Read Online Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly - Free Book Online Page B

dear,” she replied, and, wishing that I would sleep well, she went out and locked the door after her. Several times during the night they came into my room, and even had I been able to sleep, the unlocking of the heavy door, their loud talking, and heavy tread, would have awakened me.
    I could not sleep, so I lay in bed picturing to myself the horrors in case a fire should break out in the asylum. Every door is locked separately and the windows are heavily barred, so that escape is impossible. In the one building alone there are, I think Dr. Ingram told me, some three hundred women. They are locked, one to ten to a room. It is impossible to get out unless these doors are unlocked. A fire is not improbable, but one of the most likely occurrences. Should the building burn, the jailers or nurses would never think of releasing their crazy patients. This I can prove to you later when I come to tell of their cruel treatment of the poor things entrusted to their care. As I say, in case of fire, not a dozen women could escape. All would be left to roast to death. Even if the nurses were kind, which they are not, it would require more presence of mind than women of their class possess to risk the flames and their own lives while they unlocked the hundred doors for the insane prisoners. Unless there is a change there will some day be a tale of horror never equaled.
    In this connection is an amusing incident which happened just previous to my release. I was talking with Dr. Ingram about many things, and at last told him what I thought would be the result of a fire.
    â€œThe nurses are expected to open the doors,” he said.
    â€œBut you know positively that they would not wait to do that,” I said, “and these women would burn to death.”
    He sat silent, unable to contradict my assertion.
    â€œWhy don’t you have it changed?” I asked.
    â€œWhat can I do?” he replied. “I offer suggestions until my brain is tired, but what good does it do? What would you do?” he asked, turning to me, the proclaimed insane girl.
    â€œWell, I should insist on them having locks put in, as I have seen in some places, that by turning a crank at the end of the hall you can lock or unlock every door on the one side. Then there would be some chance of escape. Now, every door being locked separately, there is absolutely none.”
    Dr. Ingram turned to me with an anxious look on his kind face as he asked, slowly:
    â€œNellie Brown, what institution have you been an inmate of before you came here?”
    â€œNone. I never was confined in any institution, except boarding-school, in my life.”
    â€œWhere then did you see the locks you have described?”
    I had seen them in the new Western Penitentiary at Pittsburg, Pa., but I did not dare say so. I merely answered:
    â€œOh, I have seen them in a place I was in—I mean as a visitor.”
    â€œThere is only one place I know of where they have those locks,” he said, sadly, “and that is at Sing Sing.”
    The inference is conclusive. I laughed very heartily over the implied accusation, and tried to assure him that I had never, up to date, been an inmate of Sing Sing or even ever visited it.
    Just as the morning began to dawn I went to sleep. It did not seem many moments until I was rudely awakened and told to get up, the window being opened and the clothing pulled off me. My hair was still wet and I had pains all through me, as if I had the rheumatism. Some clothing was flung on the floor and I was told to put it on. I asked for my own, but was told to take what I got and keep quiet by the apparently head nurse, Miss Grady. I looked at it. One underskirt made of coarse dark cotton goods and a cheap white calico dress with a black spot in it. I tied the strings of the skirt around me and put on the little dress. It was made, as are all those worn by the patients, into a straight tight waist sewed onto a straight skirt. As I buttoned