Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-14
RIGID SCRUTINY
OF INSANE MANS
FATE UNDER WAY
Committee Appointed to In
vestigate Death of H. c.
H u m m e l-Attendants
Held Responsible.

Tndignities inflicted upon an attendant
at the Pennsylvania Hospital for the In
sane, otherwise known as Kir<bride S, are
according to members of the Board of
Managers of the institution, responsible
for the attacks said to have been made
upon Henry C. Hummell, civil engineer,
81 years old, 419 North SGD street, former
patient in the hospital, who. Deputy Cor
oner Sellers declares, died on October . as
result of injuries received at the hands
of attendants in the institution. The
Board of Managers also announced today
that an immediate effort will be made to
obtain a moro responsible class of at
tendants at the hospital.
APPOINT INVESTIGATORS.
The board. on learning that Hummell
had died in the hospital on October 5.
appointed Charles Biddle. an attorney,
605 Chestnut street, and Henry II. Collins
two of their number, to make a thorough
investigation of the death of the civil
engineer. on whose body bruises were
| found when II was taken to his home
SIX attendants, who were yesterday held
to await the action of the Grand Jury,
and others at the hospital. who came in
contact with Hummel, were examined by
the two members of the board. Their
statements We're taken by a stenographer
for Detective Paul, who was assigned by
Coroner Knight to make rigid investiga-
tion of the case.
ATTENDANTS IN PRISON.
The men held yesterday by Chief Deputy
| Coroner Sellers We're Dennis Kelly, James
Dallas, Martin Glblen, Edward j. Breslin.
Michael Connolly and Arthur Greenway,
all of whom are attendants at the hos
pital and make their home there. They
are in Moyamensing Prison and will re-
main there until the next session OF the
Grand Jury.
a member OF the board OF managers of
the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane,
in speaking of the death OF HummeIl to-
day, said that the hospital authorities
were lending every assistance to the de-
tectIves working on the case. that the
guilty man OF the six who were sent 10
tail yesterday may be found and punished
for the crime.
I'VE certainly want TO prevent another
fatality" said the official of the hos
pital. but our greatest difficulty lies in
obtaining hish-cass men as attendants"
He explained that only labOTlng men
would accept such positions, and that In
the Hummell case they We're subjected
To indignlties that a high grade or low
GLASS man would not tolerate. HummelI,
ne said, always got the best of treat
ment. but he believed he received the
Injuries which caused his death on the
night OF October 2. after the inmate had
insulted the attendant to such an extent
that the man lost his temper and forced
him back into bed.
A TROUBLESOME PATIENT.
Three attendants who had spoken Ia a
rough manner 10 Hummell were dis
missed from the hospital two weeks ago.
but from the investigation Of the au-
thortles there is no evidence showing
that they subjected him to any rough
treatment Hummen is was said today
was troublesome and violent patient
and often walked up and down his room
and shouted at the top OF his voice At
other times, while talking TO attendants
he would seem perfectly rational and
then shower abuse ana intolerabls in
dignities on the attendant without cause.
These acts on the part or the patient
according to the detectives and hospital
authorities, unquestiOnably caused the at
tendant to lose his temper and use force.
The attendants at the hospital are
supervised day and night by an overseer,
who, from time 10 time, makes rounds
OF the wards OF the hospital to ascertain
that ths inmates receive the best OF treat
ment.
Chief Deputy Coroner Sellers. who con
Quoted the inquest into HummelPs death
yesterday, in speaking 20 the accused
men after they had failed TO give salts
factory information. said:
This Is murder. One Of you men COM
mitted this crime and until It Is proven
which one IS guilty All must be held ac-
countabls because you we're bis attend
anita" RI