THE WELLINGTON LUNATIC ASYLUM INQUIRY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2487, 10 March 1881, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON LUNATIC ASYLUM INQUIRY.

SECOND EDITION

[By Telegraph.] Wellington, March 8. At the Asylum inquiry the evidence was mainly denials by attendants that they had ill-treated patients, and statements by visitors to the Asylum that they had not witnessed anything of the kind. The only important evidence was the following Duncan Cameron, saddler, said —I knew the witness M'lncosh before he went to the Asylum, where I also saw him three or four times. He never complained to me about his treatment. To the Chairman—He was in the back ward when I was there, which was shortly after he was committed to the institution. I never saw him in solitary confinement, nor after lie began to attempt to escape.

The Chairman—Did he appear to you to be a man requiring restraint ? Witness—l could not say, really. Ho seemed all right while I w r as speaking to him. He spoke about getting away. That seemed to be his principal object. I believe I advised him to keep quiet, ho asjto be liberated in due time.

The Chairman—But did he appear to you to be a lunatic requiring specific treatment in a special part of the Asylum ? Witness—l should think not. The Ciiairman—Did you see him wear a strait-waistcoat ? Witness—Yes, I believe he did. The Chairman—The only form his mania appeared to take, then, so far as you could see, was that he wanted to get out of the Lunatic Asylum ? Witness —That is what I thought at the time. Examination continued When I visited MTntosh. he spoke quite rationally to me. He had a wild looking eye then, wilder-looking than at present. Timothy Carrol, police constable, said —I was a warder at the Asylum from the beginning of July, 1878, till September of the same year. MTntoshescaped during my time, and was brought back by Constable Stuart between seven and eight o’clock in the evening. I happened to be out when he was brought back, and when I returned ho was in bed. I was present when he had his shower bath, as also were Whitelaw and Cooke. MTntosh was in the bath about ten minutes. There was just room for an ordinary man to remain in the bath.

Cross-examined—l never told anybody lie was in the bath from 15 to 20 minutes. I saw MTntosh come out of the bath. He looked helpless. Whitelaw opened the door, and M‘lntosh staggered out into my arms. In my opinion he must have suffered severely. My recollection as to the actual time he was in the bath, is necessarily indistinct at this date. It would not have been possible for him to escape from the shower bath. Prom what I saw of him he seemed rational enough. He was in my ward. I had several consultations with him. He always evinced a desire to get clear of the establishment. I never saw him violent.

Ho-cxamined—l am perfectly prepared to swear that at the time MTntosh had the bath it was impossible for him to escape from the shower. I never measured the bath.

To the Chairman—The object of the bath was to give a lunatic a bath against his will. If a patient consented to take a bath quietly he was put in the plunge bath.

To Mr Woodward—l don’t know of any special reason why MTntosh should have been compelled to take a bath at 10 o’clock at night. So far as my personal opinion goes, I don’t think Mclntosh was mad at all. He was kept in an enclosed yard, upon which a solitary cell opened for about a fortnight. Except at night he was kept in a strait-jacket. His meals were taken to him. On Wednesdays he would be compelled to remain in the cell. I left the Asylum because I didn’t like the work. I had no reason to complain of the superintendent’s conduct, nor that of any of the staff. Several quiet patients were kept iu the back ward in my time. Two or three minutes is the usual length of time I have ever kept a patient in the shower bath. John Cooke, said—About 18 months ago Schultze took another patient’s porridge, and after refusing to give it up assaulted me, striking and kicking me and trying to choke me. The attendants, Harvey andlLittle, dragged him off me. No unnecessary violence was used. I remember assisting atMTntosh’s shower-bath. It is the custom to give patients a bath when they enter the institution. MTntosh was kept in the bath for five or six minutes. The jacket was placed on him afterwards. It was a canvas one. There was nothing extraordinary about it. It was the only means by which we could keep a man like MTntosh in the Asylum. In MTntosh’s case it was not safe, for he climbed over, the wing even with a straight-jacket on.

Examination continued. The onP way to keep MTntosh was either o lock him iip in a cell, or put him in a straight-jacket. I never set patient?to fight, nor have I known others to doso. I have been 17 or IS years in the Asylum at Dunedin, Hokitika, and Wellington. The patients her are treated as well as elsewhere. T deny having dashed to the ground t boy named Gibbons. It is untrue 'hit any clothes, to which MTntosh’s xu/ie were attached, were detained. Wither had

charge of the bach ward would be responsible for that patient’s clothing. I believe it was a man named Brown, who has since left. I don’t know what became of the two suits which M'lntosh alleges to have been detained. If any of the clothing brought to the Asylum by a patient was unfit for use it would be destroyed. Cross-examined—From my own knowledge I can’t say that any of M’lntosh’s suits were destroyed. Clothes nnfit for use were destroyed by throwing over the embankment. Mr Wl'itelaw is the man who exorcises his discretion as to whether they are fit for use or not. Every patient who comes into the Asylum gets a hot bath and a change of linen. M’lntosh did not get a hot bath because there was no hot water that night. I did not know that a bath was a breach of the. rules ; I simply obeyed Whitelaw's orders. Mrs Cook was head attendant for eight months, during which time she also fulfilled the duties of matron. Her remuneration was at the rate of £SO per annum. I don’t know of Mrs Cook having ever complained of Whitelaw throwing M’lntosh through a glass window. Astrait-jackct was put on M'lntosh to keephim from climbing over the wall. The reason why he was put in the backward was because be would have made bis escape through the front ward windows. The Chairman—Are we to understand

that the enly way to keep a patient in 1 the Asylum who wants to get out is to keep him in a cell, and put him in a strait-jacket? Witness—Yes ; a man like M’lntosh. The Cliairman—Was M’lntosh the bhly one who wanted to escape of the whole number during your time ? Witness—Yes ; I swear that Constable Ciirrol’s statement to the effect that M’lntosh staggered into his arms out of the bath is untrue. At this stage the enquiry was adjourned till Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock.