THE LATE OCCURRENCE AT THE ASYLUM.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 941, 30 June 1877, Page 2

THE LATE OCCURRENCE AT THE ASYLUM.

The Adjourned Inquest. The adjourned inquest on the body of Mr Frederick White took place yesterday at 3 p.m. at the Asylum before George W. Hall, Esq., Acting Coroner. The Coroner said that he expected the Crown Prosecutor would be present on the occasion, as he had promised to be there at 2 p.m. The following evidence was then taken : Edwin Martin—l am cook at the Sunnyside Asylum. On Wednesday at dinner time I was in the kitchen dishing up some dinner. Whitley, the attendant in I) ward, asked me if dinner was ready. At the same time Frederick White, the deceased, came in, and sat in a chair behind the kitchen dcor. White asked Whitley if it. was his dinner I was dishing up, and Whitley replied in the negative, Mark Price, the patient, came in, and asked Frederick White, the deceased, for a key. White said, “ I have not got the key ; I have 1 give it to another man.” That is all that I heard pass between Mark Price and deceased. By the Coroner —I saw nothing between the two before the blow was struck. I saw Mark Price take the knife from the table which I had been using, but I did not see what he did with it. Price was in the habit of coming into the kitchen when asked to fetch anything out. He was usually sent into the kitchen for anything that was required. Price was in the habit of coming in without being sent. He had free access tothe kitchen whenever he was out of the ward. He was not debarred within hours from coming into the kitchen. The knives in the kitchen were within his reach if he chose to get at them. Some of the other patients are allowed to come into the kitchen; I have two patients working for me daily in the kitchen. Mark Place was not one of those. By the Foreman —What were you doing when he took up the knife? Witness —I had been using the knife, and laid it on the table. The Foreman —You saw him take up the knife ? Did you think there was anything unusual in his doing so ? Witness —Oh no ; I have seen him frequently do so to cut his tobacco. The Foreman —There was nothing in Ms manner different from what you had been accustomed to see ? Witness —No, sir ; exactly the same. The Foreman —Did he have his pipe at the time ? Witness —Yes, sir; he had. Mr Inspector Buckley —You would know the knife again ? Witness —Yes; the knife produced is the one I laid on the table, which was taken up by Mark Price. Mr Inspector B uckley—Did you hear-*?r:ice say anything at the time he took the knife up, or after ? Witness —I heard him say nothing when he took up the knife; my back was turned to him all the time. Mr Inspector Buckley—How could you see him take the knife away ? Witness—l saw Mark Price’s hand come, and take away the knife. Mr Inspector Buckley—Do you know' She state of mind of the patient at the time ? Dr Coward—How can the witness give am opinion upon this ? Mr Inspector Buckley —Well, he- can say what opinion he formed. I dasVs want him to give a special opinion. Witness —I did not notice the man particularly. I did not speak to him that day. I only saw' the knife put back whei’e it wastaken from. It was covered with blood up tothe handle. I took the knife in my hand, and I looked at it. By that time attendant Whitley had gone from the kitchen, leaving the knife on the table between Mark Price and myself. White did not speak to me till I spoke to him. I said to Price, “Mark, what have you done?” He said, “ Say so Price.” I then ran to the door and called to some of the attendants to take him away. Mr Inspector Buckley —Where was the deceased at this time ? Witness—The deceased arose from the chair and sat down again. He afterwards rose up again and walked towards the storeroom, He said, “ I am stabbed, cook.” In going to the passage I met Mr Gordon, the storekeeper and clerk. 1 said, “ Mark Price has killed Fred. White.” Mr Inspector Buckley—Did you hear anything said by deceased to attendant Whitley in the kitchen ? Witness—l did not. I suspected that White was stabbed from seeing the blood on the blade of the knife. He kept his two hands over tl\e w'onnd. Mr Inspector Buckley—Did you see Whitley seize Price ?■ Witness —I did not. Mr Inspector Buckley—There was nothing unusual in Price’s manner ? Witness—Not the slightest. Ho seemed to be on excellent terms with deceeased. I have never heard an angry w’ord between theta eiace X have been in the place.

