DOCTOR ON TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1851, 10 September 1913, Page 7

DOCTOR ON TRIAL.

FOR WHIPPING LUNACY PATIENTS. SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, September 8. The trial has commenced at the Old Bailoy of Dr. Henry Thomas Hamilton, of Essex Houso, Barnes, S.W., on charges of whipping two certified lunatics —Miss Mary Ethelreda Hay-Cogh-lan and Miss Ellen W. Hickson—who had been entrusted to his caro. Sensational evidoneo was given by Nurse O'Brien on tho lines of that given by her at the magistrate's inquiry on April 1 last.

Miss Johanna O'Brien, nurse, of Northumberland House, a private asylum at Finsbury, gave, some remarkable evidence at the Magisterial'inquiry in [April last. She stated that she saw Miss Hay-Coghlan thrasflied after the latter had run away from, her nurse and jumped through the dining-room window. Dr. Hamilton ordered 'another nurse and tho witness to take Miss Hay-Coghlan upstairs to her bedroom and undress her, and he then beat the patient, who .was held face downwards on tho bed', several times across tho back and tho legs and wherever he could. On another occasion the witness saw Dr. Hamilton go upstairs in a temper, and she later heard screams coming: from Miss 'Hay-Coghlan's rooms. Another day tho .other niirws and herself heard scuffling in the passage, and found that Dr. Hamilton had Miss Hay-Coghlan by tho shoulders, and was kneeling on the back. Dr. Hamilton used to hit Miss Hay-Ooghlan from behind across tho side of ner head with tho flat of his hand. Dealing with Dr. Hamilton's treatment of her own particular patient, Miss Hickson, tho witness eaid that Dr. Hamilton ofjten hit her across the face. On ono occasion Miss Hickson had been forcibly fed, and when Ae resisted the doctor punched her in the abdomen. Ho sometimes struck her across the side of the' head, especially when the gag slipped. Ho used also to hit her across the knuckles with pudding and dessert spoons.