The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-12-10
MISSOURI HAS ASYLUM SCANDAL
Attendants at the Nevada Institution
Must Answer Questions.

MUST Answer Questions.
Nevada, Mo-, Dec. S.--The practice
of allowing insane patients to care for
other patients In the state hospital for
the insane here probably will be thor,
oughly investigated at the inquiry to
be held by Or. j. w. Lamson, the su.
perintendent.
DR., Lamson's investigation Is a re.
suit of the death last Tuesday OF John
Riley, an aged patient, who suffered
n week with ten broken ribs and died
without medical attention.
The examination of several attend
ants was to have begun this morning.
but was postponed because OF the alb.
sence OF DIR. o. w. Rocks, who has
charge of the mems wing OF the insti-
tuition. DR.. Rocks is in Kansas City,
but he Is expected to return to Ne
vada tonight.
Upon his return all of the attend.
ants who may know something regard
ing the circumstances of the death of
John Riley will be asked to make ad.
'dftional statements which will be type
written and kept. The attendants who
testified at the coroner's inquest were
able to throw no light on the affair
DIR. Lamson was not satisfied with the
testimony and will ask for additional
statements.
ut seems to me that Riley, perhaps
came to his death by violence from
patient rather than from an attend.
ant" DR.. Lamson said this morning
Whenever possible the more normal
patients are allowed to care for others,
but only when an attendant Is present.
1t Is only natural that the attendants
should become negligent and shirk
their work, allowing patients to per.
form some duties. In cases where the
assisting patients are under the observ.
ance Of the attendants there is no OBJ.
lection, but some of the old attendants
know all of the tricks of the business
and may take advantage of the willing.
ness of active patients.
ut Is hard, however, to get any def.
mite information from an attendant or
patient Formerly, | understand, If an
attendant should report any neglect or
inefiiciency of another attendant the
informer was ostraciZed by his fellows.
his COHultlOn prevails Ill all lnSJltu'
tions of this character, and presume
we are not free from it here. BY
examination of attendants and the
questioning of patients Il hope to gath.
er straws here and there that may
form accurate clues"
The death of John Riley recalls in
Nevada somewhat similar incident
Dr. V. o. Williams, who lives here
was an assistant physician at the hos
pital about three years ago when a
patient died under mysterious circum
stances.
"a young man was brought to the
hospital from Jasper county, believe
and died the night he arrived" DR.
Williams said this morning. "Wher
he arrived he was apparently healthy
except his mental condition. His deatf
resulted in an investigation, and either
four or six attendants were dismissed
the next morning by DR.. l.. II. Gala
way, who was then superintendent.
81 don't recall what the coroner's
verdict was in the case, but at the
hospital we believed the man had beer
choked to death, since there was M
other good explanation OF his death
There was not enough Information t.
issue warrants against any one, bu
the attendants were discharged be
cause of the mystery surrounding the
death"