Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-01
THE DrsPENsARY rmBRoGLro.
The Tx Dispensing Clerk Brings Suit
Against ahe Health Officer for sIO,-
600 Hammers

900 damages.
A short time since, DR.. Z. II. Lewis,
Dispensing clerk at the City Dispensa-y,
was relieved from that position and DR.. C.
w. Prior appointed in his stead. DIR. ].
B. Mitchell, the Health Officer, who insti-
tuted the change, notified the City Coun-
ell Of his action, and the appointment was
confirmed. A typographical error in the
printed report of the proceedings of the
Council made the word relieved" read
removed" and this DR.. Lewis resented
by publishing a card in one of the city pa
pers, under the head of "Dispensay Sc
crets," in which he limited that the ma
chinery of that institution was not quite in
the condition con6ding corporation would
have it. This called forth lengthy letter
from DIR. Mitchell, published in the Press
and Times, every paragraph Of which was
trimming over with charges against DIR.
Lewis, and the result has been that DR..
Lewis has entered Islander suit against
DR.. Mitchell, in the Circuit Court, claim
ing $4,000 damages. The following Is
the letter upon which the suit is based:
NASHVILLE, March 20, 1S6S.-DR. f.
ii. LEWIS: Your ungentlemanly card in
the Banner will call from me an unpleas-
ant reply.
/ have told you on various occasions
that protested against your appointment
as Dispensary Clerk, and that there were
objections from numerous parties against
you, urging your removal and that you
owed your appointment to Mrs. Mitchell,
who urged me to appoint you on account of
your destitute family and your poor health.
You know that / was very much dis
pleased with you in my store-which was
your transactions with Capt. Classic, who
can tell some very unpleasant things.
Your business with the Nashville post
Office your business with B. F. Hamilton;
a little (big) thing that occurred in my
store while you were clerk; the numerous
reports of Your dishonest transactions
your leaving the City Dispensary at I'M
seasonable hours, and going TO other places
of amusement, or practice, instead OF going
home to your sick wife. | meant no I'M
kindness to you in my communication to
the City Council, which reads, 81 have APP
pointed DIR. c. w. Prior Dispensing Clerk,
rice Z. I'll. Lewis, relieved"
How did you expect TO get away from
here without being relieved? Forfeit
your bond Yes, / presume so. How does
my note relieving you read? As told
you some time since, those unpleasant re-
ports should go no further, bnt since you
have called upon me to report, l shall do
so. find you very ungentlemanly, I'M
kind, vindictive-withal, a very unpleas-
ant man.
After you spoke to me yesterday | had
a note put in the local of the Press and
Times of this morning to shield you from
any discredit, after knowing that you were
not worthy any clemency from an injured
public, but as you felt aggrieved at the
word REMOVED" which was typographi-
cal error. | sent a note to Mr.. Saunders
asking him if it read so to change to re-
signed.
But you, not satisfied, must come out in
a card, under the malicious caption Dis
pensary Secrets" There are no secrets
connected with this institution that would
injure anybody but yourself Those Sc
crets are known to few except yourself.
l shall now simply inform the public
the facts In the whole matter, not for the
satisfaction Of those who know you, but for
those who do not l can get the signatures
sof ten responsible persons who will certify
to your character Remember, | appointed
you under & heavy protest, which / will
prove in my card. Remember, did not
remove you from my store, because Mrs.
Mitchell plead for your family's sake.
Your record while in West Nashville |
have been thoroughly conversant with since
October last, and with all yonr short
comings; yet | have been DESTROYS toshield
you as much as possible under the circum-
stances. You should feel most grateful TO
me. You have talked about me unwarrant-
ably. You have talked about my friends
in the same manner-Sloan u Classic.
Those men stand high in the community,
but because they don't consider you a man
you must belch out your venom on them.
You would have been arrested for a
criminal oflense had il not been for me. |
plead for you, as Col. Thurman will tell
you, and after all this gross insult and I'M
warrantable injury done to myself by you,
| hesitate TO expose you.
j. y. MITCHELL,
Health Officer