The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-25
RAE INSANE ASYLUM CONTROVERSY.


rnE INSANE ASYLUM CONTROVERSY.
STATEMENT OF THE Ex-suPERINrEsDENr, DE-
LEWIS A. BURGESS.
New ORLEANS, Dec. "A, 1874
Editor New Orleans Bulletin:
In compliance with your request MADE 70
me yesterday to condense my statement wn a.
had made for publication, relative 70 tne
Insane Asylum affair, will be as DlIe' Us Pos-
xible. In the published certificate OF wener,
Swax;as and Hewlett. it is stated that they
never sav the anndal report until 1t was pre-
.ented to the Legislature, that it was w!ltten
nv me. and Ia base fabrication. All OF TINS
!: malciouslv false. Clark did write the re-
;,cr+ ~ tha koard from facts and figures fur
nished Nv me as the superintends Mt, - all
hoards have to do 80 far as the interna! man.
arement and condition Of an asylum - con.
cerned. unless the members OF the BOARD
themselves reside permanently at the instato.
lion ard superintend it's working. winch, OF
~"ro osted TO sign it Swazie said he would
40 m n weber would, who refused. This oc-
curred in New Orleans before the report was
given to the Legislature.
Tha treasurer himself saw and read 1t, anal
told him if he would point outany statement
had made in my report that was not correct,
would correct it ON the spot. He did not,
nor would he point to any statement that was
not substantially correct. Clark sent the re-
mort Of the board to me at the asylum this
was early in January. had my own ready
to read to the board when they should meet
there. the time for which was fixed by law on
the first Monday. They did not meet, NOR
vas there ever Q quorum of the board present
st the asylum after November, 1873.
The tTeasurer's report was made out by his
book keeper, and left with me ct the asylum.
I faetened the several manuscript reports to
eether. and brought it to New Orleans, whore
I knew Weber and Swazie would be found.
did not see Hewlett, nor did he geo the report
Of the board, but where Is or was the neces-
sity for him to see It, when he IL 90 profound
" ignorant that he can neithersread nor sign
his own name, except after the penmanship of
our Custom-H ouse-by mark.
The day left for the city. Cook was not
1t home or he would have signed it.
Clark IL mot the ignorant negro he is rep
resented to be. He il recorder of the parish.
and conducts all the business of the Office
himself. or did when was ia East Feliciana,
and / heard NO complaint of him in that capa-
city. This shows that he must have some
education and business capacity. The certi-
6cate here alluded to in the beginning OF my
remarks, is evidently the hand work Of Sena-
tor E. L. Weber, rs Swazie can barely sign
his name. and Hewlett is most grossly ig-
noraut. As the public do not know who
fhese worthless are, propose to tell them.
Swazie Ia negro) and Weber were 90
strongly suspected ofthe assassination of Mr..
". %. Winter, . most estimable gentleman Of
West Feliciana, and the circumstantial evil
dence WAS 90 strong against them. that both
were incarceated in Jail. but as no positive
evidence was obtained, they were discharged.
T. W. Cook, one Of the directors OF the asy-
lam in 1873. has asserted most positively that
Nanator Weber offered him . bride Of $500
10 vote for him for Treasurer of that institu-
ton. and now know that was blackmaiIed
bv these eminent statesmen and dignified
SENATOR of the State of Louisiana. the Hon.
~ =. I. Weber, and the Hon. ~ George
Sxazie. know, further, that through the
influence of E. [. Weber, an honest man was
removed from the Board Of Administrators OF
the Asylum IN August. 1873. and he. =. L.
Weber, in violation Of all law and justice,
foisted in his place. Such are the characters
who signed the certificate published In the
BULLETIN of the 22d of December.
The charge that had the statute amended
for NV own benefit is not true. It was re-
commended by the Senate Committee in the
following words: 80,
ave believe that the present law should be
amended. and that the Board Of Administra-
tora should be selected from the State at
latpe, il being - it now stands too local in its
character and apt to create abuses"
/ favored the amendment, then. and do 30
still, for the very reasons given BY the COM
mittee, one Of whom the Hon. 8. N. Thomas
Was q classmate of mine at Centenary Col
lege, and the Senator from Bossier. The same
committee also condemn the practice Of an
reRco. ~ Tho inafifution furnishing or SUD-
plyiup IL, in the following language: 1--WE
ALSO believe that the officers connected and
under the control of the Board Of Admins
traitors should not be allowed to supply or be
interested in any manner in supplying the in
sitution."
IVA asylum st the close OF the year 1873,
vas indebted to ths Treasurer for supplies
Furnished that year, either $3.50 or $3.50, the
books and vouchers will snow the exact
amount, while it owed Max Scherer for fresh
beef, furnished the same year. about $z6OO,
Wolf $1,000 for provisions, Schwing $50
for medicines, and other parties in various
amounts. It did owe Mr.. Irvine for supplies
furnished in 1872, as well as other merchants,
and in fact, there are unpaid claims extend
ing back to 1868. All deserve credit for -
sisting the ineaue. lam charged with absent.
ing myself from the asylum for weeks and
months than which nothing can be more in
correct. made three trips to the city BE-
tween January and March, 1874, but left .
mana druggist, and relative OF mine, to
superintend, and who was an assistant to me,
but with no expense to the asylum IN the way
of compensation, while DR.. Thomas 3. Jones'
who lived within few hundred yards OF the
asylum, visited the sick whenever necessary.
It was absolutely necessary for me to go 70
New Orleans, in behalf OF the asylum. for its
I'm al starvation ff0m