A Juryman —Did you see Mark Price make the thrust with the knife. Witness —I did not. I only saw it taken up. I only know of one knife being on the tible. There might be a table knife. The Juryman—lt was said yesterday there were two knives. If this was so, and the other one was a table knife it seems that the patient knew which was the most dangerous weapon of the two. Witness —I have been cook here two years and two months. I never knew Mark Price to fallout with any one or put any nasty tempers on with anybody. James William Hugh Gordon—l am clerk and storekeeper at the Sunnyside Asylum. On Wednesday from information I received from attendant Whitley I went to the kitchen where the deceased was. He showed me the wound in his side. I asked him if the knife had penetrated far, but he made no reply. He was afterwards, by order of Mr Seagcr, taken to the bedroom. John William Smith Coward —I am medical officer of the Sunnyside Asylum. I was here on the morning of Wednesday last and went through the wards as usual. I saw Mark Price in the passage. Ho seemed in his usual state. I did not observe any excitement of manner about him. I left the Asylum shortly afterwards. About 1.30 p.m. of the same day I received a message to say that one of the warders, Fredk. White, had been stabbed. I immediately went to the Asylum, but on arriving here I found the man was dead. I examined the wound, which I found to be such as would be produced by the knife shown to me, which has been produced to the jury. The wound was on the left side of the abdomen, a little below the rib. Nothing could have been done for the man had I been here at the time. The blow was mortal. I have no doubt the knife passed through the stomach from the blood which he vomited.

By the Coroner —There was no post-mortem examination necessary, the cause of death being evident. The Coroner —You have known the'patier t for some time ?

Witness —Yes, for some eleven or twelve years. The Coroner —Did you consider him a quiet man, and safe to go about ? Witness—Yes, without an attendant. The Coroner —Do you consider it generally safe for these men to wander about where they have access to tools and all sorts of dangerous weapons ? Witness —I see no danger where the patients are harmless. Of course I may qualify this by saying that there is always danger in some degree. We all here go with our lives in our hands. To get them bettor they must have a certain amount of liberty. I see no unusual danger in the practice of giving them tools to work with. It is done in other asylums, and I don’t see why it should not be done here. We give them spades and pickaxes to work with. It is customary at home to give carpenters and other mechanics who may be in the asylum their tools to work with. Of course I must be distinctly understood to refer only to patients who are considered harmless. The Foreman —Is it not usual to have an attendant to superintend the patients while at work, to look after the tools ? Witness —I believe it is usual to have attendants to look after the patients when using tools. The Foreman —Is it the rule here ? Witness —I do not know. I have only the medical department. The Foreman —Is it usual for lunatics to become violent in this way, all of a sudden ? Witness—lt is not usual for a man who has been quiet so long as Price has to have a sudden outbreak. The Foreman —But it may occur ? Witness —Of course. There is always that risk. It is a risk you must incur. You cannot help it. The Foreman —I understand that there is a larger number of attendants per head at home than here ? Witness —Yes. I believe that is so. A Juryman —-What distance should an attendant be away from the patients using tools ? Witness —That is according to the state of the man. The Juryman—Do you think it safe that a patient should go half a mile away with an axe to cut down wood, or to use a hedge knife on the fences. Witness—lt is a matter for the consideration of the attendant, and depends upon the ..state of the man. There are plenty of men Ijjsce who I do not think it would be unsafe to trust with tools. As to leaving the grounds I express no opinion, as I have nothing to do •vvdth this part of the asylum. A Juryman--! consider if a patient goes outside the grounds, that he ought to have an attendant with him to look after him, as he is not responsible for his actions. Inspector Buckley —Since you have known Price have you ever considered him in a state to be answerable for his actions ? Witness —No, never. Inspector Buckley—Or to know when he has been doing wrong ? Witness —No. Inspector Buckley—You saw him on the Wednesday morning. Did you consider him to be in a state to be answerable for his actions P Witness —No, he was in his usual state. Inspector Buckley—Was Price a man who had lucid intervals P Witness —No, he was always in the same state. In some cases patients have lucid intervals, but Price is not one of these. A Juryman —Do you think, Doctor, it would not be better to remove Price out of the sight of the others ? Don’t you think it would have a bad effect on the other patients seeing Price going unpunished? Don’t you think it will excite them to do the same ? Witness —It might excite them for a day or two, but I don’t think it will excite them for longer. The law does not recognise the punishment of lunatics. They cannot reason. Mr Inspector Buckley—lf the case goes further into another court, do you not think it will be requisite to have a post-mortem P Dr Coward —I can say that the blow caused death, and this I should think was sufficient to prove that death ensued therefrom. The Coroner—Well, gentlemen, I do not know whether you think it necessary to go further into the evidence. Wo are here not only to consider the cause of death, but whether there is any blame to be attached to the system. It is perfectly open to the jury to express an opinion whether the liberty granted to patients is right or not. If the jury require any further evidence on these points we can get it. A Juryman —I should like to ask Mr Scagev a question on his evidence of yesterday. The question I want to put is this—-I believe in answering questions yesterday that you had

