THE WELLINGTON LUNATIC ASYLUM ENQUIRY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2475, 23 February 1881, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON LUNATIC ASYLUM ENQUIRY.

SHOCKING REVELATIONS,

The Commission appointed to enquire into the charges brought against the

Superintendent of the Wellington Asylum . held their first sitting on Thursday, and arranged a number q£ preliminaries. On Friday they began the hearing of the evidence. ? Mr J. H. Shaw, who had a brother confined at the Asylum, made a statement on oath.-to the effect-that on asking to see his relative he had seen him treated in a most offensive and outrageous manner by Superintendent Whitelaw. He' then called Jesse White, a joiner, who deposed he had been employed on a contract at the asylum last year; from September to December, He had then been working in all parts of the building. He had seen a patient, Mr Marchant, who often helped witness in his work. While Marchant was looking on at witness one day, Whitelaw came up and asked what he was doing, adding “ If he is in vour way, White, knock him down.” Whitelaw seemed quite serious when he said that. Marchant then walked away. Whitelaw used to go round all parts of the building, including the female wards. There was practically no matron, and Mr Whitelaw used to go among the females. One patient, James Gannon, who was no more insane than witness was, was put in the “ back” ward, among the worst patients, because be refused to work, through Mr Whitelaw having promised to let him out and not doing so. The patients had to tear the joints of meat with their teeth. Gannon was wearing boots-that were 'most dilapidated, and would hardly keep on. He had seen Harvey the head warder, assault one patient most brutally—the patient was scrubbing the verandah, and possibly had spilled some water on Harvey’s boots, and the warder hit him so heavily that he he had knocked his nose on one side and sent the blood spurting out. The patient said, “ what did you do that for?” and presently after the wit ness said, “ Why did you strike the poor fellow in that way ?” when Harvey, with an oath, denied he had done it, saying the patient had struck himself. It was most brutally done. A Swede, named Johnston, was a patient. He was not insane, and had great difficulty in getting cut of the asylum. Anj r man who was useful Mr Whitelaw tried to irritate before the doctors came round, so as to keep them there. He would sometimes ask them if they knew anything about Heaven or Hell. Mr Whitelaw would go round the female wards, sometimes with Dr France and sometimes alone. Mr Whitelaw would look in the cells at female patients who were all exposed, having only straight jackets on. He did not report what he had seen to Dr Skae, because he believed in his own mind that they were six of one and half a dozen of the other. Whitelaw was most bitter to him, and after being threatened by him once, witness had said to him, “ Don’t you wish I was mad, and here under you ?” Whitelaw replied, “ Ah ! my God ! I do.” Henry Anderson deposed he had a nephew (James Anderson) in the asylum. He had often visited him. Once Mr Whitelaw told him Janies was not fit to be seen. Witness insisted on seeing him, and did so. His eyes were both bunged up, and his face a mass of bruises and extravasated blood. He looked like the beaten combatant in a prize fight of thirty rounds. Witness said, “How did he get like that"? Whitelaw said he had been knocking himself against the wall. Witness, however, could see the injuries had been caused by the impact of a human fist ; and, finding be would not accept the first explanation, they produced a power ful lunatic of eleven stone, and got him to say he had had a quarrel with James, and that they had fought. Andrew Davidson deposed he had been a warder in the asylum last year. He had a good written character from the asylum when he left. He left the asylum through Mr Whitelaw’s conduct. Whenever Whitelaw spoke to witness it was in a tyrannical, insolent manner. It was his usual custom. He (witness) was employed in the “ back ” ward, where all the worst cases were. Some cases, there, however, were not of that description. One man there in the “back,” named James Gannon, was entirely sane. He was put there because he would not work. He refused to work because Whitelaw would not allow him out.

Mr Shaw said he could produce witnesses to prove that they set patients to fight with each other for amusement. The Commission then adjourned till Monday.