THE ASYLUM ENQUIRY. SIXTH DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 47, 26 February 1881, Page 3

THE ASYLUM ENQUIRY. SIXTH DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

CLOSE OP COMPLAINANT'S CASE. Tho crosa-examination of Mrs. Kettle in connection with this enquiry was continued after we went to press yesterday afternoon. She asseverated that the pay-sheets for her salary were never taken to her for signature, and that she never authorised anyone, whomgoover to sign them on her behalf. She added — John (her son) knew yery well that Miss Brigdon was not my niece. She had her meals at his table. I knew she was supposed by the attendants to be my niece, and. I did not contradict the rumor, bccauso I thought she would have more weight with the servants. If she were produced in Court, and swears that she was asked by me to sign the pay-sb.eote, it would be an untruth. My health has been pretty good. It has certainly never been such as-; affect my eyesight to such an extent as toj make me" fancy on several occasions that -things crawled over my Dod at night, j- Byi-tho Commission — I have bfion comp'elle^Tto give ovidence at this enquiry, having' been subpoenaed. It i^ not P. very pleasant duty to perform. • Dr. Gillbn^ 'resident snrgton of the Wei-' lington Hospital, said — Before I came to the colony 1 had -professional acquaintance with 1 Lttnatio Asylums in South !t Wales. There the Superintendent was ■« medical gentleman. He could visit any part of the Asyldm at any time he chose, but the usual -visit was made at 10 o'clock each night in company with the matron and myself, acting as assistant surgeon. A Superintendent who is not a medical man would bo- guilty of an impropriety in visiting the female patients alone. It would be improper to put comparatively sune patients < with the .worst cases, either for punishment or anything elso, it would be calculated to throw them back. By" tho Commission — It would be decidedly improper to put on a straitjacket for 14 days on a patient who refused to break stones. There v wero no Btraitjattl&ts iVi the Asylum I was connected with. When violent, the patients were put in* padded rooms, where they could do themselves no harm ; they were also given sedatives, and occasionally the cold douoho, I never heard of patients being punisho'd" at Homo. Correction was need in certain cases, but that was not punishment ; it was merely medical treatment. There wetfo 12 male attendants and 19 femalo attendants in the. Asylum where 'l was assistant surgeon, ana tho patients numbered 211 males and 220,£einalea iv 1879. 'George Richards, - cabinetmaker, said — About, t fivo months ago, I was employed at the Asylum for about three days. A patient named Max Alexander, a perfectly helpleas rijpn, was left sitting in a chair at a table in the hall from 8 o'clock in the morning till 2 in tho afternoon IJo was saturated with his own water, and the floor around him was wet. The weather was exceedingly cold that day. An attendant ordered two fellowpatients to put on Alexander's coat, as it was intended to tako the latter for a drive. They were unable to get it on for some minutes, and .when Alexander fell on the floor his fellow-patients kicked him and struck him, while the attendant, who was cutting up some tobacco, looked on and grinned. Alexander was helpless, and uttered no complaint. They then seized him by the arms, and dragged him like a bag of chaff tp^ the oab. Three quarters of an hour after-* wards he came back, and was placed, in the* sattfe^position. The treatment ho' received was horrible. — .Cross-examined — A companion of mine named Lower was also an eye-witness of this affair. . .1 could recognise the attendant if he were produced before me. J Ellen Wesley, late cook, was called, but her evidence was unimportant. - ' Adam Johnson, coalman^ who was confined in the Asylum for two year's and a half, and released a fortnight ago, deposed that he had been ill-treated by three warders, named Hooligan, Li|tle and Harvey. Agnes Kobinson, aged 21, said— l was 18f when, I was first sent to the and left eleven months ago. I was ill-treated by the female attendants. They kicked me. till I was black and blue. OnceTwas ptlt in a oa!L where I was left for two nights without any bed or anything to eat. . They then brought me out and held mo down in a cold bath till I was nearly drowned. I was so Btiff and sore that I could scarcely move. Whitelaw once seized me in a brutal' manner, and put me in a cell. 'Mrs. Highfield, a patient, was once thrown down on, the "floor by Miss M'Elioy and Miss Mahoney, who then knelt on her. — Crossexamined— It was only .when I was very ill that they ill-treated me. They said I was violent, John G. Anderson, clerk, attached to the Audit Department, was examined by Mr. Chapman, and said— l have examined the vouchers for Mrs. Kettle's salary. Of the .32 vouchers, 17 appear to be signed by Miss Brigdon, judging from the signatures to her own vouchers ; and the remaining|ls l should say have been signed by TVhitelaw. I attended tho Asylum recently, and'saw Whitelaw in the presenoe of his mother, when I asked for an explanation. I was instructed to do so by the Auditor-General. Whitelaw at once admitted that he had signed the Balary abstracts for Mrs* Kettle. I asked him why he had done so, and he told me his mother had verbally authorised him to t sign for her, as she was quite unable to sign for herself^ I enquired if ho was quite sure that Mrs". Kettle could not sign for herself, and l^saul " J[&B." Happening to have, one of her signatures in my possession, I asked him to explain that. Ho said it must have boon done very lately. I did not express my disBfttisfaotion with the explanation to WhiteJftw, but I felt thoroughly dissatisfied nevertheless. His statement at this enquiry to the effect that the " explanation he afterwards gave my superiors satisfied them" is nofr correct.- I asked Mrs. Kettle several questions to see whether she had authorised him to sign for herT She seemed to be in a great state of agitation, and burst out crying. I could not geb her to answer the whole of my questions. Sho exclaimed, " Oh, how I have been used !" There is a printed form' furnished by the Treasury to enable one person to receive another person's "salary. These forms are sent to the Audit Office, and the Audit Office will not pass the' salary in the absence of such authority. Tho form has to be signed by the person who is entitled to the money. That had not been done in this caso. By the Commission — Under no circumstances will the Audit Department allow one person to write another person's name. In the caso of a person who cannot write, a cross, properly attested, is sufficient. The Chairman — How do you account for the fact that the matter went on as long as it did -without the Audit Department raising any objection P • .■-,'. Witness — Being in a female handwriting, the signatures were not noticod, but were passed. The Chairman— But 15 of them were signed by Mr. Whitelaw jou say. Witness— The 15 other ones are certainly not altogether like Mr. Whitelaw's handwriting, but on. close examination, and by comparing them with his «w,n signatures, you" can' see' that they are liis. At first sight you might pass them without thinking they \ were in Mr. Whitelaw's handwriting. By Mr. Woodward— They .are not in a feminine handwriting. By the 'Chairman— Tho first 7eleyen are signed apparently by Miss Brigdon. She first, drew salary on the Ist March,' 1878, and continued to dp so up till December of the. eame-'yettrv 1 Then she ceased to draw salary till a law months ago, whon she was, taken onu-gain. ' t Thefwitness' was not cross-examined. The, complainant here, announced that he would clc?e his cas6, but would' reserve his right to adduce rebdtting evidence if ho thought necessary to do so. ,' Mr, Chapman said he did not wish to call any witnesses. The Commission then adjourned till Thursday next, at 2 p.m.,-when'M£ Edwards will be called upon to begin the' Superintendent's defence. In thd meantime the transcription of the evidence was ordered to bo placed in the Custody of Mr 1 . W. P. James, tho Clork of the R.M. Court, both Mr. Edwards and Mr. J. H s ShaW being allowed to inspect it in Mr.' James^otfioG when they desire to do so.

The BnEUtin state* that certain of the Sydney Civil Servants have received an official -nojage that should it be (discovered they borxqv£_|rom money-lenders oil the security of their salaries they will-render themselves liable to dismissal. ,Tbere isa rumor that duMcate orders to, .draw the tame salary ga,ye t 'rise to the above. , «5« 5 (For further news $ge page 4. :