FRED THE ATTENDANT AFTER ALFRED.
Fred was a native from England; had a wife with him; lodged in
attendants' room, near me; Fred abused me shamefully by bathing and
washing me in water and human filth; then galled off my wet hair, in
spots, with the shears, disfiguring my person for gazers to sneer at;
yet, I had feelings for others, as well as for myself.
One time he had a victim or patient bound with hand-cuffs, A, seated
on the irons of an iron bed-stead, with his feet fastened up to the
same, thus sitting till falling backward upon the iron rack, crying and
groaning in pain from torture.
But, oh, alas! as I have said, they kill some in these institutions.
SECOND TRANSACTION OF FRED AGAINST HIS VICTIM.
Behold the _man_, a _lunatic_, in a lunatic asylum, bound with muff,
E, as seen in the engraving. And as I positively saw in the incurable
house; Fred, with a chair raised above his victim's head, with one
round broken; did not see him strike him with the chair, but saw him
drag him out of the room by the neck, bound, as described above, with
strap, B, noosed around his throat and neck, as a hunter lassoes the
wild horse. Behold them at the head of the stairs, as I did; Fred
hurrying through the doorway, and his victim slammed against the
door-post, helpless and bound as he was, slamming around the door-post,
strangling, in fear of the awful precipice below, down he plunges to
the bottom, and like one in deep water, disappeared from my sight for a
time.
After a time came back Fred, the asylum nurse, and the poor strangled
man, bound as he was, and wet from head to foot, nature was almost
exhausted; he survived a few hours, and gave up the ghost.
A FEW THOUGHTS SUGGESTED.
Is this Marshall Lunatic Asylum a slave depot to hold poor unfortunate
men and women, and send them on to eternity without a moment's warning,
prepared or not, and no one accountable? Money is the root of all evil.
And these sins are sins of ignorance, not to be winked at.
Herod laid hold on John, and bound him and put him in prison for
Herodias' sake, for naught but telling the truth.
And the king sent and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was
given to the daughter of Herodias, who danced before the king and his
guests on his birth-day. Is no one accountable for his death?
And John's disciples went and told Jesus.
And I often tell Jesus how attendants kill poor lunatics in Troy
Lunatic Asylum.
And I have been and told Governor Dix, of New York State, how they
bound and pounded me, without cause, and strangled me. I carried the
accursed harness into the executive chamber, hoping that Governor Dix
would protest against such treatment; and I still hope.
I have exhibited to Mayor Kemp, of Troy city, the accursed harness, and
revealed to him the cruel treatment the lunatics undergo in Ida Hill
Lunatic Asylum by the Cain family or their children.
I have told the president of the institution how badly I was treated
when bound by Isabella, hoping to influence the government by setting
before them the facts as I saw and realized them.
I have lectured privately and publicly with all long suffering upon the
subject of asylum life; though it be sown in weakness it may be raised
in strength to the good of poor sufferers and redound to the glory of
God.
ATTENDANT AFTER FRED, NAME UNKNOWN.
This attendant was a carpenter or mechanic of some kind; was a tall,
lean, bald-headed, cruel-hearted man. His stay was short; negro
Lawrence was too strong for him, as I saw them in a tussle; but a
child could handle a strong man when harnessed tightly with the asylum
harness.
A soldier of the last war, after listening to one transaction and
seeing the asylum harness, told me how he was tortured when a prisoner
in Libby prison, bound in chains and almost starved. I have seen so
much of human nature I believed him. A fool can lead a horse to water
but he cannot make him drink. I have revealed great truths thus far in
my history; do not expect to convert the world, but will try to do my
duty.
TRANSACTIONS IN MY ROOM.
Charles Barclay was a great sufferer in the hands of this cruel
mechanic and attendant, Barclay being bound with handcuffs, A, muff,
E, and belt B, became somewhat noisy. He had enough to endure to make a
sane man crazy.
One morning came in this cruel mechanic with a cord tied to a round
stick as large as a broom handle, placed it into Barclay's mouth then
placing the cord back of his neck tied it to the other end of the
stick, which was in the poor man's mouth, his hands were bound and
he was gagged and left in this suffering condition till dinner time;
loosened a little while for dinner and then gagged till supper time,
and so on from day to day.
Reader, did I not have a specific object of prayer before me as a room
mate?
AFTER THE GAGGING ATTENDANT LEFT.
Another attendant came who gave me the first medicine I had after
I entered the institution. The first medicine I received was three
sugar-coated pills; must have been in the spring of 1864, it was before
I became acquainted with Dr. Lomax.
No unkindness did he manifest to me, only he robbed me of the tobacco
my wife brought me on her visit about that time.
FALL OF 1864, VISITED BY MR. AND MRS. G. WADSWORTH AND MY WIFE.
