The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-04-14
Insane ASYLUM to be Probed.

Lincoln, April los n t o n
charges of mlsmanagement of the
state asylum for incurable insane at
Hastings, Neb, are to be investigated
by Governor Aldrich, supported by
members of the board of public lands
and buildings. These charges, which
are made by c. w. Pipkin, former
attendant, are addressed to the state
board and allege that one patient
came to violent death at the hands
of an attendant, who assaulted with
pair of 'knucks;" that another pa
tient was neglected while in a frenzy
and killed himself in his struggles;
that tainted meat and mOldy oatmeal
was fed to inmates of the asylum,
along with decayed fruits and vege-
| tables, and that poorly clad patients
were compelled to live in rooms where
| the temperature was near the freezing
| point. Pipkin, in his letter, says he
has no other motive in making the
| charges than TO call attention TO what
| he says is the inhumanty practiced on
helpless wards of the state under the
| administration existing while he was
an attendant. He served through two
! administrations, he alleges, and has
no desire to return TO the service of
| the state, though admitting he was
| discharged for interceding in behalf of
the inmates.
The members of the board of public
lands and buildings, which has charge
of the purchase of supplies, and the
governor, who appoints officers and
employees of the institution, have al
ready taken steps looking to an inves.
tigation. The period covered in the
! charges was during the incumbency of
| DR.. w. NJ. Baxter, the former superin-
tendent, who was displaced in Janu.
airy by superintendent Kern. The in
vestigation will be handicapped by the
absence of DR.. Baxter, who is now in
| London, Eng, where he is taking a
| postgraduate course in medicine. He
served two years under the appoint
ment of former Governor Shallenberg-
er, and the present is the first com
plant made of his administration.
Chairman Cowles of the board of
public lands and buildings, said At
tendant Pipkin was a discharged EN-.
ploye, with whose record he was not
familiar. He did not know anything
about the truth or falsity of the state
ments made, except one charge which
says the coal used at the institution
was of cheap and poor quality, and
that the tiremen could not keep steam
enough to keep the building warm in
| m Luz Il,
true" said Mr.. Cowles. THE coal
furnished by the state was of a good
quality"
Other members of the board were
disinclined to discuss the charges. but
were united in the declaration that
they should be sifted thoroughly and
the facts brought out.
con February %, 1909" says Attend
ant Pipkin in this letter, "a patient by
the name of Smith was killed one
evening. This was my first afternoon
on duty in the ward in which Smith
was kept The other attendants name
was Frank Canady. Supper was serv,
ed in two divisions, mine being in the
first. ! had just returned and entered
the ward to relieve Canady When ]
opened the door ! saw this patient,
Smith, get out of his seat and start
toward the hall. Canady called him
to come back and sit down, but Smith
paid no attention to him. Canady got
up and followed him and both passed
out of my view. A few seconds later
] heard noise as of someone falling
| locked the ward and walked into the
hall. Smith was lying on the floor
with blood running from his mouth
nose and ears, and Canady was stand
ing over him. In his hands were q
pair of 'knucks.' Canady asked mt
what he should do, and | told him tc
call one of the doctors, Canady called
DR.. Leisure over the telephone Wher
. ' the doctor arrived Smith was dying
The doctor, without examining the