The Washington times., 1920-09-11
CALL ASYLUM
0FF|C|ALSLAX
Members Of City Club Commit
tee Believe Hospital System
Is at Fault.

'St. Eiizabeth's Hospital Is not
lacking for funds, or for competent
help. but there seems TO be a degree
Of iaxity on the part of'both officials
and attendants"
This was the conclusion Of the spe-
ciai committee OF the City Club pub
lie safety group. which visited the
Institution yesterday In its investiga-
tion OF the recent escapes and deaths
among inmates.
The conclusion was voiced this
morning by Claude W. Owen. chair
man OF the special committee. The
other members are Or. c. ID. Swope
and Max Walten. They spent two
hours with DR.. Noyes. and made a
partial tour Of the grounds. being
given every facility practicable In the
time they were there.
"Dr. Noyes told US that the institu-
tion had larger appropriation than
the average per capita of inmates.
said Mr.. owen. Congress increased
its grant from $4,000 to 81 900. 900
in 1919 to permit II to keep up it's
personnel In the face OF outside de-
msnds for help. The ratio of attend
is the greatest of any large institu.
patients. there are $50 attendants.
The largest ratio In any other large
institution Is one to eight, in Mass
achusetts.
THE salaries possible to pay out
OF the appropriation enable the In
stitution to draw trained help from
state institutions, DR.. Noyes told us.
We went into this phase to make
sure that II is not incompetency OF
the employees which causes the
escapes. ..
that the institution authorities do not
| take the situation seriously enough.
DR.. Noyes was inclined to belittle the
stir which has been made over the es-
sapes and the uRguarded gates. He
told us that this institution Is the
only one with which he has been con-
nected which has any sort Of fence.
and seemed to think that such out
side guards were not necessary.
MANY VIOLENT PATIENTS.
This may be all right in a state
institution, where a majority OF the
inmates are old and infirm; but St
Elizabeth's, especially since the war.
has a large proportion OF young and
hardy persons. some of them OF the
class which furnishes criminals.
"Of the three main gates to the
grounds, one, on the portion across
| Nichols avenue from the administra-
ton buildings. was not guarded un-
IN a few days ago. and IL 10 through
| this gate that a large portion OF the
escapes have taken place. There Is
| a. stretch of -eighths of q mile
on the side toward Boiling neld.
| which has no fence whatever. 1t was
on this side that McMath slipped
away a short time ago and drowned
himself He had been on the GROUNDS
and obtained permission to watch a
| tennis game. From here, he edged
away until he got into the bushes,
and then went down through the
vineyards and to the river. 1t was
on this side Of the grounds that Hop
kins killed Messett.
I'VE made further inquiry regard
ing the inmate who was reported 10
have given a $500 check to an attend
ant to allow his escape. While Dr.
Moves is certain that the attendant
| was locked in his room by two IN
mates, we found that the same man
had escaped three times before, al
though he was kept under lock ana
key. He not only had to escape from
the building. but from the grounds,
which should have been ~"arded.
| THHEE VT bSSSAA ISs
"rhe hospital authorities divide es-
4 capes into three classes-technical es-
canes. where the patients have been
| paroled into the city; ground parole
| escapes, where they slip through the
| gates or the unfenced area, and third.
| where there is no parole and they
break out OF buildings or away from
keepers who have taken them on the
| grounds.
at In our conclusion that tho
guards have been too lax on the gates
and that there should be system or
checking ND on those allowed out, by
| issuing passes to visitors who enter
and taking them up when they 60
! out We think the authorities have
| been too lax in the past in checking
I'D on those responsible for escapes.
Dr. Moves told us he had not been
able to Ak definitely responsibility for
| the escape of Hopkins. We think
there also has been laxity in not
guarding the third gate. guard Is
now stationed there.
about paroles into the city. we
| think there Is a serious problem. Dr.
Moves asserted. with some reason,
that il is necessary for the good OF
patients approaching complete re-
coyery that they should be permitted
| to GO out among normal people and
among old surroundings. as other
wise, when they were discharged
they would find themselves utter
strangers and liable to relapse.
Paroles are granted first for an hour
and then for a day. and are revoked
IL the patient does not show good
faith. They are not granted until
after a council Of twenty or more
physicians have passed on them. III
Is probable that they are using All
reasonable precautions to prevent
accidents"
The committee will report to the
| public safety group at its October
meeting.
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