The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-22
Asylum Investigation Hats for
Lack Of Evidence.
More will Be introduced at a
Later Day.
BIDDLE ON STAND.
Refutes the Charges Made by
Attendants.
Never COuntenanced Cruelty to
Patients, He Says.


The investigation into the charges
Of cruelty at the Topeka State Insane
hospital came to a temporary stop at
the close of the examination before
the board of control yesterday. The
witnesses which those who brought
the charges said could substantiate
The allegations failed to appear. An
effort is to be made to get into touch
with these witnesses and see when
they will appear.
The board and T. F. Doran, attor-
ney for DR.. T. c. BiddIe, superinten-
dent of the hospital decided that the
etenographer's notes of the evidence
should be transcribed at once and that
there would be no further examina-
lions until these notes were completed.
Tlien it could be determined just what
additional evidence was needed by DR..
Riddle to completely refute the
charges and the board could also get
line on what witnesses it desired to
hear.
Even when this public investiga-
ticn is completed the investigation OF
DIR. Biddle and the charges of cruelty
TO the patients will not be ended"
said H. c. Bowman, chairman of the
board of control. THE board goes
deeper than it is possible to go in q
public hearing. We are required to
visit each institution every month and
we talk to patients and to employees
and hear their grievances and charges
and We go to the bottom of every one
of these and finally get to the real facts
in every single complaint and if the
complaint is just we remedy 1t.
All of yesterday afternoon was
81 ent in hearing witnesses in the en-
ploy OF the state hospital. Most of
rrrau eyran in nv if
nesses regarding the charges that Pet
81 Smith, the Topeka banker. had
been led about the GROUNDS with
rope around his neck. The use of the
rope was admitted by the physicians
in charge, by DIR. Biddle himself. but
they held that it was not placed
around Smiths neck, but about his
" aist and that the use of the rope was
the most humane action that could be
taken in handling Smith.
Every charge that has thus far been
brought by the discharged employees
and friends has been denied and re-
futed by the hospital authorities and
employees, except the use of the rope
on Peter Smith and the continuous
hath for Bert McKibben. The hospital
authorities held that the bath was the
best cure for McKibben and they Of
fered to bring in experts on insanity
10 show that the use of the bath had
done more to affect cures in certain
cases than any other method The
hospital officials said that the use of
tho rope for Peter Smith was the most
humane thing that could be done to
relieve Smith from the excitable state
in which he came to the hospital.
The charges of beating patients with
a rubber hose were denied. In fact a
fiat denial that there were any instru-
Cents of torture like this was made
by the attendants and officials of the
fr 81
charges made were denied. The man
who charged that every attendant kept
3 rubber hose in his wardrobe to use
on fractions patients was said to have
been discharged because he had beat
en- patient after the patient had tried
to eEcape.
DIR. Biddle was on the stand nearly
an hour Yesterday discussing the con-
nectiOn of W. L. Mclaughlin and 9TH
er employees with the charges brought
against the hospital and its superin-
tendent DIR. Biddle referred to Nc
Jaughlin as loafer but a man who
was able to get plenty of work out of
others when he was bossing the job.
The anmus of McLaughlin's COM
plants against DR.. Biddle was also
made quite plain by DIR. Bidd1e him
self. The superintendent had allowed
Mclaughlin to use, free of rent,
the superintendent found he needed
the house for the head gardener, he
asked Mclaughlin to move. Nc
1.aughlin quit the job of boss painter
at the hospital and since then has
been very busy drumming up the
charges and hunting witnesses to APP
10 II against the hospital and DIR. Bid
die.
DIR. Scott was recalled to the stand
yesterday afternoon to tell about the
treatment of Peter Smith. Several af-
fidavits had been filed that Smith had
been led about the hospital grounds
with a rope around his neck. DR..
Scott said that Smith was a very pow
erful and excitable man when he ar
rived at the institution, tearing UP his
own clothing and the bed clothes.
What was done to get him out of
his room for exercise and bath? he
was asked by T. r. Doran.
1T usually took two attendants and
one or two patients and they had a
mighty struggle to handle him with
out injury We had to keep hand
Inuffs on Smith to keep him from
t-aring up his clothing and the bed
clothing
Mrs. Smith employed a special at
tendant. didn't she?''
Yes; man named Hofstettler"
TT is complained that Smith was
led around with a rope"
Yes, the rope was tied around his