Iowa
Old Press
Iowa City Press Citizen
Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa
Wednesday, June 18, 1924
STATE BOARD CONTROL PLANS DEATH INQUIRY
Members to Visit Mt. Pleasant Hospital in Connection with Demise
of Centerville Patient.
(By Associated Press) DES MOINES, June 18.- Members of the state
board of control plan to visit the Mt. Pleasant State hospital
for the insane within a few days, and will make a thorough
investigation into the attack upon Dugenia Casseti of
Centerville, by another patient, which is said to have been
responsible for the death of Casseti. This was the statement
today of A.M. McCoil, a member of the board. E.J. Hines,
secretary of the board, who attended an autopsy over Casseti's
body at Centerville last night, had not submitted his report to
the board this morning. The report of Dr. M.C. Mackin,
superintendent of the Mt. Pleasant hospital, received by the
board was substantially the same as the testimony submitted at
the Centerville inquest, indicating Casseti was struck by a
fellow inmate and died about six hours later.
Asks for More Details.
CENTERVILLE, Ia., June 18- County Attorney Max Kenny of Henry
county today was requested to conduct a further investigation
into the cause of death of Dugenia Casseti, Italian, who died
Saturday at the Mount Pleasant State hospital, following an
attack made upon him by another inmate. The request was made by
Appanoose county officials following the holding of a second
autopsy here last night. Casseti, who lived at a mining camp near
here, was taken to the Mount Pleasant hospital some time ago.
Saturday, while he was engaged in cleaning up the quarters of
another inmate, the latter suddenly became vicious and attacked
Casseti with a floor polisher.
Hold Two Autopsies
His body was shipped here for burial. Friends of the man ordered
that the funeral services, scheduled to be held Monday, be halted
pending an autopsy. A second autopsy was held last night at which
hospital authorities, county officials and representatives of the
state board of control attended. This autopsy showed that all of
Casseti's ribs from the second down on each side were broken and
that he had been badly injured internally.
[transcribed by C.J.L., Sept. 2004]