never heard of the patients molesting any one whilst outside of the boundaries of the asylum. Is that a fact ?

Mr Seager—l have no recollection of any patient molesting any one outside the grounds. The Juror —Did you not say that if you had had any complaints you would not allow them to go beyond the boundaries ? Mr Seager—lf I received any well-founded complaint against any patient I should of course restrict him from going out for the future, and should use my best endeavors that it should not happen again. The Juror —Have you any recollection of a complaint being made that Boyd, one of the patients, had struck Mannington’s son ? Mr Seager—l have no recollection of such a complaint being made. The Juror —This patient was not confined by your orders for doing so ? Mr Seager—l never hoard about it. I may remark that the whole of the Asylum grounds arc unfenced, whereas in England and all over the world it is usual to fence in the grounds securely, so that the public may be protected. Here it is not so, and it would be positively cruel to keep the patients in the Asylum and not allow them out in the grounds. This, I may say, is a voluntary statement. This arises from the fact that the male portion of the Asylum is greatly overcrowded. The female portion of the patients have gardens to walk in, but the men have none. The plans for the additional buildings have been designed for some time, by which the men will be as well accommodated as the women. No male patient is allowed out in the grounds without his either j being convalescent or thoroughly tested as to his safety to be at large. Those who arc not fit to bo out by themselves —some thirty or forty—are sent for a walk every day with the attendants. Others work in the garden in charge of a gardener; others work in the grounds in charge of an attendant. In all well regulated asylums, as well as this, most of the patients use knives and forks at their meals. I state this in answer to some remarks made by a juryman yesterday. Without the grounds are fenced in, or more attendants provided, it will be utterly impossible to keep the patients on the grounds. The fitting patients being allowed to take walks occasionally by themselves has been conducive to the recovery of many. I think it is exceedingly necessary that the grounds should be fenced in. I have urged it time after time, and have even offered to do it myself. It is very offensive to the public generally to see the patients from the road. No patient is allowed to go out for a walk unless he states where lie is going. Of course I exercise discretion. A Juryman —I should like to ask Mr Seager what would bo the effect of confining the patients to the building P Mr Seager —They would either hang themselves or kill me. It would be perfectly inhuman to keep them in. The going out in the fresh air is essentially necessary for recovery. We are supposed to do what we can for the benefit of the patients, not looking to the risk of our lives, which are worth but little from day to day. We take out some thirty bad cases every day, and never had tin accident. The Coroner —Well gentlemen, you have heard the evidence. What you have to decide is the cause of death. On the evidence it is clear who that wound was inflicted by, and also that it caused death. Now the law is that the lunatic is not in any way responsible for an act of this kind committed while in an insane state. It will bo for you to decide whether the perpetrator of this act was insane at the time or not. I need not say that in the case of a verdict of murder or manslaughter it will go before a higher tribunal. It will be for you to say, therefore, whether you consider the evidence warrants a verdict of murder or manslaughter. The jury then proceeded to consider their verdict.

After an absence of half an hour the jury returned into the room. The Foreman —We are unanimous that the deceased Frederick White came to his death by a wound from a knife inflicted by a patient named Mark Price, who at the time was of unsound mind.

The Coroner —Have you any rider to add, gentlemen ? The" Foreman —Yes ; we as jurymen agree and are unanimous in recommending an additional number of warders or keepers to attend the patients while exercising, or that the grounds of the asylum be fenced in a manner to satisfy the public. The enquiry then terminated.