Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-04-20 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE EIWAPE OF A LUNATIC.  Mr J. D. likes said he wished to ask a question with r lard ti the evidence which the master of the workhouse had given at the inquest on an insane man who had escaped from the workhouse, and committed suicide. It should be taken notice of as the peoele out of d 'ere were speaking very Btu oigly on the mutter. There certainly app t arel to have been sonic little neglect 03 the part of tiie mister. Mr Williams had admitted that he and some hth.ir of the officials knew that the deucuft,t was not right in his mind. If sueli was the case, and if, as Mr Williams further a hooted, be saw him go over the wall, it Appeared plain that there had been some little neglect. Mr Williams. the master, was then allowed to make a statement, which he did in the billowing words The deceased came to the house about five o'clock in the evening, as I was interned by the porter, who came at the time and said a man had been admitted, adding something to the if et that he was not right in his mind. That was all that took place then. At hailpast s yen 1 s.tw a man down uider the chapel. I thought at first it was a man who had been up at the hon-e on business, and called out to him, '• You must go back; th ire's no road that way." He weht out by the door, and I went after him. By the tim• I got up to him he had eut on to the wall aljohling Air Br..ch's field. I said, "You can't go that way," ane catieht hill of him by the arm pretty tightly, lie turned round very sharply, and said, •' What do you want with me? Yon shan't keep ute here." He then get free, arid jumped over the wall into Mr Brook's field. I thought from that that it was the man who hid been received into the ho se, but I did not know. I recelved no cinci ruing him.  epecial.or,  Mr. DANIEL, in r.,pl) to the Chairman, said ha gave the ord,r the ordinary way. _ _ . . .  Mr J D Itixs repett(rd that the jury found fault with Mr Williams, and he (Mr Rees) was impressed with tne fact that there bad boat a dereliction of duty. Mr Atmom said the master would have no lawful riiifit to follow the man who chose to go out of the }muse. MacKNionr, the porta., was then called in. He  . . stiti!ci that die deteasod was brought in by two young men, who atid ha was not right in his head, and that he . ._ . was a  irkinan front Ur Boundy'a works. This ww; ab ,11t five o'clock. and he was then put in the proper ward, and he (liaclinight) kept watch upon him. About seven o'clock, however, the night lodgers came in so test and kapt him se busy, that he could no longer wwch him; and having to let so many people in he was obliged to lc ep the door unlocked, aid he must have escaped then.  Thu CILORIIAN said that if there was an intimation given to Maniimittht that the man was insane, a surgeon ought to have been sent fur.  'Mr. llAysgs : If the man was insane this was not the right place to send him. Mr. DANIEL said that when he gave the order he C9ill not perceive that the deceased was insane ; he answered all questions in a perfectly rational manner. Mr. Itoosas remarked that even if by the rules of the house it was not necessary to watch the man in a special manner, common sense ought to have led the officials to do se, since they had been told that the man was insane.  Mr. JANIFN said that although some very strong remarks appedred to have been made at tho coroner's inquest, the relieving tatter did not perceive anything unusual with the man, and when he was biought to the helve neither the porter nor Mr Williams deemed it was a case to tm dealt with in any unusual or special way; and on this account he thought they could not attach any blame to their officers for not taking more than the usual caution. He thought, however, that it was a v try unfortunate thing that the man had committed suicide.  Mr ARNOLD again saii the law was jealous of the viityly of individuals, and they had no right to detain the num.  Mr WlLLtAsts, the master, said it was not an unusual thin.; for persona supposed to be not quite right to go •ut when they liked. Mr BROCK agived to what had been said to the effect that no blame was to be att idled to Mr Williams. Mr. ROGF:ItS said he still contended that Mr Williams should have set someone to watch, or should have kept th doors looked.  The CHAIRMAS reMindel Mr Rogers that the porter was obliged to keep the doors open, and the man had taken advantage of that and escaped. Mr R 7 es said th- master knew the man was not right, ad with this foreknowledge he allowed him to go away. The CHAIIMAN said the master was wit sure that it was the man until he returned to the lions..  Mr Brum: said that although the man was not of thoroughly eo mad mind, it a2peared.to him that he wai not decidedly insane, nor yet so devoid of common sense as not to be able to take care of himself, and many persons came to the house who could hardly bc pro=tweed to be quite insane, and who were ya not quite righr. This ccse did not appear to bc at et a special oue, and ha thought members of the Board were attaching more blamc to Mr William than he dyserved.  itErs said he was anxious it should be understood by the public that tin muter had not neglected his duty.  The CRAY/011N said that a large number of persons were admitted to the house who were Isamu' to a certain extent, bat not altogether sane, and it had not been found necessary to ke-p a strict watch over them. After a little further conversation the ..thject dropped, Mr Rees saying that the object he had in view had been accomplished. Mr Itooeas afterwards put a question asking whether something should not be done to raise the wall.  Trte CWAINNItS replied, saying he had seen Mr Rees on the subject, but at present there was no probability of its being done, as the ground at the back cluld not be excavated, nor the road mode just now, because Mr Rees was still in treaty with the Corporation. This concluded the business.