THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION

Otago Witness, Issue 1597, 1 July 1882, Page 19

THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION

" {Continued from Ptyc2%.) The Commissioners appointed by Government to inquire 1 into the management of the Benevolent AsyMun'resumed their investigation at the Asylum at 11' a.m.' Wednesday. William .Farrant, ,'cross-examined by Mr Quih,; said that f rqmMay, 1874, up to the present date he had been ,onoe "out of the Institution. Mr Farquhar introduced him, and he was. told that if he did work as a shoemaker he would get paid for it. Mr Morrison was m the Institution then:-. Mr A, O. Strode minuted that he was admitted into the Institution to make himself useful in mending and making boots for the Institution. He was a month in tho Institution before he received wages, which were continued at the rate of 4s a week for a year and a-half . He did not know who .recommended that wages should be paid to him, but Mr Quin first paid him wages. If the books showed that wages were not paid to hnn until the Ist of December he could' not "say they were not correct. He discharged himself, ancf went away for five months. In September, 1874, he went T out on the Sunday, met With an " accident, and got 14 days. He was quite sober at the time. He refused to make a pair of boots "for M'Knight 'because 'he had a pair of boots from the Hospital: He never refused to work in the Institution at any time without wages. The Visiting Committee mostly always came into his shop, and he never f .noticed them '"there more than twice' a year. He did not think 'either Mri >or ' Mrs Quin visited ',*' Black Jack" during his last illness. The inmates of the Asylum used to have corned beef every Sunday for dinner, and witness could not eat it, as he had been advised by two doctors that it not good for him. Since the last inquiry changes were observed in the diet on Sundays. At the previous inquiry before the Committee he never said' that he had always found the master and 'mistress attentive. He was not convicted of drunkenness three times. At the time he was .before the Committee he was not asked whether he had any complaint to make, but whether he had complained in any way to Mr and ' Mrs Quin. Had he been asked whether he haU,any complaints to make, he -would have . told, the story he had related at tho-present-'time. - Through the way in which he was interrogated he, was unable to state the facts he wished'toistate. ' , „ William Bateman deposed that hewasadmitted into the 1 Institution in 1877, and was SO years of age. "He .was blind and paralysed, and had to put up, with a great deal of inconvenience through 'one 'particular person. -not being -appointed to wait on himi' He had to trust to anydne who was. good-natured enough to do sr/to lo'ok'after Him. „ William Edwards, wh'o"bccupied" the bed next to him, had been waiting on him for the 'last 12 months. His bed-waß a very- old one, and not fit for use. On one occasion' when;, the bed happened to be dirty he cbuld r et nobody to come near him. i In "May last.hS asKecTMr and'Mfs" Quin for a pair pf, bbots^arid he did 'not get them until' November! -He 'asked, Mrs Quin ,fi,ve. tunes and Mri'Quitt' -twice" for M tfyem before he gotthemin.i;Heidid/not make any complaints, as^ he-Hras-frighten^d-oHallinginto disfavourwithj | Mr and Mrs'yuin. nLately a man namedj Findlayjiad been going about annoying the, patients. threatened. to strike some, and others he? i threatened to" spit upon, because they were in favour- of the inquiry. He said he 'fcoiild' strike:, a.- blow equal to to 2001b, and he would give it to any man who showedf "Himself , in favour rof this ' inquiry. There o-were'i others who aoted in a similar, manner ;-they were -Mr Quin's favourites, and their names' were Scojit,, ( Geprge Wood, John Ounliffe;'ari'd Hugh Cameron. ' ( Wood Baid he would thrash four men who gave evidence at the inquiry, He 1 said if they were bundled all, together he could thrash them.' Stephen O'Shea and John. Cun^iffe/were .two -of ; fchpse /( who had given evidence ana whom Wood had threatened. With'ess'had been told frequently his evidence would be, no go#d, as he could, not see. To Mr Quin : 'When I came into the Institution I found things in a very terrible state, and finding that it was customary for them to be so, I did not complain. My bed has gone for months 'without being shaken. I never complainfe'd to y,ou, as I knewit would be >f *> use James Crawford, an' inmate, deposed that he knew "Bljjok Jack," who was usable to help himself.' 'During' fche' last three weeks of his life he did 1 not receive proper attention.' The man' who was 'supposed to' attend on him— Scott-^id hot d.o so, and the inmates of the ward he occupied complained of the smell of his bed, which was very bad. On the morning «' Black ; Jack' " was found dead, Mrs Quin asked witness io help her to lay him out. Witness asked where Scott (who was paid for his services) was: ■ She replied that he had gone to town to 'get' a coffin. Witness then agreed to help her. "Black Jack" had on his drawers, trousers, and waistcoat, which witness stripped off J him.' Witness nearly fainted with the smell that came from' the body, which was in some parts a mass 'of corruption. Mrs Quin 1 said, " Deai? me ! 'Scott told me he was keeping him clean. ?> Witness told her Scott had been de r ceiving her for a long 'time back. Mrs Quin then brought witness up to -the house and gave him a glass of spirits. The Visiting Committee and the doctor visited the Asylum very seldom. Witness complained of the doctor not attending to him' on one occasion when he was suffering from a curable complaint. Witness had seen inmates named Robb, M'Gill, Wood, and ! Cunliffe working about Mr Quin'a private* cottages. ' He had not received eggs more than, half-a-dozen times from Mrs Quin. Scott wa» a smart and active man, but was often tha worse 'for drink. At the suggestion of Mrs Quin, witness threw the clothing "Black Jack " had on into an open drain. ' Charles Robb, an inmate, often got drunk, and the 1 master had frequently to check him. Witness never reported him, out of consideration for him. .Findlay frequently insulted the other inmates. Witness had noticed him insulting Farrant, M'Phorson, and Welsh, and had seen him spit in Warrant's face at the time of tho last inquiry. Mr Quin had favourites, to whom he gave the best victuals. The whole reason of tho first inquiry was tho preference shown by Mr Quin to some. To Mr Quiri_: Witness had been expelled from tho institution for drunkenness and making use of money which did not belong to him. The money was the price of vegetables, which he had been authorised to collect. Ho lent it to a man who was working for wages, and who bought drinlovith it. Witness was readmitted to "the Institution on tho master's recommendation. He had £2 10s given to him once to go into the country for a holiday. To Mr Tyre: The food and management had improved since last inquiry. He had not heard complaints regarding the food for a long time. The inmates were fod on beef for a long time. Stephen O'Shea, aged 80, complained of his tobacco being stopped. Ho had enough to eat and drink, and that was all he wanted. John Rollins, pensioner, and an bmiato of the Institution, said he had no complaints to make.

At 4.40 p.m. a** adji urnment wa < iiuidn until the following day,