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Modern Persecution, or Married Woman's Liabilities

From: Modern Persecution
Creator: Elizabeth P. W. Packard (author)
Date: 1873
Source: Available at selected libraries
Figures From This Artifact: Figure 1  Figure 2  Figure 3  Figure 4  Figure 5  Figure 6  Figure 7  Figure 8  Figure 9  Figure 10  Figure 11  Figure 12  Figure 13  Figure 14  Figure 15  Figure 16

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Page 81:

1721  

Witness also swore that her ward was the new Fifth, and was made up of some of the hardest and most obstinate cases from the other wards; that she saw this Mrs. Ritter frequently jacket and beat patients; that at one time, during witness' stay in the institution, eleven patients were sick with flux in her ward, and that they were not furnished with medicines, nor she with any extra help or nurses, and that four of them died; that she, witness, made no complaints to Dr. McFarland of these abuses, because it was understood in the institution that such complaints would receive no attention.

1722  

Witness also mentioned another case of a Mrs. Magin, who was indecently treated by Mrs. Haskett. Soon after she entered the institution, Mrs. McFarland, who from the evidence, appears to have been a most kind and sympathetic lady, told witness that the patients were not being kindly treated, and that there must be a change, as the matter was getting out and would damage the institution.

1723  

Testimony of Mrs. Graff, Directress of the Sewing Room.

1724  

Mrs. Graff, formerly Mrs. P. L. Hosmer, testified that she resided near Jacksonville; was fifty-two years old; had been directress in the sewing-room about four and a-half years.

1725  

Mrs. Graff swears to the punishment of a Miss Jane Barackman, by shower-bath, for improper conduct to an attendant. The patient had been taken out of the water, and was just able to speak. At another time this same patient was strapped with her hands behind her back, in the morning, and the straps kept on until the next morning, and her groans during the night kept the witness from sleeping; and the witness further states, that she had known instances where the straps had been drawn so tightly as to cut through the skin and into the flesh.

1726  

Another instance named was a new patient, on the night after arrival, whom the witness thought, from the sound of the voice, was being choked by two attendants. She told Mrs. McFarland of it, who informed the Doctor. The Doctor went into the room where the patient was, and after staying some time, came out but did not speak to witness. The nest morning she asked the Doctor if what she said about choking the patient was a lie, and he said "no," but it was best to say nothing about it, as one of the attendants was going away and it would hurt the institution to have it go out.

1727  

Another case was that of Mrs. Boyce. This was a very emaciated patient, "and her stomach all crushed in as it were." She was a wild patient, and would tear up and take off her clothes, but witness could always manage her better than others. Witness had seen her sitting day after day with her feet tied; and on one occasion she and Mrs. McFarland found her in the screen-room, laying on her back on a hard pallet of straw, with her feet tied, and her hands tied behind her back with a large bed-cord, and just alive. She had a straight-jacket on, and the jacket was laced up with ropes as large as a bed-cord. The witness held the light, and Mrs. McFarland manifesting her grief in groans, untied the patient. Witness afterwards showed the jacket to Miss Dix, when she was there, and the pattern of the jackets was afterwards changed, and softer cords used in lacing the jackets.

1728  

Testimony of Miss Jenny Kee, an Attendant.

1729  

Miss Jenny Kee, who is twenty-four years old, resides in Jacksonville and was an attendant from the spring of 1861 to 1862, about fourteen months.

1730  

Swears to a case of cruelty about one month after she went there to a patient named Anna Myers, by an attendant named Elizabeth Bonner. The attendant took the patient, who was a very insane and idiotic patient, by the hair of the head and pounded the floor with it. She saw this punishment inflicted several times. Also know of same attendant punishing a Mrs. Thompson, by taking her by the hand and twisting her arm; and a Miss Kate Daly, by striking her hands with keys, leaving marks. Also a Mrs. Loop, by same attendant, by pulling her and putting her wrist out of joint. The Committee says:

1731  

"This Elizabeth Bonner, who appears from the testimony of several witnesses, to have been a merciless and brutal wretch, was in the Institution as an attendant when this witness went there and when she left."

1732  

Testimony of Mrs. Sarah Bland, an Attendant.

1733  

Mrs. Sarah Bland, aged 89 years, and a resident of Jacksonville, was attendant from March, 1863, to October, 1865, a part of the time was in sewing-room, and had opportunities of knowing the general treatment of patients.

1734  

This witness mentions the abuse of Miss Eames, who was a very stupid, quiet and delicate looking patient. In the spring of 1865, the witness heard screams in the bath-room. A Miss Kate Snow came out of the room and inquired for the Doctor, and said that Miss Lawrence, the attendant, had Miss Eames in the bath-room and was beating her brutally. Witness went to the wash-room, and, on coming out, heard the blows, and then went into the ward, when Miss Lawrence came out of the bath-room and locked the door, and said witness could not have any patients out of that ward. In the evening witness saw Miss Eames in bed, and told witness, her eyes filling with tears at the time, that Miss Lawrence had almost killed her and asked to look at her back, which witness was prevented from doing by Miss Lawrence, who came in and told witness to go out of the ward -- that she should not come in and excite the patients. Witness had three patients to go out of the yard into the sewing-room; and Miss Lawrence took them by the back and pushed them violently into the ward. The patient died one week after the morning she was pounded.

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