Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-27

m en- ana women III IIe ulItItHA SET
tions sitting stolidly on the benches
mumbling to themselves. Cases Of
this class are hopeless and the victims
are there for life.
The quarters for the male criminal
insane are in the "star" building, so
called from its shape and which is the
oldest of the group. This class is the
most dangerous IN the institution and
here the furniture is reduced to bare
chairs and tables, both of very heavy
construction, to prevent the patients
using them as weapons. Even in this
ward there has not been a single case
of restraint necessary in more than
year.
The industrial school attached to
the institution is rapidly becoming a
source of income to the asylum.
Brooms and brushes that are used in
large numbers in the asylum are now
being made by the patients, machln-
cry having been installed for that
purpose. Another branch is the can
ing of chairs. which was formerly
done by outside help, but which Is
now performed by patients.
The women patients devote much
time to fancy work, such as needle
work and embroidery, crochet work,
raffla work and the making Of fancy
work baskets Much of this work Is
now done in the different wards, in
stead of in the industrial school, 1t
being an idea of DR.. Payne's that
some of the patients, who now sit in
dolent and silent, will form a desire
to work through seeing others do so.
Patients Make suggestions.
1t was noticeable in several wards
| where women were working making
baskets or paper flowers that a large
number of the other patients were
standing by either helping or making
suggestions. Gradually from aking
! suggestions the women will take up
| the work themselves. Last year
| total of S71S.62 was derived from t9e
sale of articles manufactured by the
women patients, this money being ex-
pended in supplies and entertaipment
! for the patients and nurses
The medical staff, under charge OF
DIR. Payne, consists of Dr. Robert Boil
ton, DR.. Earl H. Snavely, George
w. Davies, Dr. Henry C. Smith. DR..
Drew Wardner and DR.. Louis Fran
cisco. recently appointed to the staff
in place Of Dr. J. M Malatesta. Be-
sides the warden Benjamin F. Bailey,
| George B. lesley as steward and
Herbert Walker as clerk, look after
| the financial or working end of the
institution.
To finish a story about the Over
| brook asylum without mentioning
| Jimmy Healy would be to leave the
tale incomplete. Jimmy Healy is the
! centreman of the institution. He has
| a desk az the main door of the ad-
| ministration building, through which
all visitors to the institution come
! 1t is part of Jmmy's duties to give
| them passes to the wards to which
| they wish to go to visit friends or
relatives.
For full hour on a recent visiting
| day the writer sat in the reception
room as Healy was greeting visitors
and handing out passes. During that
! time twenty-eight visitors came in
| the door. Not once did Healy have
to ask the name of the visitor or the
patient the visitor wished to see. He
| knew every one VI thCii oha " S'SA y
instance had CHEEKY word for the
friend of the unfortunate brain
clouded patient
Later the writer was taken through
all the wards by Jimmy Healy. In the
made wards, as soon as he would
| open the door, it would be "Hello
/ Jimmy" from a dozen or more pa
tients. while Jimmy would reply witt
Hello, John, Jim or George, as
the case might be. In the women's
wards there was the same Hello
Jimmy" chorus, but here it was
| noticeable that Jimmy also spoke to
| the patients as Mrs. or Miss what
| ever the last name might be. He
said he had no patience with those
who treated the insane with less civil
4 ity than if they were sane.
And that little statement right
| there really sounds the whole key
! note of the treatment of patients al
the Overlook asylum by everybody
from DR.. Payne. it's head, down to the
| very last employee That Keynote Is
kindness to the patients; try to
make them happy even though they
are confined in an insane asylum
The Essex County Aslum for the
Insane. as conducted by the present
regime, is something that the tax
PAYERS can point to with pride, even
though it does cost the county al
most half million dollars every veal
for its upkeep