The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-04-29
The Whitfield Report: Port Two

N@-F~~~ - CfAAttcAo ~ fsiHIhcio bChtu iottutl dD-
parently absolves DR.. Lawrence Shackelford, director, and
other top personnel from blame for. examples of mistreat-
nnent of patients by attendants. However, an analysis of
this report reveals glazing evidence of the lack of proper
supervision which places the blame squarely on the should
es of the hospital directors.
The COMMITTEES report was released recently after a
three-month investigation of the hospital. The investiga-
ton followed accusations made last fall by Rep. Hayden
Campbell OF Kinds county who charged brutal treatment
OF patients, general mismanagement, and asked the dis
missal of DR.. Shackelford and others responsible for the
hospitals operation. Rep. CampbelPs charges were made
after a two-month personal investigation last summer,
supplemented by later testimony given him by attendants
and patients.
The report of the committee devotes half a page to an
analysis of staff meetings at the hospital before which pa
tients are brought for diagnosis and says, in part:
r dhe committed found that before a patient was
brought before the staff a doctor had been assigned to his
case and made a minute report of the patients condition -.
At the staff meeting, after the patient had been presented
and questioned, a free and voluntary discussion of his case
was made. Before he was declared with a phychosis it
was agreed upon by a majority of the physicians present.
If theyscould not agree the patient was kept for further
study and observation. At the staff meetings the type of
treatment was recommended to be pursued for rehabilita-
ton at the patient all new patients come before the staff
within a short period after they are admitted to the jnsutu-
ton"
All that sounds fine. Like a well run mental institu-
ton at which the doctors and psychiatrists study each pa
tent and make individual diagnosis. But what about the
case of Alex Bailey, which the committee also deals with in
its report? Alex Bailey is a Negro, who some months ago
after being released from Whitfield, killed another Negro
and cut his head off. We'd like to tell you about Alex
Bailey, but first we quote the committees report on the
case:
The committees Legislative investigating committee)
attention was called to the case of a patient named Alex
Bailey who had been released from the institution after a
short confinement and who. after his release committed a
most hsinous crime near Macon in Noxubee county. This
person has been r~ecommitted and is now a patient at Whit
field. This committee questioned the patient at length.
and were of the unanimous opinion that he was crazy.
SINCE THAT TIME THE STAFF AT WHITFIELD HAS
CONQUERED IN THIS OPINION capitals ours). and we
have been assured that under no conditions will this patient
Be allowed liberties at any time. or be released from the in
stitution. Our investigation showed that the staff had re-
considered their first diagnosis of this case and reversed
that decision based upon further information and exmina-
tion."
The story of Alex Bailey is this:
He was committed to Whitfield after long evidence of
insane violence. After being kept at the hospital for some
six or eight weeks he was released in custody of a sister
at Vicksburg. He was discovered a few days later naked
IN the woods near Macon by another Negro, Bull Deal. He
struck Deal with q stone, either killing or stunning him,
and then used the laters po~cketRnife to decapitate his vic
tim. Prior to the attack, Deal had persuaded the insane
man to don a pair of shorts.
Clad only in the shorts and carrying Deals head in his
hands, Bailey made his way to the Macon courthouse and
seated himself in front of the judges bench in the empty
courtroom. Sheriff Emmett w. Farrar meanwhile had
been notified by people who had seen Bailey. 10 attempt
pg to arrest him the Sheriff was severely cut by the insane
man.
Later at Baileys trial three members of the Whitfield
staff, ~subpoened for the trial, testified that he was not in
sane.
Now. months later after a life has been taken. this
same staff "concurs" in the opinion of a group of non-pro-
fsssionals. There Is no explanation in the report concern
ing the staffs findings when Bailey supposedly was brought
before them after being admitted to the institution. Neither
Is there any explanation as to why he was released after
such a short period of confinement. nor why three members
OF the staff testified at his trial that he was not insane. and
then reversed this in the face of an opinion by q group of
men who are state legislators and not medical doctors or
psYchiatrists. Perhaps the publicity might have had some
thing to do with the reversal.
In the committees report individual attendants are
blamed for mistreatment of patients, but the report does
not say how these attendants are hired, who examines
their qualifications, what standards have been set for en-
~ploynnent, or deal with a dozen other factors to be consider
ed in hiring attendants to care for the mentally sick.
Rather than absolving the director and management
from blame, we believe the report underlines a disgraceful
lack Of supervision that made these conditions possible.
The committees report admitted instances of brutal treat