The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-02-28

of the nurses and discovered that
recently she was brutally assaulted
and thrown into a bathtub full OF
cold water because she dared to
protest against outrageous cruelty
to helpless unfortunates.
'He might have visited Mrs.
Jones, formerly OF Dana Street,
Cambridge, and looked upon the
ugly scars that she still carries as
the result of a shocking beating.
''Dr. Kline might, IL he had been
inclined. have read an appeal for
help in the beseeching eyes Of the
cowed and frightened patients,
WHOSE LETTERS ARE CONFIS-
GATED If they dare to complain
Of hunger or mistreatment, who
are hopeless prisoners In an insti.
tuition that abundant, incontro-
vertible evidence shows is a shame
to the commonwealth.
"But DR.. Kline did none Of these
things II he visited Westboro. What
he did do was to dine upon the
choicest yiands at the table of Car
Lang, listen with credulous ear to
the report of the chief gaoler that
all is well at the institution, and re-
turn to Boston satisfied that he can
put 1t over a little longer on the
people of the commonwealth"
Mail Destroyed
Apparently they have the provi.
sion that allows the asylum super.
intendent to destroy the prisoners
mail up there, too, although we can't
find it in the law. But they seem
to get away with 1t, and that's the
important thing.
DR.. Kline, by the way, was one Of
the committee Of five who put the
0. X. on st. Elijah eth's In the in.
vestigation last fall, so we know
what kind of hospitals he approves.
Quite celebrated case of false
detention in a Massachusetts, luna.
tic asylum was that Of Dorothy
Gordon.
Her father died and left her an
estate of something over $100, 900.
William f. Jardine was appointed
guardian ad Item chats a new
species of guardian here, just es.
tablished by law effective Feb
ruary IA, last, but quite common
up in Massachusetts, and he be-
came worried about Dorothy's
health and put her in the Mclean
asylum. all shipshape and proper,
and In conformity with the law.
She was kept there four years,
until her uncle learned that one
Of the physicians who signed her
certificate had signed a similar
valentine against a man who wasn't
crazy at all. and was able to- es-
tablish the fact in court, with the
aid of his brother-in-law and q
rope ladder, after six months con.
finement in Westboro.
He Has Her Money
That led the uncle to believe
that the doctors who had signed
Dorothy's certificate might have
been mistaken. and he got her out
OH habeas corpus. which is just as
unpopular among hospitals in Mass
achusetts as it is in the District.
The court found Dorothy sane.
and she was set free. The guard.
ian ad Item has most OF the $780,
600 and the chance Of Dorothy's
getting 1t back is remote.
A Boston newspaper man 1--WE
haven't his name, but II you're
anxious about It, you can write to
the Boston telegram. says:
The investigation Of the repre-.
sentative Of the Boston Telegram
may. serve to illustrate the condi-
tons existing in the institution and
the means by which those in power
retain their Jobs.
"A Mrs. Parker, a patient. as a
result Of her objecting to go to bed
at o'clock. was attacked and
beaten up by five attendants and
suffered severe Commissions.
FAXED" Accident.
"a Miss O'Rourke, a nurse who
was absent on leave at the time.
was required on her return to sign
a paper stating that Mrs. Barker
had sustained her injuries by falling
on her head.
"As an examination showed that
the injuries had been deliberately
inflicted Miss o'Rourke refused to
sign the false statement. whereupon
she was set upon by the attend.
ants. who threw sheet over her
head and cast her into a tub Of