The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-22

heIerS 10 tOeCOruS.
| One of the aff1davits filed with the
board said that whenever a patient ba-
came bedridden that they never re-
covered as bed patients were not given
any attention. DR.. Scott had taken tine
records on several hospitals to show
the mortality for one year and he hal
made some comparison figures with
the Topeka hospital.
The mortality percentages were:
Cleveland state hospital. $500. 6.2T3
Virginia central ................. 10,Sl@o
Ohio (Athens) hospital. ........ 1850
Northern Indiana ....-----....-- 1880
Delaware state q years. .......- 95Iz
warren Pa -.-.---.-....--....- ooFZ
Topeka state hospital. ....-....-. 5.o9eo
The doctors and attendants fatty DC
MED the charges that a towel had been
twisted about the throat of a negro
named Vaughn and that Vaughn had
been choked until his tongue stuck out
of his month. None Of the attendants
or the physicians had ever heard or
seen this and they denied that Vaughn
had ever been trated this way, although
he was a bad patient to handle.
Denies Use of Hose.
John Hall. one of the supervisors of
attendants was recalled to the stand to
tell about the punishment of some pat
tents. 1t had been charged that some
of the attendants had whipped patients
with a rubber hose. Hall said that one
day he saw an attendant in one ward
with a rubber hose a year or so ago.
The attendant had said that patiert
had brought the hose into the ward.
The hose was destroyed. He denied
that a hose had ever been used in beat
ing patients.
L. F. Jones, a discharged attendant,
had told of patient named Olson who
had said that attendants had beaten
him about the legs with the hose. Jones
said that Olson showed him the black
and blue marks.
q. Rongy, charge attendant on the
ward when Olson was confined, denicG
the Jones statement and he said he mad
never seen or heard Of a rubber hose
being kept by any attendant. Several
other attendants said they had nevet
seen any hose kept by attendants. They
had never had any and had heard Of
no instances when any patient had been
beaten with the rubber hose.
William Hail. one of the supervisors,
said that Gus Winheim had been dis
charged about three months ago for
beating a patient. Winheim was the
one who charged that each attendant
had a rubber hose in their wardrobes-
and that these were used frequently by
attendants in beating patients. Hall
said that some of Winheim's patients
had escaped and when brought back
Winheim took one patient into q. room
and beat him up. giving the patient u
black eye and g, bad bruise on one side.
Winheim was discharged the next
morning.
Explain About BeesOn Case.
W. F. Mclaughlin had charged that
DR.. Biddle was keeping patients in the
hospital that are cured and ready to
leave. Alva Beeson is one of these pa
tients.
DR.. r. c. Biddle. superintendent of
the hospital, was called to tell about
this A suit was brought to compel
Beeson's release and he was sent to his
home DIR. Biddle said that even
though Beeson was released he was not
regarded as cured yet. Although he
was much improved. DIR. Biddle had
written to Blossoms friends and rela-
tives, asking if they wanted Beeson re-
leased. Beeson had what is known as
a recurrent type of insanity, sometimes
perfectly sane. at other times a wild
man. DR. Biddle had letters offering
to send Beeson to his son but they did
not approve of the parole and did not
want Beeson sent home as is shown in
letters received at the hospital from
Beeson's relatives. Beeson was paroled
about March 1 and is now at home. DR.
Biddle said that if his relatives and
friends would assist Beeson that the
patient probably would get along all
right although his mental condition
might go wrong at any time.
Incidentally DIR. Blddle said that Nc
Laughiin,- who brought the charges
about Beeson, was a 1oafer himself but
had a faculty of getting lots of work
out of his helpers and patients.
II don't believe 1 saw him with
paint brush in his hands more than
once of twice in the last year. said DIR.
Biddle of Mclaughlin
Mclaughlin was allowed to move into
a house on the asylum grounds and he
lived there some time with his sisters
One day the matron reported that Nc
Laughlin was taking stuff from the
hospital kitchen. This was explained
Satisfactorily as it had been packages
sent from town for him by the hospital
wagons.
Later DIR. Biddle notified Mclaughlin
that the house was needed as a home
for the gardener of the hospital and q
few days later Mclaughlin quit Nc
Laughlin did not pay any rent for the
house and the institution was under 10
obligations to furnish a home for him
while he was an employee.
DR.. Biddle fatty denied any knoWl-
edge of any mistreatment of the pa
tients as charged in the various COM
plants filed with the board.
There are two offenses which We do
overlook said DR.. Biddle. zone
of these is cruelty and abuse of pa
tients, and the other is intoxication
Either of these oftenSes means instant
discharge"
DR.. Biddle has the hospital records 20
show that he has discharged numerous
attendants for cruelty or being drunk
and the Shawnee county court records
show two cases where employees had
been prosecuted for inhuman treatment
of patients.
KILLED IN SALT PLANT