Mr. George Wadsworth, his wife and mine, were shown into my room by
Isabella, when in came the male attendant and Isabella made an excuse
for showing them to my room. I was lying in bed, in low spirits,
weak and discouraged. I asked no questions about friends or home. I
knew Wadsworth and his wife Lotty, although I had not seen them in
four years. For a person to be visited in a prison, especially by
acquaintances, is not very pleasant and to be left is harder. I was
asked by my wife if I knew Mrs. Wadsworth, who I so much liked to hear
sing when at church.
The countenances of neighbors were as familiar to me when seen in
prison as out. I knew the different kinds of birds although their sweet
music had lost its charms to me. I preferred home in preference to that
place, and had I had one encouraging word in that direction my heart
would have leaped for joy at that time.
We took the parting hand. Oh, think for a moment, reader, how must a
dear wife have felt, when the tears trickled down her cheek, to leave
her husband in an incurable asylum; incurable as she had often been
told by doctors.
At one time, and again a brother J. visited, at other times a brother
B., and one time a brother R., from Buffalo, visited me, whom I had not
seen for many years, and while the tears streamed from both our eyes
we separated, perhaps to meet no more on earth. Pen cannot describe, I
must hasten.
I sent to a brother L., living in California, the transaction as seen
and described in the engraving, saying I would send him this history,
when published. He writes as follows:
"It is enough," praying me not to send it, "I cannot bear to read of so
much sufferings of a brother."
I pray you who cannot read my history and sufferings take the Bible and
read of Paul, beaten and in prison, of Job, of our Saviour, in the
garden, pleading that the cup might pass, and read the story of the
cross.
THOMAS HALY, INCURABLE HOUSE ATTENDANT.
Haly was born of old country parents, and so was Isabella, the magdalen
woman, who helped him bind me, as seen in the engraving.
The morning they bound me, as seen in the picture, I was standing by
a window in the short hall, when Haly came to me and says, in a harsh
voice, "go to the dummy and stand till it is ready." I immediately
obeyed, and as I stopped at the place he drew his foot and kicked me
severely. I turned around, showing no violence, did not speak to him,
don't think I had for days; but he drew his fist and says "don't face
me;" I then turned to the dummy and soon raised the breakfast from the
kitchen to the third floor. This transaction was the beginning of the
second one which took place soon after breakfast with me, as seen in
the engraving.
I believe these transactions were plotted and agreed upon by the two
wicked attendants.
The first time my friends came I told them Haly and Isabella were
killing me, but I suppose they thought me to be crazy, though I never
heard any one call me crazy until Magistrate Boynton, of Pittstown,
addressed me as follows: "You crazy old hypocrite, when are you going
back to the asylum?" I hope Boynton will become a gentleman. Man, know
thyself.
Again, as I was telling another man how Haly pounded me with the strap
and buckle leaving wounds up to that time, he replied, "may be you
needed it." I hope he will be saved by and by through faith in Christ
yet to be obtained.
I saw Haly in a fight with Patrick Fitzgerald; had an iron weight in
his hand, and the blood streaming from the patient's brow. Patrick
was received as a lunatic; thrust into the dead-house cell soon after
I was taken out in 1860. I believe a lunatic should be treated as a
mischievous little innocent child.
I never begged but once. I begged while in that strangling condition
for my dear life, and, whilst life remains, I will beg and pray for
those I left behind me in lunatic asylums, numbering seven hundred
unfortunate ones.
MY WIFE, DAUGHTER AND MRS. ALEXANDER'S VISIT.
Some time after Haly and Isabel and Scott strangled me; I was very weak
and short of breath; and at the time my wife and daughter came I was
very weak; I told them the cause, and, perhaps, will never recover from
that lung and breath straining. Be that as it may, God is my helper,
and I shall not want.
Up to the time Haly left, and anon, Isabel had access to the men's
department, and acted as independent as though she was mistress of all.
After Haly, Mr. Noals, a patient, acted as attendant; heard Isabel say
to him, when in a dispute, he had better save his breath to cool his
porridge. Some of the female patients called Isabel mother, and so did
David Hix when he came in the evening and wanted a female patient to
take a walk with him; in dead of night, when the moon shone bright, I
have heard Hix say, mother! mother! I have brought back your daughter;
and the daughter says, mother! mother! there is no danger of walking
out with such a fine man as Mr. Hix. This was the Hix that helped to
bind me when kicked to the chair and bound to it.
AFTER NOALS.
William Anderson, attendant, until I left October 13, 1870.
Soon after William came William B. Gibbs went home, and I was placed in
the north-east room that Gibbs left, where I lodged until I left.
In this room I remained at least four years. I was a great sufferer
from rheumatism in the stomach, much soreness and often raising blood;
faint and weak; away from home and friends. But, says one, did not the
attendant care for you? I ask, what can one man do for twelve patients,
by night and by day, even if he was well disposed.
In this room were from three to six beds, from 1867 to '71, occupied
by white and black, old and young. Should I attempt to fully describe
every transaction that occurred in this room within the four years, a
volume as large as this would not contain it. I will give a few names
of persons over whom William Anderson was attendant in this room. I
will relate a few transactions that occurred.
