Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-11-18
FOR SEPARATE CARE
OF CRIMINAL INSANE
Grand Jury Recommends Special
Structure for Purpose.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS SCORED.
MARYLAND Hotel and Colonial Theatre
Among Places Condemned for
Inadequate Fire Escspes.

4
ment of the criminal insane in con
nection with the Maryland Hospital
for the Negro Insane, at Brownsville,
this county, the grand jury COM
pleted its work today and filed a re-
port with the Circuit Court.
The inquest was specially urged
to investigate the general conduct
and condition of affairs of the Negro
Asylum when Judge Brashears de-
liversd the charge twenty days ago,
upon the convening of Court for the
| October term because of the frequent
escapes, and particularly the case of
Perry Wright, who later murdered
mis- wife with an axe at their home
near Arnold's Station. FIVE miles from
Annapolis.
rhe fact that the State Lunacy
Commission is constantly called on
to transfer insane prisoners from the
Maryland Penitentiary and House of
Correction to the insane asylum be-
cause they cannot be properly controll-
ed at penal institutions, in addition
| to the large number of criminal i'm
sane committed TO the institution by
| the various courts of the State; that
the number of such transfers or COM
mitments are increasing all the time !;
that such class of patients are dan
gerous menace to the community and
citizens, and the present accommoda.
tions at the asylum are inadequate to
meet the situation, are some Of the
reasons set forth for the necessity of
erecting a Sc separate building.
In accordance with a resolution
passed by the jury, the attention of
the State Lunacy Commission, the
State Board of Aids and Charities
and the General Assembly will be
directed to the matter The jury
further points TO the fact that as
non-restraint is the policy of all mod
ern hospitals tor the insane in the
trsatme Mt of mental diseas IS, il be-
comes necessary to provide separate
and special means of handling dam
/ gercus cases.
AS to the means by which inmates
have effected their escape and the al
legged negligence OF officials of the
institution in not reporting deliveries
to the county athorities, the jury says
it was informed by DR.. C. H. Win
terode, the superintendent, that only
in cases of the escape of crlminally
insane patients would the authorities
% county whence the inmate came,
be notified. In other cases, only the
next Of kin or close friend, is noti-
fed.
As result of its Investigations,
the jury found total of 290 inmates
at the Negro Asylum, 80 more than
the nlmber provided for in the ap-
preparation for the present term.
The number of attendants at the in
| stitutiou was found to be one for
every I5 patients, and this, the jury
| thinks, is insufficient to give ade-
quate protection and prevent escape
In come ction with keeping tab on
escaped prisoners, the jury suggests
that the County Commissioners of the
different counties might take rene
dial me asures by providing forms TO
be filled out by the physician in the
case, said form to give all informa-
tion pertaining to the person to be
| committed TO the asylum For in.
stance, in the Wright case, the Off
cials claim they did not know that
Wright's wife and family We're liv-
ing in this county, and the only per-
son notified of Wright's escape was
| his father, whose address was given
as Indian Head, Md.
The committees OF the jury that
visited public buildings, scores gen
eral conditions as to. safety to per-
sons in case Of fire at the Hotel Mary
land, Colonial Theatre and the Palace
Theatre. Concerning the hotel, the
report says the fire escapes are mad
eouate as we'll as obsolete and recon-
mends the installation of more mod
ern equipment. Particlarly severe rs
the criticism Of surroundings at the
| Colonial Theatre. The report con-
demns the stairway leading from the
main floor to the balcony of the play
house, saying that it is such ss would
cause q panic and stampede in an
event of an outbreak of fire, and the
| FIRE escape, too, is also regarded as
unsafe
As to The Palace Theatre, the Jury
urges proper exits in the rear Of the
Hiding. A similar condition was
found at The Lyric Theatre on Market
Square, but it is stated in the repOr;
that the management promised &
remedy this Immediately. The report
recommends that the conditions st
the Hotel Maryland and the public
amusement places referred to shoulC
be brought to the attention of the
City Council Immediately, as well a.
laid before the State Fire Marshal.
| Praise is given 10 Superintendent
Langford and his administration anC
general conditions at the Maryland
Fl ,use of Correction by the committe,
that visited there. The report states
that the institution is a great eredi
TO the State. There are now AZ!
prisoners at the Cut The new
County Jail and Aims House were
/ found TO be in q Well-kent condition