The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-01-20
DEMAND MORE AMUSEMENT
Members Of State Board Fail to Find
Anything of Sensational Nature in
Connection With the Investigation of
the Racine Institution.

its investigation of the charges pre-
ferred against Superintendent Lewis of
the Racine County Insane Asylum by
DR.. s. Sorenson, late Wednesday after
noon. The board spent the day at
the asylum, where it examined several
witnesses regarding the truth of the
charges preferred by the former asy-
lum physician, while the greater part
Of the morning session of the board
was taken up with the testimony Of
Dr. Sorenson himself.
In his testimony DR.. Sorenson said
sanitary conditions of the asylum, but
declared that the patients were not
contented with the life they lead there.
He further stated that they should be
given more entertainment and when
asked by the board for suggestions
along this line said:
1.-THE patients should be loaded into
car and taken to Racine, where they
should be allowed to witness the plays
at the local theatres occasionally and
entertainments should be given by Ra-
cine talent in the asylum for their
amusement. They should also be given
more outdoor exercise and should be en-
tertained at sleighrides in the winter
and picnics in the summer at Eagle
Lake or other places"
The statement made by the doctor
to the effect that the patients should
be entertained at the amusement houses
created considerable laughter at the
close of the session. AS for the other
statements of the doctor the trustees
of the asylum and members of the
county board who were present at the
examination, declare that the patients
have plenty of amusement and as for
outdoor exercise they were given as
much as given the patients in any other
institution of the kind.
Among the supervisors who testified
before the board, were Fred Nelson and
l.. Mogensen, both of Racine, while
Asylum Trustees Shenkenberg of Wat
erford and Johnson of Norway, also
gave testimony. The statements made
by these four men upheld the present
superintendent and they declared that
during their frequent visits to the in
stitution that they had never seen any
of the patients mistreated, but that of
ten inmates of the institution had ask
ed them for permission to go home as
is the case in all asylums. They
further stated that the sanitary condi-
tions at the place were the best and
that the work of Superintendent Lewis
and his wife had always been found
satisfactory.
Wednesday noon the members Of the
state board and persons called to the
institution in the morning to testify in
the case were served dinner in the
private dining room of the asylum, af-
ter which the board Of control adjourn
ed to an anteroom, where it held a
short session behind closed DOORS
When asked what was done at this
meeting the members declined to talk
In speaking of the investigation the
trustees and supervisors declare that
the charges are fimsy and that if they
are true, that they should have been
reported at the time that the alleged
mistreatment took place and not at this
late date
Allan D. Conover, of Madison, presi-
| dent of the state board stated that the
investigation would be wound up at
once and that the board would return
to Madison at once to make out it's
report, which will in the near future be
placed before the county board of su-
pervisors for acceptance
! Kenosha county had a part in the
investigation on Wednesday afternoon
as Supervisor Charles G. Theleen and
the members of the Kenosha commit
tee named to visit the asylum including
Supervisors DIETRICH, Schwan and
Moran were summoned to appear before
the state board. Supervisor Theleen
was the only one of the Kenosha men
actually called as witness.