Aide Forced Homosexual Acts,

Lima Patients' Statements Say

By Edward P. Whelan

and Richard C. Widman

Staff Writers

LIMA, O. The Plain Dealer has obtained signed statements by Lima State Hospital inmates charging that an attendant forced young patients to commit homosexual acts with him.

No disciplinary action was taken against the attendant after a hospital probe of his activities.

The attendant, who will be identified here as Attendant X. denied the accusations in a signed statement to Byron M. Newland, the hospital security chief, who investigated the incidents in late 1969. The Plain Dealer also has obtained a copy of the statement of Attendant X.

IN HIS statement, Attendant X denied participating in sodomy but admitted receiving “back rubs” from a patient.

Newland was not aware yesterday that The Plain Dealer had obtained copies of the

hospital statements. Newland toki a repor2er that Mr X. had denied receiving the back rubs.

Newland also explained why he did not pursue the investigation after he had questioned the attendant and his accusers.

"There was no evidence." Newland said. "You can't accept a psychotic pa tient's word."

ACCORDING to hospital records, NewContinued on Page 15, Col. I