of the following
January, a little more than two months
later, his wife received a telegram
stating that he ''died suddenly"
The telegram asked what disposition
should be made of the body. Mrs.
Copeland replied Immediately that the
body should be sent to San Jacinto.
Receiving no reply, she placed the
matter in the hands of r. ]. Ralston
of the undertaking firm of Ralston 81
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