Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-19
INeDRlArES GENT 70 KNOXVILLE
WITHOUT KNOWING SCOPE
OF LAW.
EXPECTED 70 DE CURED
WITHIN A FEW WEEKS
Frietisn at Institution Results When
Men Learn They Must Stay Months
aNd Perhaps Ysars-cenfsesnes Of
!. institution Hsads Concerning En-.
ssrssmsnt Of stsriiisss'sn Laws.
speci.l to Times republican.

Special TO Time0.Repuolic1n.
Des Moines, March lS.-The policy
OF the courts of>1owa in concealins
from victims Of the LIQUOR and drug
habits the real scope Of the law for
commitments to the Knoxville institu-
tion 10 responsible for most Of tho
trouble had there With patients. So
superintendent Donohoe says.
The superintendent declared that ,
great deal Of the Dissatisfaction and
friction arises at Knoxville from the
fact that persons are induced to plead
guilty end be sent to the institution
on the theory that they will only have
TO stay there few weeks or months.
take some medicine. be cured. ana then
come back home. When they hnd they
are committed until cured" or not to
exceed three years. they feel they have
been duped and they become resentful
and ugly. He urged that something be
done 10 require that the committing
authorities make the law plain to
every one sent there. Superintendent
Apologize, Of Mount Pleasant, who has
charge Of the female drug victims.
confirmed this position and said that
among his patients this fact Of decep-
ton or Misunderstanding was the
cause Of great complaint.
Superintendent Witte,. Of the Cla-
rinda hospital, added some valuable
facts regarding the effect Of inebriacy
and the drug habit on the descendants
of its victims. He declared that there
are not many who come to the insane
hospitals with insanity due to drink
or drugs: but great many of the In
sane are such because of inherited de-
fects due to liquor or drugs. 1t Is in
the descendants Of the inebriates that
the great danger lies. He gave statis-
tics from investigations made in Ger
many showing the fearful results to
the descendants of liquor victims in
producing detectives.
The discussion before the state con-
ference appeared to indicate that the
problem Of dealing with the dipso-
maniacs IL a much larger one than
supposed . few years ago and 1t is
growing. The use Of morphine and
cocaine and their derivatives is on the
increase In Iowa.
Consider Sterilization Law.
q, Attorney General Cosson called to
his Office yesterday for conference
the heads Of the state institutions
where the law passed three years ago
for sterilization Of certain persons will
be applied. There has been no con-
certed action at the institutions re-
sgar1ing this law. It II applied on the
orders OF the parole board. and they
have very little information as to the
inmates of the institutions beyond
what they can get from the heads OF
the prisons. and hospitals. At some OF
the institutions there Is opposition to
its application while at others there il
desire that it be complied with
promptly. Some Of the supcrintendents
hesitate about enforcement Of the law.
Many Of the friends Of inmates. espe-
tcially Of some Of the insane, would
/ like to resist the entire idea. But, as
: stated some time ago. the work has al
ready. keen commenced and will be
continued right along. !.
Insofar.sas It relates to the prisoners
at Fort Madison the case is to be taken
! at once into the courts for settlement.
The first suit was one in the state
courts, but later 1t has been trans
lerred to the federal court, and three
Judges will sit to hear the case. since
It involves an order suspending the
law.
The attorney general desired first
hand information from the superinten-
dents "a. to this law and its application
before entering upon the defense Of thu
law. The state will undertake to up
hold the law in its entirety.