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Sep 1885
Esquire B.E. Randolph has been appointed a Commissioner of the Western
Kentucky Lunatic Asylum, in the place of Rev. J.C. Tate, resigned.  Gov.
Knott could not have selected a more efficient and worthy gentleman for the
position.

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Sept 1885
Mr Fank Waller, Steward at the Asylum, advertises in today's paper for bids
to furnish that institution with meats for the coming year.

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Mar 1896
Mrs. Peck to Resign
Mrs. Minerva Peck, for 32 years a trusted employee of the Asylum and for many years the matron of the institution, will give up her position this month and leave for Cincinnati, where she has relatives.  Mrs. Peck came to the Asylum as an attendant in 1864 and has been there ever since.  The institution has never had a better employee and in the various positions in which she has served her duties have always been discharged faithfully and efficiently.  Mrs. Peck's salary is now $500 and she has saved a handsome competency out of her earnings during the long period she has served the State.  It is due to the Republican administration to say that Mr. Peck's
retirement is entirely voluntary and that she was assured by Dr. Letcher that she would not be removed.  She has resigned on account of failing health.

Miss Laura Cromwell, housekeeping at the Asylum, has been appointed to the more important position of matron to succeed Mrs. Peck, resigned.

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Elkton Progress
Apr 1896
Miss Maud Kirkman left Monday for Hopkinsville, where she has accepted a position in the Western Lunatic Asylum.

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1886
A young gentleman of Bowling Green who had formerly been a patient at the  Western Lunatic Asylum and had been discharged was brought here again this week for readmission.  He was brought without an order of Court and consequently could not be received and was taken back.  An erroneous impression preval's that a patient can be placed in an asylum any number of times on one order of the County Court.  This is true if the patient escapes
or is taken away without authority.  If he is discharged regularly the order of the Court ceases to have force and a new one is necessary for his readmission.  In the present case there seemed to be rather more willful
wildness than insanity and some grounds for doubting whether the party is really a proper subject for a lunatic asylum.  A jury has no right to burden the State with the support of a patient who is merely troublesome and
perverse.

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May 1896

The Stanford Interior Journal says Miss Hattie Vaughan has been offered the position of druggist in the Western Asylum.  This place has been held by Dr. Kordlander and is a responsible position requiring a skillful pharmacist.
It is not announced when the young lady will arrive.

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Aug 1900
A Tardy Removal
Gov. Beckham has removed from office, Third Assistant Physician Abraham F. Stanley, of the Western Asylum, Hopkinsville.  The vacancy will be filled by the appointment of a female physician.

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Aug 1900
Dr. Laura Keisker Will Be On the Western Asylum Staff Dr. Laura Keisker has been appointed third assistant physician at the Western Insane Asylum by Governor Beckham.  Dr. Keisker was an applicant for
a similar position at Lakeland.  She is the daughter of Mr. H. W. Keiser of the Harry Weissinger Tobacco Company, of Louisville.  She is a graduated of the Southern Homeopathies College and of the Polytechure in New York.  She has practiced in Louisville for the past two years.

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Sep 1900
Asylum Changes
Republican Employees Removed to Make Room For Democrats Numerous changes were made at the Asylum Wednesday, nearly all of the Republicans who have been holding over giving place to Democrats.  Among the
Republicans turned out was Peter Morgan, a colored attendant, who had held his position for 30 years.  He will be succeeded by Junius Southern, a colored man of the Brent's Shop district.

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Sep 1900
JAMES MOORE has been appointed engineer and electrician at the Western asylum.  W. M. Trainum and James Morris were appointed assistants.

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Sep 1900
Former Asylum Employees Wed And Go To Iowa Mr. Walter G. Morrison of Anamosa, Iowa and Miss Birdie V. Richardson of Nevado, Mo., were married by Rev. Jared D. Irwin at his residence on East
Seventh Street, Hopkinsville, Ky., September 1st. 1900.  Miss Richardson has had charge of the Laundry at the W.K. Asylum for nearly two years.  Mr. Morrison was an attendant at the asylum.  Both are held in high esteem by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance.  They left immediately for Iowa where they will visit relatives.

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Nov 1900
Female Physician
Resigns Position at Asylum and Returns Home Dr. Laura Keisker, Third Assistant Physician at the Western Kentucky Asylum, has resigned her position at the institution and returned to her former home
in Louisville yesterday.  She was appointed by Gov. Beckham about four months ago.  Dr. Keisker is a most excellent lady, highly cultured, and has made many friends in this city, who regret to see her leave.  Her successor
has not yet been appointed.

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Nov 1900
Taken To Pesthouse
Victims of Smallpox At Asylum Removed From Grounds The two negroes at Western Asylum who have broken out with small pox were removed Sunday to the pest house.  No other cases have developed.  The
officials of the institution say the precautionary measures taken preclude the possibility of the disease spreading.

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Nov 1900
Woman Doctor
Gov. Beckham Fills the Vacancy at the Asylum Dr. Laura Keiser Will Be Succeeded By Dr. Florence Meder
Gov. Beckham Wednesday morning appointed Dr. Florence Meder, of Louisville, to the position of third assistant physician aat the Western asylum for the insane, at Hopkinsville.  Dr. Meder, succeeds Dr. Laura Keisker, who
resigned some weeks since.  Since the resignation of Dr. Keisker the other physicians have been attending to the duties of the lady physician in addition to their own.  Dr. Keisker was a physician of the homeopathis
school.  It is not stated whether her successor is an alapathic or homeopathic doctor.  Dr. Keisker has been given a similar position at the Lexington asylum.

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1900
Wilson Case
Postponed Until Tuesday September 4th
John Wilson, the constable for the Fruit Hill district, who shot and killed
Alex Wright at a picnic near White Plains on August 11th, was brought out
for trial yesterday, but was not ready and on motion of the defense the case
was postponed by Judge Cansler until Tuesday, September 4th.  Wilson was in
court apparently perfect sane and free from any suspicion of lunacy.  He
consulted with his attorneys, Messrs. Breathit and Bush, and explained what
he expected to prove by the various witnesses.  There were about 50
witnesses present and all of them were put under bonds of $100 each to
appear September 4.  A dozen or more witnesses were absent and these will be
summoned again.  Attorney J. T. Hanberry has been employed by the Wrights to
assist in the prosecution.  Wilson's defense will probably be that he was
temporarily insane.  Unless he can get off on a plea of lunacy, he is in a
very bad scrape and cannot escape conviction.
 

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