KARORI LUNATIC ASYLUM INQUIRY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVII, Issue 3482, 26 April 1872, Page 3

KARORI LUNATIC ASYLUM INQUIRY.

An inquisition into tho charges made ngainst Mr and Mrs Sutherland was held yesterday nt the Eesident Magistrate's Court before the Provincial Secretary and Treasmer and J. C Crawford, Esq. The first person examined (not on oath) was Miss Mary McDonald, who said : I am a single woman, and have been omployel for the last seven months at the Karori Lunatic Asylum as attendant. I had been previously^em- j ployed in a like capacity in an aayhim in Tasmania for two years and cix mouths After being about six weeks in the Karori Asylum Miss Gam was laid upon a chair from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. A straight jacket was put on her every evening by me according to tho orders of Mrs Sutherland. Miss Gam was given into my charge by Mrs Sutherland. I took her from tho chair and allowed her to sit down with the other women except while I was at my dinner. I then released her from tho chair altogether, as I found it unnecessary. Befovo Miss Gam was given into my charge Mrs Sutherland treated her with violence Before going to town one day, I dressed Miss Gam and left her in the room. On the following morning I found she hud some sticking plaster on her and blood all round it, with a straight jacket on her. On unlacing the jacket I found her all bruised on the hack and body; I asked Mrs" Sutherland how the patient came by those bruises. She said if I wanted to know I should have stopped at home. I asked her reasons for being so cruel to Miss Gam. She said that Dr Buchanan had not forgotten her in his reports, and that as Miss Gam was an old nurse in his family she would not forget her. I told her that had nothing to do with Mis 3 Gavn. Mrs Buchanan came to tho Asylum soon after, and she brought some lollies and cakes. After she was gone Mrs Sutherland beat Miss Gam with her hands and feet Mrs Noble was there. I might me.ition that on another occasion, after I had been thero two months, Mrs Sutherland struck Miss Gam with an iron hook used ns a tongs. She struck her hard on the shoulders and across the arms. I have seen Mrs Sutherland go into the young woman's room when she was taking her breakfast and then beat and kick her. I several times Ihrentenccl to report her, and also told her thnt I had never seen patients used that way where I came from. She answered that she did not caro for Government, God, nor Devil, and that I might do as I liked. She did not care as long as she had Dr France on her side. I have reported her to Dr France. I reported Mrs Noble's case to Dr France. I did not Bay anything of Miss Gam's case. Mrs Noble has been beaten black and blue dozens of times. She has been beaten on Tuesdays generally (which are the wash days) with a stick, and kicked also. Mrs Noble i3 a quiet patient, and used to do the washing. I saw Mrs Noble show her arm one day, and it was all black and blue. Mr Stuart saw it also, as I callled his attention to it. He is an attendant. lOn one T occasion Mrs Noblo bared her arms to show the bruises, and her arms weie completely black. I told her to cover them, as she might have to suffer more for it. when the Doctor was gone. She did not show it to the Doctor, and covered her arms up at once. I have several times seen Mrs Sutherland kick Mrs Noble in and out of the door ; in fact she treated all tho patients she can in that way. It ia about six weeks or two months ago* since I reported to tho Doctor about Mrs Noble. Dr Franco said she hud no right to ill use the patierts, as she could be punished for it, and he promised to remonstrate with her about it. Ho also said she had no right to be harsh with them by scolding either. I understand that ho did speak to 'her ; yo.t I noticed that matters have been much worse since. lat least have had no peace since. Mrs Sutherland has since prevented me doing my duty, saying that she did tho work before I came there, and that she can do it now. Two days after my reporting to the Doctor Mrs Noble was sent to wipe up some water in the dining room, and Bhe came to me and said, " Miss, I don't know how to wipe the water up." Mrs Sutherland and I were standing together in another room. I proceeded to show the patient how, when Mrs Sutherland rushed in front of me, saying to tho patient, " How dare you ask her ? She is nobody ; she is nothing." While Mrs Noble was bent down wiping up the water, Mrs Sutherland kicked her .repeatedly. I said I could not stand by and see a patient ill used in thai mannerj and that neither she nor I were paid to do such things. She threatened if I did not get out of the ■way she would serve me the same. I told her she had better not, and I would not get out of the way. Mrs Sutherland then struck mo on the shoulder. I pushed bar from me in selfdefence. Mr Sutherland was present when I did so. I told her then sho nui3t not strike the patients in my presence or I should report her ngain. She again made use of the words, " I don't care for Government, nor God, nor Devil, so long as I have the doclor on my side." Mr Sutherland came to tho door and said " You are now as bad as sho is 5 you have struck her." Mr Sutherland has seen Mr 3 Sutherland kick Mrs Noble. Mrs Sutherland went on Saturday mornings to see whether Mra Noble had washed out her room, and invariably since I have been there sho has illused the patient on thoso occasions. Mr Stuart has several times been standing with roe when this cruelty has taken place, and we have talked about it. Miss Robertson has only been twice out of the cell since I have been thero — once about three weeks ago on an afternoon, that being tho second time in seven months. Sho is not a violent, patient. She is a woman of very dirty habits. She has not been changed for the last three weeks. Sho is calm most of her time. When sho was let out throo weoks ago from three till five, I gave her a simple book after fhe was put in a chair. In about five minutes afier Mrs Sutherland came into the room and asked her who gave her that book. I told her I did. She snatched the book away and flung it into a cupboard, and then gave her a songbook and told her lo sing a Scotch song. She told her also that she ought not to hare taken anything out of my hand, as I had nothing to do with her. I reported this circumstance to the doctor on tho following Sunday, telling him that Mrs Sutherland would not allow mo to do my duty. Tho doctor Buid he wus sorry ho could only interfere on behalf of patients. He could do nothing towards removing any grievance. I asked him who I wub to complain to, and ho said, " You must go to Mr Bunny." Mrs Rickman has no bed, nor has she had ono since I havo been thero, unless she has had them given to her today. Sho has a quilt and a blanket. Sho has never been washed Bince I havo been there, though she has been changed twice. She is very clean comparatively — not dirty like Miss Robertson — and doea not tear her clothes. Sho lias never been out of the cell since I have been at the Asylum. Miss Chief or Mrs Irvine has never been out of her cell. She is the ono who is always washing her coll. She may havo washed herself, but no one elso has ever done so for h«r to my knowledge ; nor has she been changed. She is violent at times ; but I think she ought to be brought out at other times, co that I might bo enabled to do something. The doctor teldom or never visits those three patients who are confined in cells. Mrs McDermott is sometimes very violent in tho colls. On one occaeion I ran to help to put; the canvas dress upon her. Mr Sutherland had her down on her face, with his foot upon her back, and both were lacing the dress. Both Mr and Mrs Sutherland used violence to the patient ; both kicked her. I offered to assist, but they said, " No, call Mr Stuart," and Mrs Sutherland repeated the words again, "She (meaning me) will get us all into trouble." Some live weeks after, on a similar occurrence, I volunteered my assistance to take caro of Mrs McDermott, and was again refused and Mr Stuart sent for. (The patient was not in such a condition as to be seen by a man. Mrs Sutherland, since Mrs Connell and Miss Gam have become rational, has taken Mrs Noble and Mrs Mason into tho washhouse and beaten them to her heart's con-

