The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-03-06
PROBE
CALLED
farce!
Woman Objects to
Passing Up Facts
Upon Steiacoom
Death Case

CHARGING that the commit
~ tee wisich recently inve&ti-
gated conditions nj state instifu-
fions for the insane was grossly
inaccurate in its report, Mrs.
Myrtle de Months, Of Gig Hxrber,
has written TO Gov. Louis y.
Hart protesting against the
whitewashing Of asylum officials
Her letter. al,ho written weeks
ago. was not made public by Cor.
Hart. copy OF IL coming into thu
hands Of The Star thru other sources
In her letter Mrs. de Months takes
particular exception 90 the way in
which the '-investieators- eio@cd
over the death OF Mrs Leone c.
Peck. OF Mabtons at steiiaccom-
The committee reported that IL
va. convinced. after carefully con-
sidsrinS all the evidence submitted"
that Mrs. Peck had come 70 her
death by sccideni. ana that every
thing had been done - investigats
the case in a proper manner.
REFUSED TO
TAKE TESTIMONY
As a matter OF fact according -
| Mrs. de Months. the COMMITTEES re-
fused to accept testimony on the
case. and there Is every evidences that
the woman was murdered by an at
tendans
Their Ghe committee'ss finding
concerning the death Of Mrs. Peck. "
Mrs. dc Months writes, contain so
numerous. gricTous and paipsble err
rors. Il renders their decision value
less .. These mistakes are
also quite inexcussble. as I placed at
the disposal OF this COMMITTEES COM
plete. authentic and original docu-
ments OF this case .. I asked
them 10 call me bofore them, further
10 explain any points they would not
They did not call in the members OF
the family .. Thry did not
cause the body TO be exhumed.-
The portion OF the committees re-
port to which Mrs. de Months partic-
uiary objects is as follows:
We have learned that
upon the death of Mrs. Leone Z.
Peck, which occurred at Steilacooni
some time during - April.
1915. the coroner OF Pierce county
was immediately notified and made .
thoro investigation.
ALLEGED PROBE
BY PROSECUTOR
THAT thereafter the circumstances
or the death were investigated by
the prosecuting attorney OF Pierce
county. that the circumstances or
her death we-e later Investigated by
a special committee appointed by the
state legislature during the session
OF 1917. which committee referred
the further investigation to the state
board Of control: and were not able
TO fix any criminal responsibility
upon any person or persons con.
nected with the institution at Stella
COON.
THAT there was the strongest CEN
sure made that the death probably
resulted from the unintentional care,
lessness of one attendant who is not
now in that institution. There is not
testimony offered before this COM
mittee which would tend in the slight
est way 10 snow tndt the Qeatn or
Mrs. Peck was produced by any treat.
ment or violence on the part of any
attendant
c'Biggest lie OF ALL" Mrs
de Months tersely comments at
this point.)
"All the evidence that this COM
mittee was able TO secure" the report
continues. tended clearly TO estab-
lish the fact that Mrs. Peck injured
herself by jumping and falling
agains a radiator in a fit OF violence
or an attack of acute insanity. The
attendant in charge of her may not
have had her securely fastened: but
this committee was unable to find
any evidence that the death of Mrs.
Peck was brought about by any
violence, abuse or i'll treatment of
Mrs. Peck by any officer or attendant
in the institution"
TAKES UP CASE
IN DETAIL
Taking up this section of the re-
port in detail Mrs. de Months says:
IL. Mrs. Peek did not die i'm
April. 1916. She was not admit
ted 10 Steilacoom until June Is,
1916.
go IT,. .orora- ~ D;..>