Myself, Ned Buel, Kirk Hull, William Jefferson, John P. Bacon.
I have talked with many country physicians since I left the asylum, and
they generally believe that patients in Troy Asylum are all well cared
for. But doctors are mistaken, and the public are deceived, and the
poor incurable ones, and others, have to suffer wrongfully.
Troy Lunatic Asylum is like a whited sepulchre without, but within is
full of dead men's bones; and I say to county doctors, do not recommend
such an institution, neither blow for them longer, until a reform is
brought about, for you know not who the fire burns in those secret
chambers.
SUFFERINGS OF WM. JEFFERSON, A LUNATIC.
After Jefferson had been bound in bed all night Anderson loosed him
and told him to get up. The negro refused; attendant drew the clothes
immediately off him, the darkey leaped from the bed, though hands bound
with cuffs, AA, and belt, B, grabbing the vessel from under his bed,
threw it at the attendant's head, missed his game, hit the door and
broke the vessel. Attendant drew the door shut and was gone for a time
and I trembled in fear, lying in bed.
Presently came Anderson with the magdalen, Isabella, and a male bully
from the main house entering the room where I was, pounced upon the
negro, and, after a long tussle, brought him to the floor, and whilst
the two held and bound his feet together with strap, B, the magdalen
Isabella was pounding his shins with a broom handle and saying, "'tis
his shins that want it," another strap, B, being noosed around the
one that fastened his legs together, Isabella hitched a ginny, or
her hands, to the strap and started for the door, dragging the poor
lunatic out of my sight by his heels and in all probability down two
flights of stairs to the bath-room, as may be judged by what is yet to
come.
SECOND SUFFERINGS OF WM. JEFFERSON, THE NEGRO.
Again, one morning as I was lying in bed having just finished my
breakfast and placed the heavy coffee bowl on the stand, quickly,
Jefferson darted across the room, grabbed the bowl and struck me on my
head as I was lying in bed, and left, taking a stool went to the next
room; did not see him strike Wm. Mine, Mine told me he did. Saw Mine in
the poor-house since. Saw Anderson bring the stool out of Mine's room;
inch and a half plank bottom split in two. Saw Anderson dress Mine's
wounded head. By this time Jefferson was back with me, Anderson pulled
the self-locking door and I was locked in with the crazy negro.
Come in doctors, the luny negro will not hurt you, come in doctors,
and give me a cup of cold water; you say I am incurable, I say I am
faint. Come in, doctors, the negro won't hurt you, his luny mind is
turned another way; he stands with a drawn mop, this side the door,
ready to meet his foes. At this moment came Anderson with two main
house bully fighters. Slam, bang, open came the door and in came the
attendant with his two fighters pouncing upon the negro and jammed him
down on a bed near where I lay, whilst one, not weighing less than
two hundred pounds, grasped both hands in the negro's hair, held him
tight to the bed. In the meantime the second one (who had helped bind
him previously) pounded him in the face until the blood streamed from
his nose and mouth. "Now," says Anderson, who had strapped his feet
together whilst they were pounding him, "let him up," instantly drawing
him bodily to the floor.
Now he lays bleeding on the floor, and now they raise him upon his
feet, and place on his hands muff E. The lunatic being bound, hand and
foot, was taken out of my sight.
After a time I saw him lying on the floor bound as described, with the
exception of his feet; wet from head to foot; gasping for breath. Come
in doctors, the lunatic is cured, he can't hurt you; come in, father,
your son won't hurt you; come in, mother, and fan your fainting son;
pray, come one and all, make up minds to keep your unfortunate ones
from lunatic asylums.
KIRK HULL, OF BERLIN.
Kirk Hull was an orphan boy, some sixteen or seventeen years of age,
of a slender constitution; was subject to falling fits,--have seen him
have many--falling prostrate on the floor, bruising his head and face
till the blood ran down his brow; frothing and bleeding at the mouth,
with his hands fastened in muff E. I have seen Anderson put the whole
of the asylum harness on him, and lay him on his back in bed and bind
him to the bedstead on either side, stretching his legs to the foot,
and then fast with the feet straps to the foot of the bedstead, lying
in such a torturing state night after night, and week after week. He
was cured of fits in the Marshall Lunatic Asylum, Ida Hill, Troy; N.
B., not by medical skill, but from torture and such maltreatment.
The orphan died in the darkness of night, with no one to smooth his
dying pillow, or wipe the cold sweat from his brow. Lying as I was,
within two feet of the orphan's body, sleep departed from my eyes till
morning, when in came Anderson with the dead board. Bacon, Noals,
Anderson and another carried him from my sight.
REMARKS.
When I ask the husband to keep his luny wife with him at Hoosick Falls,
he says, "I cannot take care of her." When I pray a sister who has her
thousands to keep her foolish sister from Ida Hill Lunatic Asylum, she
says, "I can't take care of her." (What! not better than Kirk was cared
for?)