The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-25


tions thus completed. In this hospi-
tai which is meant for the feeble
minded, are many patients who really
do not belong here. Many of them are
shell-shocked soldiers. Durable cases
Of mental defects are placed in the
same room Within incurable and
hopelessly insane. Any protest from
the prisoner as to the rotten condi-
lions is met with severe clubbings.
The following letter, which was
sent to the Trybuna Robotnicza
Polish Communist weekly, by one of
the ex-service men in the hospital,
wildly portrays the conditions in
Howard Hall of the hospital:
Dear Editor:
81 am a veteran of the Spanish and
Filipino wars. In the Philippines
was wounded both in legs and body.
For this I now receive $50 per month
pension.
Kept Like Slave.
~ am kept here like a slave in dark
Africa--like the Negro in America
before 1851. A Waterman sits by my
door day and night. l am in room
SKI foot, on the third floor, not very
far from the capitol. Across from me
is ]. A. Wood, he is here % years.
am the only Pole here.
Nobody can see us. In Howard
Hall division there are 200 patients.
We are not permitted even to have
a cup for drinking water. The same
dish that l use for my toilet, 1 use
to drink water. My salary goes for
my board. They feed us corn beef,
bologna and Goldfish. No milk, fruit
or vegetables. 1 can receive letters
only in Polish, but cannot send any
letters from here. This letter l sent
out By a friendly janitor. God knows
how long he will last-they change
them every six months.
Beaten For Letter.
Every way to the courts is blocked
for me. In October. 1924, sent an
application for writ of habeas corpus
asking the courts to help me. For
this l was beaten by the warden for
three days. On the third day, / was
unconscious for two hours. l have
marks of that beating.
Every day patients are beaten
here. They beat them nearly to death.
Not long ago patients William Green,
John Streets and William Lewis were
beaten nearly to death. There were
many others whose names l do not
remember. They were beaten for COM
planning about the bad food and for
accusing officers of stealing money,
and other little things and for at
tempting to send out letter. In the
last two years 1 was beaten 16 times.
Half Of the patients here have been
beaten so that they dare not speak.
Many of the patients have syphilis
and other diseases. Those who are
healthy are forced to eat from the
same dishes, use the same clothes,
razors, soap and brushes.
Three months ago someone sent a
letter to United States Senator w. c.
Bruce, telling of these conditions in
the hospital. The senator had a grand
jury called to investigate the hospital
in Sept. 1925. But as the hospital be-
longs to the government, they cleaned
things up before the investigation.
Clean Up Before Investigation.
"on the day of the investigation,
we had baked meat, milk, potatoes,
fruits, sugar, butter and fresh bread.
This was but for one day. On that
day they let US out for fresh air and
nobody was beaten. The whole hospi-
tai was looking like mirror.
my father is in Oakland, Wiscon-
sin, r. F. D. /, Box As, but he can do
nothing for me. l was born there in
1876. have two sons, one 16 and the
other II years of age.
with tears in my eyes, plead to
you to publish this letter and get help
for me.