Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-14
FORMER STATE HOSPITAL ATTENDANT
ACQUITTED ON CHARGE OF ASSAULT ON
m DIMINUTIVE PATIENT IN WOMEN'S WARD

&
After a long hearing in which
much conflicting testimony was In
troduced by the witnesses for the
State and for the defense, Mrs.
Elizabeth Cyr until recently an at
tendant in the women's ward at the
Augusta State Hospital, was found
not guilty of assault and battery, in
municipal court Wednesday morn
inc. The assault was alleged to have
been committed early in the morn
ing on August 4 on Delvina Dubois.
n dininutive but active and some
times troublesome patient at the
hospital.
The warrant in the case was taken
ont by County Attorney Walter M.
s;anborn, after an investigation of
charges made against Mrs. Cyr by
Mrs. Avis G.. Reed, another attend
ant at the institution. The case was
prosecuted by County Attorney San
born, and the respondent was repre-
scented by Attorney Melvin E. Saw
telle.
The case developed some sensa-
tional testimony which lead the
county attorney to characterize the
alleged assault as one Of the most
brutal, vicious and unwarranted to
ever come to his attention, and in
addressing the court Mr.. Sanborn
called attention that after the hear
ing before Judge Cony, he as county
attorney would be done with the
case, but that he could not feel that
he was fulfilling the duties of his
Office without prosecuting the case
in the lower court.
The testimony of DIR. Forrest c.
Tyson, superintendent of the insti-
tuition, the first witness called for the
State was merely to establish the
details of the patients presence at
the Augusta State Hospital. Delvina
Du Blois, the alleged victim of the
assault has been at the hospital
about II years. She Is quartered in
the so called upper second ward of
the women's wing. She Is about 40
years of age, four feet seven inches
tall. and weighs about IS pounds.
The ward in which she Is quartered
Is devoted to cases OF a more or less
violent and dangerous character.
Mrs. Avis G. Reed proved the bull
wark of the States case. and 1t devel-
oped later in cross-examination that it
was on Information furnished to the
county attorney by her that Mrs. Cyr
was arrested and arraigned on the
charge. Mrs. Reed testified that she
has been employed as an attendant at
the hospital since last March and that
on August 4. the morning IN question,
sne was going on duty a little after S
O'Clock in the upper first ward, when
her attention was attracted to the
anteroom between her ward and the
upper second by outcries
The witness testified that on going
TO the room she saw Mrs. Cyr strike
the Dubois woman several times in
the face. choke her, punch her body,
slam her into a chair and then onto
the floor and later drag her through
the doorway into the ward, by the hair
| or her head. She also testified that a
few minutes later on going to the bath
! room OF the ward she saw Mrs. Cyr
hold the little patient under the faucet
or the hopper and drench her head and
shoulders with the running cold wa
| ter. Mrs. Reed testified that on the
| next morning after this occurrence
she observed that the patients left
hand was swollen and that there were
discolored bruises on the left arm
She further testified that the attend
ant was very angry and used profane
and abusive language toward the Du-
Blols woman. Mrs. Reed reported the
matter to the acting chief supervisor,
Mrs. Fife Ames. and later to County
Attorney Sanborn.
Luella Brann, also an attendant at
the State hospital, testified that on the
morning of the alleged assault she
was coming off the night watch on the
upper second ward when the incident
occurred About 6 o'clock that morn
ing the Dubois had broken out seven
panes OF glass with her shoe. and as
Mrs. Cyr passed through the anteroom
where the patient was sitting in her
accustomed place in a rocking chair
she attempted TO demonstrate with the
patient. The alteration resulted. The
witness testified that the patient at
tempted to tear the uniform from the
attendant and that after Mrs. Cyr had
succeeded in breaking her grip on the
shoulder strap she helped Mrs. Cyr and
Miss Beatrice &yr, another attendant.
carry the patient to the ward bath
room. She testified that she saw the
Dubois women dragged across the
Threshold by her hair.
In her own defence, Mrs. Cyr, the
respondent. took the stand and cate
gorically denied all allegations. She
testified that she had been an attend
ant at the Augusta State Hospital for
the past three years and that during
the past six weeks she had been in