The Nome daily nugget., 1916-03-24


 report of the committee on .mu- nicipal affairs of the Nome Cham Der of Commerce relative to the Morningside sanatorium, the in- stitution in which are confined the mentally afflicted from the territory of Alaska, together with the statements of those who have been confined in the place at varying periods during the past several years and the recommend ations ot the committee in charge of the investigation.
 Statement of MT. C. O'Brien, in regard to the treatment at and sanitary condition of the Morn ingside sanatorium of Oregon.
 1 was sent to that institution from Nome, Alaska, sometime in September, 1912, and was a pa ,ient a little over seven months, and 1 believe that l would have been .i,ele now if some of my friends erd relatives had not in- terceded in my behalf. This sana- to,:uln, ;s not kept in a sanitary con';l:ion. it abounds in filth and the ra.itnts are treated more like prisoners than otherwise. They are all crowded into rooms like sardines in cans; the building is not provided with fire escapes, in case d fire there would be no possible chance to escape death. The food is very scant and infe- rior in quality. The vegetables served such as potatoes, carrots, turnips and cabbage are unmar- ketable owing to their decayed condition. The patients never have any butter, milk or sugar served to them. The only meat that is served to patients, is serv- ed to those woh are able to work out on the farm, and then only once day in the form of soup made from the leavings left over from the officers and attendants table, and l assure you there IS very little meat in this soup. When they have visitors at the sanatorium if one of the patients attempts to tell how they are treated, the attendants will kick and beat them in a most brutal manner. 1 have seen many diff ferent patients treated in the fol lowing manner: The attendants will wind a towel around their neck, until they choke them down, then they will kick and beat them and drag them to a cell and lock them in. l have also seen the attendants use their fists on cripples, knock them down and kick them when lying on the floor. If patient approaches an attendant asking for help in any manner, he will invariably get a bat in the jaw, and kick with his foot. The attendants take great pleasure in seeing the patients in q fight with each other and many patients are disabled in this way. There have been patients in this institute crippled and disabled for life by the cruel treatment re- ceived from the attendants. If patient writes letter to person outside of this sanatorium, the superintendent reads the letter, and if there is word in it un-. favorable to the management, the letter is never sent, and the writer is sure to get good beating. l don't consider this institute is a fit place to send anyone for treat ment. "I consider it hell hole on earth" where there is no chance to receive anything but plenty of abuse. If a patient sent to this sanatorium recovers it is by and through the laws of na- ture, and not by kind medical treatment. I have also read the letters of MT. Frank Litz publish ed in the two Nome papers, and I believe every word of them to be true, but consider the language used very mild, as l have seen much worse treatment dealt out to a great many patients in that institution.
 C. O'BRIEN.
 Statement of A. Nicholis.
 I was sent from Nome, Alaska, to the Morningside santorium of Oregon, the last of July, 1912 and was a patient in that institute eight months and 27 days. six months and two days of that lime