Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-01-19
TIE FREEDMkN'S HOSPITAL CROOkEDNESS.
The Peculiar Report Made by the
Investigating Commission.

money. lll-treatment of patients, and general
mismana cement. Secretary Schurz appointed
commission consisting of DR.. Thomas b.
Hood, of the Pension Office; DR.. George Ew
ing, of the Secretary'S Office and DR.. J. H.
Walsh. of the Land Office. The investigation
was completed some time ago, and 4 report,
with the evidence elected, made to the Secre-
tary. The report eNonerated the management
of the hospital from the charges made against
them. Upon reading The testimony taken by
the commission, the Secretary was surprised
to find that the report made was entirely at
variance with the facts elected. and he re
1erred the report and the evidence TO Solicitor
Marble of the Interior department. for rr-
view, without Informing the solicitor OF the
result OF his own examination OF the evidence.
After careful review Of the evidence. So
!lcltor Marble reported it back to the Secre-
tary, having reached the same conclusions.
VIZ: that the report was made without re-
gard TO the evidence taken by the commission.
Secretary SchurZ then sent for the commits
SlOnerS. and. confronting them with the report
made by the Solicitor and his own conclusions,
asked them TO explain how it was thai they
had set aside all the facts revealed by the
lnVeStlgatlon III making up their report The
commissioners manifested great surprise at
the action OF the Secretary, and seemed at Il
loss for an explanation. One of their number
fnally stated that they had based the cQuciu-
SlonS OF the report upon evidence taken which
had not been laid before the Secretary, and
Wh1cn dld nor form a part OF the record. The
SlOnerS should make a report upon evidence
which they had excluded from the record sub
mItted to sustain their conclusions. and in
very emphatic terms expressed his uiSapprO-
baton of this unusual proceeding. He pre-
fered to act upon the evidence submitted by
the commission, and putting their eXtraord-
naryrcport aside, determined to remove Dr.
iaEmer, the officer III charge OF the Freed
mans Hospital.
On Thursday. as stated in THE STAR Of that
day, the trustees of Howard University
headed by DR.. Patten. its president called
upon President Hayes and protested against
the removal of Dir. Palmer. Secretary ScburZ
was present at this interview. and replied 10
the protest OF the trustees. He said Howard
University was an independent institution
with which he had nothing to do, but the hos
pltal was placed under his direction, and he
was made responsible for its administration.
Appropriations are annually made for the sup
port of the hospital, and it was his duty TO in
folm himself as to the manner in which these
appropriations were expended. The evidence
showed general acknowledgements and nefii-
cheney in business matters connected with the
hospital, and it was his duty to apply the cor
receive.
Since that interview there have been other
developments in the case showing the ma-
ccssity for thorough oVcrhauling of The
hospital management, and very likely vi the
Howard I University.
Mr FELTON,, patient at the hospital, for
merry Of the Philadelphia bar, WHO acted as
he RroSecoinT at5"gInGy lHrns the i1Eesj
the Secretary in relation TO the subject:
WASHINGTON, January Eth, 1873.
Hon. CtII !SCItUTz. ScC!Ft,trN Of the IRtcFiOf:
Sir:-1t is announced inthe public press that
"a delegation composed OF the board OF resi-
dent directors OF Howard University had an
interview with the President al noon today
relative to the recent investigation of the
FreeGmen's Hospital, Secretary Schurz being
being present. III was decided that
before anything is done Dr.. Palmer small be
allowed to answer some of the charges of mis-
management made against him.
1t this extraordinary privilege be accorded
the accused, ], as the prosecuting attorney,
claim the right to file reiOnder, and, If eXpe-
dienr TO adduCe testimony TO refute any aver
men1S he may make, and to submit other
points and considerations at my discretion
The Investigation into the allegations against
DIR. Palmer was regular, exhaustive and Spe-
ciaiiy favorable to him. The accused attended
each session Of the commission, and WAS de
tended by three aStutc laWyerS-MeS>r> Rid
die. Miller. and Cook. He confronted all the
witnesses who testified against him, and both
personally and by counsel rigdly cross exam
lned them: He produced numerous witnesses
in his defence. including his associates DrS.
Giennan and Purvis and also testified in his
own behalf, submitting an elaborate written
answer to the charges preferred against him.
and a labOred defence of his official conduct,
and This document was incorporated as part
OF the evidence in The case. The commission
was papably friendly to him, being composed
en,Teiy OF medical men, WHO on naturally sym;
with Official maifeaSance, and the chairman
OF 5he committee IS professor IN me How
ard Med,eaI College Of Whsh DR. Pal
proved to have been supported chiefly out
Of the hospital appropriations through
the lnStr5mentallty of the accused, who
TO VitaliZe and perpetuate Sickly private coli
cern, which would have periShed of inantion
had it not been thus nurtlred on purlOlned
pabulum. 1t is not surprising therefore, that
the officers OF the Howard University should
StrenuOusy resist the removal of public
functionary through whose official malverSa
ton public money has been perverted from its
SIlnDDrf
moribund departments: yet if is incredible
that an inculpated public officer should be a.
dence TO eXOnerate himself after his official
conduct had been thoroughly and formally in
Vestigated, and he has adduced witnesses in
his behalf, been defended by able counsel, and
made an elaborate written defence of his Off
cial actions. and answered the charges pre-
ferred against him. The prosecution earnest
~ yYo remonstrates against such an 'inrlghteons
OF justice should emphatlcally condemn.
Should, however. this unprecedented favOrit-
ism and partiality be Vouehsafed to DR.. Pal
mer, the prosecution must forthwith appeal to
Congress to investigate the management Of
the hospital and the misuse, waste or abStrac-
ton OF public money appropriated to its sup
the government and an honest expenditure Of
the funds granted for the care and treatment
of the deserving invalids, whom Congress, in
spirit of sublime philanthropy has adopted
as beneficiaries of the people. The impeach-
ment and prosecution of the accused have not
been aCttaleQ Dy personal alllmOSity, political
considerations, or a desire to Suppiant the
medical corps or to install others i'm their place,
but by the consciousness that the government
has been Systematically plundered the pa
tients maltreated and deprived of their rights,
and the nation ScandaliZed by the tiagrant mis-
management of the Freedmen'S Hospital, and
the perverSiOn of a noble charity.
ISignedl " FRANKLIN f. FELTON,,
Prosecuting Attorney.
II is alleged that about one half of the ap
preparation made by Congress for the hospital
was expended indirectly in the interest of
Howard University, in the boarding of med--
cal students in the hospital in the payment of
rent for the college building, of which but
small portion is used by the hospital and that
the hospital proper was used mostly by the
students of the University and in the pay
ment of an engineer and keeping a pump in
order 10 force the Potomac water to the Uni
versity Buildings and also to private dwellings
Oh the hill. Another charge was that more
supplies were purchased than needed for the
use of the patients, and at higher rates than
the avera ge market price, though the excuse
made for the large purchases was that they
were made when the prices were low. When
the commission was appointed some objection
was raised to them, as they were interested
parties; but as il was believed that the Secre-
tary intended to look into the case personally,
those making the charges did not press these
objections. 1t is stated that Notwithstanding
the orders of Secretary SchurZ that the wit
neSSeS were to be protected, that the first wit