Graham guardian., 1910-05-13
A PRIVATE
INSANE ASYLUM.

peeu III existence IoT ten years Wnen
the first breath of suspicion was raised
against 1t. The editor of the Daily Ar
gus was personal friend Of the doc,
tor. He regarded II as one of the
model institutions Of the country and
had time and again commended It IN
the most favorable terms.
One day young woman escaped
and told such tales as led to an inves.
tigation.
The trick Of getting reporter into q
prison or an asylum for few weeks
to report on the condition Of affairs
was new thing then, though old
enough now. On the city staff Of the
Argus was man named Green. He
suggested the plot that was carried
out. He was to be sent to DR.. Treats
asylum for treatment. The editor took
up the idea not because he doubted
the doctor, but from newspaper
standpoint Green would find nothing
to criticise during his stay. but his ar
ticles on life in an insane asylum
would make good reading. 1t would be
a stroke of newspaper enterprise to
show that the Argus was wide awake.
The details Of the plot were worked
out, and then Green suddenly disap-
peared. 1t was learned from the editor
afterward that his friends had him
incarcerated In the asylum as 'trou
blesome person" In plain English
that meant that he stood between
somebody and property. Two doctors
were found to certify to the fact that
he was "harmlessly insane" That
meant he was In the way, but not ex-
actly given to chopping up people with
an ak. His examination by these doc
tors lasted less than half an hour.
The editor continued to visit the
doctors retreat and to assure him
that he believed in his integrity. but
eacn time he went out there he man
aged to secure q brief interview with
Green. In fact, he was handed a writ
ten report Of what had been seen and
heard. Why none of these reports
twelve in ail-were never published
will be explained later. Green had not
gone to the asylum to dissemble. He
announced on his arrival that he was
perfectly sane, and he continued to
talk and act like any sane man.
For the first three days he was well
treated Then he was called into the
doctors Office and told that II he con-
tinued to play the hypocrite he would
bring down punishment on himself.
The doctor meant by that that If
Green still continued to act like sane
man he might expect trouble He re-
fused to make any change and was
placed in dark cell for three days.
AS he was still rational when he came
out, one of the keepers knocked him
down with club.
That was the beginning Of the mans
persecution. He could have been re-
leased at any time by tipping the wink
to the editor, but he had determined
to make his investigation thorough
one. One Of the punishments was be.
ing tied down on cot, face upward,
and dish Of water suspended from
the ceiling in such manner that
single drop struck his face every sec
opd. At the end Of an hour each drop
seemed to have the force of sledge
hammer. Another was to tickle the
soles Of his feet until he went into
Mysteries. There was ferocious
great hound at the asylum, the proper
ty of one of the attendants. Green and
other patients would be tied in chair
and the dog tied to a ring in the wall
and left together for half an hour. The
rope on the dog would be tied so that
he could get his teeth within an inch
of his victims legs. On several occa
sions the rope stretched and enabled
him to inflict terrible bites. Green con-
cealed pencil and paper and managed
to write Of these things and pass them
to the editor. After month had
passed he had made good case
against the doctor and was told to
chop 1t off there. This he refused to
do He wanted to get the whole Of It
down to the last detail.
When he refused to play insane to
please the DOCTOR who must have
known that he was perfectly sane
man, Green was starved for two days
at time, and the punishments num-
bered a score. One of the worst was
heading him up in barrel and rolling
him around the back yard for half an
hour at time. The food he describ-
ed as not fit for dogs, though the Ar
gus, to oblige the doctor, had publish
ed a bill Of fare fit for wealthy people
to sit down to. Sane or insane, every
patient had a program to go through
with when visitors were being shown
through the place. They must speak
of the doctor as God and bless him for
his goodness. If asked what they had
to eat they must mention list OF
twelve articles. To fail In these
things meant a brutal beating, The
editor could see at each weekly visit
, how Green was failing, and at last
certain day was set for the expose
and his release Before that date
came word was received that he had
made his escape. Just after the word
came he entered the office and walked
over to his desk without speaking to
any one. There he sat for half an
hour with his head In his hands, and
when the city staff finally gathered
around him he lifted his head and be-
gan to babble like child. He was
clean gone daft, and, though he lived
on for three years, his reason never
returned.
The next day the asylum was mob,
bed. and the doctor had to fly for his
life. The Argus had said that he was
good man and merciful man and
that his enemies had done him injus.
tice The Argus had scoop right at
hand, but II was never published. The