Robert Elgar Datlen

 

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Datlin - The Times Article
Charges of Cruelty (16 April 1888)

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Charges of Cruelty
The county Magistrates at Canterbury were on Saturday occupied several hours in the investigation of charges preferred by the Lunacy Commissioners against attendants at the Kent County Asylum, Chartham, near Canterbury, of cruelty to patients.  The first case taken was one in which Frank Harris and George Stevens, attendants, were charged with having, on November 18, 1887, ill-treated an inmate named Datlin.  Mr. Fulton prosecuted on behalf of the Lunacy Commissioners, and Mr. R. M. Mercer, of Canterbury, defended.  In opening the case, Mr. Fulton stated that complaints were lodged with the Commissioners by a man named Gibbons, who had been an attendant at the asylum for five years, of the ill-treatment the patients received at the hands of the attendants.  Another man named Wright was mixed up in the case, but a summons could not be served as he was believed to be in America.  Patrick Henry Gibbons, residing at Wincheap, Canterbury, said he went to the asylum on the 1st of January, 1883, and resigned on the 1st of February, 1888.  The defendants were attendants in No. 1 ward, which was used fro epileptic cases.  Datlin was quiet and harmless, but restless, always following the attendants.  On the 18th of November Wright used violence towards Datlin, with the result that he was taken into the bath room.  Wright and Harris took him and forced him into the bath and ducked his head under five or six times.  Stevens was holding Datlin’s ankles.  Datlin tried to free himself as much as he could, but did not do so until the witness expostulated with the accused.  The body of the man was badly marked when he got out of the bath, his hips and legs were re, and his elbows cut and bleeding.  Witness made a record in his note book, but did not make a complaint at the time.  On the 27th of January he asked to see Dr. Spencer, but was not allowed.  He resigned on the 1st of February, and afterwards sent a letter to the Lunacy Commissioners inclosing his pocket book.
By Mr. Mercer. - He saw no cruelty to patients except in No. 1 ward.  When he witnessed the first assault he began to keep a note book.  He made a note about a man named Saunders being brutally treated by Wright in the presence of Harris.  He also made a note of a man named Hantsford having his ear cut with a pair of scissors, but that was an accident.  On the 18th November, on account of some irregularity at the dinner table, Datlin had his nose pressed in until blood flowed down his face.
Dr. Spencer, medical superintendent of the asylum, deposed that he had never received any complaint of ill-treatment or irregularity from Gibbons.  Two visits were made avery day to each ward.
Cross-examined. - He was present at the inquiry held by direction of the Visiting Justices at which Datlin made a statement to the effect that Harris had put his head under the water and nearly drowned him.  Seeing an entry in Gibbons’s book about Wright having burnt the patient’s clothes and pillow cases, he made an inquiry and found it correct, and Wright was discharged in consequence.
Dr. Anwyl, senior assistant medical officer, said he went the rounds of the wards once a day.  Gibbons applied to him to see Dr. Spencer, and he told him he could do so.  His attention had never been called to injuries on the body of Datlin.
Edwin Baker was next charged with having, on the 25th of January, 1888, ill-treated a patient named Bottle.  Gibbons deposed that the defendant caught Bottle by the throat, threw him on the ground, and kicked him in the stomach.  Witness said “Be careful, you will break every rib in his body.”  Dr. Spencer said he saw the men together.  Bottle said Baker had struck and kicked him, and had broken his ribs.  Witness had the patient stripped, and examined him, but could find no ribs broken.  He noticed that Bottle had a black eye. but Baker said he got that by fighting with another patient in the airing court.  The defendant denied kicking Bottle, and showed the witness his hand which the patient had badly bruised by kicking it.
George Blair, a convalescent patient, deposed that Bottle was very excited, and was requested to sit down.  He attacked Baker in a violent manner, and attempted to kick him.  Wright came to his assistance and between them they secured him.  Soon afterwards Bottle made another attack on Baker, but was thrown down.  After dinner he made another desperate attack on the attendant.. He saw no uneccessary violence used while he was inmate of the asylum.  While an attendant in No. 1 ward Gibbons was always complaining of the treatment he received from Dr. Spencer and other officials, and had a special spite against the other attendants in the ward.
The Bench found Harris and Stevens guilty of ill-treating, and fined each of them £3 and costs, with the alternative of one month’s hard labour.  The bench thought that Baker used more force than was necessary, but being only a probationer, he might have been led away, and they decided to dismiss the case against him.
 

Although the subject is not named in full it is most likely to be Charles Walter Datlen (Datlin) (son of Adam/Johannes) he would be 56 years old at this time. The 1891 census has Charles as an inmate in the Kent Lunatic Asylum.

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