tent. She has become more cautious lately, being afraid that tho two rational patients woufd inform on her when released. She beat them with a clothes' stick. This has taken plnco frequently within the lnst fix weeks. I went and saw it several times. Mr Stuart has also 'seen it. Last Tuesday Mrs Sutherland said to Mrs Noble, "Hell will never be full till you are in it." Mr Sutherland has spoken to me excusing his wife, saying, "Don't take notice of her, she has a violent cold. It will soon blow over." I have seen Mrs Sutherland chase Mr Sutherland through the yard with a broom. He deprecated her auger, and throw up his hands and went and sat upon a doorstop. This concluded witness's statement.

On Mr Sutherland being asked whether ho wished to put any questions to witness he said bethought it was'perfcctlruaeless. After a moment's reflection, however, he asked witness when she had heard Mrs Sutherland U3e Ihe extraordinary language she had attributed to her. Witness replied : I have repeatedly heard Mrs Sutherland say, " She did not care for Government, God, nor the Devil."

Dr Franco declined to question tho witness. Emma G-arn deposed : lam a single woman, and have been in tho Asylum about ten or eleven months. lam sorry to hear thai complaints have been made against Mr and Mrs Sutherland, as they have always been exceedingly kind to me ; but that person there (pointing to Miss M'Donald) has behaved most cruelly to me, catling mo once on the head with a pnir of scissors. She also threw a wet towel at me one day, and very nearly blinded me.

In reply to Mr Crawford, Miss M'Donald said that it was only lately that the witness before them had been sane enough to recollect anything. The witness, on being interrogated as to certnin events by Dr France, s;iid she hud a distinct recollection of events us fur back as Christmas. She could reme/nber a nice kind young woman who came as an attendant from Napier, and who used to do as Mrs Sutherland bid her. 13y the Bench : I forget her name. It is not true that Mr and Mrs Sutherland ever beat me ; on tho contrary they always treated me with the greatest kindness. Mis Mason and sonic of the other patients usrd to 6wear,.and that used to make me get up and go to the window. Dr France remarked that witness hud been quite sane for some time past ; but that when she came to the Asylum about nine- months ago she was scarcely in such a condition as to have any very lucid recollection of the sequence of events after her removal to the Asylum. (Witness liero leant over to Dr France, and said she had a perfect recollection of being driven to the Asylum in a trap.)

Ann Council deposed : I am a single woman, and havo been in the Asylum between threo and four months. I havo no compluints at all to make against Mr and Mrs Sutherland. Miss M'Donald complained of mo once, and Mrs Sutherland then beat me with a supplejack. I had been about a week in the Asylum then. (Dr France, when questioned as to tho sanity of the witness, said she had never been very bad, except during the first few weeks, the only period during which -sho gave any trouble.

This closed the inquiry for the day, and the inquiry was adjourned till the nest day at the Asylum.