The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-09-05
A question for ,l,c cour Is 10 Decide.

MARTINS FERRY, ", sept y 1910
Editors Intelligenscr.
In your issue of the eth Of august Is Z
communication signed jasper pretend
ing to give an account of the case Of my
self va. Pease Township, tried at Bridge
port last week. In justice to myself de
sire to say that the person whose skull
was fractured, and to whom rendered
the medical and surgical services, was at
the time, and for more than two months
previous thereto had unfortunately been
out o. employment, with family to sup.
port, had not, according to his own testi-
mony, as much as a nickel, and no means
of providing any money, and was without
any property upon which credit could be
obtained, or the smallest execution satis-
fed. 1t is true he had lot, and an
eighth of n lot, upon which was
small house and mortgage, and
all the property II clear not worth $500.
It Is true, he might have secured loan on
this Of perhaps 500 but the law OF this
State does not require man in suffering
condition to mortgage his homestead and
cucumber his personal property, and start
his fumily for sure on the road TO pauper-
ism, before lie can be relieved at the pub
lie expense. Knowing this and believing
from all the circumstances that this was a
case requiring public relief, | attended
upon the party and notified the trustees.
1t is true, they promptly notified me not
to attend upon the case any longer upon
the credit OF the .township; but they
failed to provide another physician,
and the Supreme Court Of this
State having decided that where the
trustees Of the township having been
notified, neglect to provide for suffering
person, the person frrnishingthe reliefc can
recover in an action against the township,
paid, US was my duty, no attention TO
the notice, relying more upon the wisdom
OF the Court than upon the discretion OF
the trustees. "Iasper" seems to rest much
upon the fact that the person relieved had
property, and seems to think that u per-
son might be physically unable to provide
for him!clf, without cent Of money and
without credit, unable 10 obtain even a
LOAF OF bread upon his own promiseto pay;
sick, unable TO raise hand, even too
week to bear the light Of day, yet II
he had little encumbered real
estate no man would furnish him
u days provision or a physician TO,
wait upon him and recover from the town
ship, unlsss the'sulIering person first call
ed in some person and made forced loan
and sacrifice Of what little there was still
between him and utter deStitution for him
self and family. The law has made it a
legal obligation for the trustees TO provide
for all persons in the Township In a con.
dition requiring public relief, and it re-
mains to be seen whether higher court
will construe the law to carry out its pro-
visions and intentions, or place the absurd
construction upon it, which Jasper would
give It, which would require q man in q
suffering condition, with q fractured
skull either to suffer and die for want OF
care, or sacrifice in the face Of sickness aud
perhaps death before he could obtain re-
lief, tile little that the law has sacredly up.
propriatGd for the use Of his family.
Jasper" also urges that the physicians
OF this township Consider themselves q
favored few" in the eyes Of the law, and
that their bills shall be paid. This may be
his opinion; but tho physicians Of this
township know that the law in certain
cases provides for their payment, and in
such cases intend to have their just dues,
in accordance with the law. II tho law
does not suit the Trustees let them appeal
to tho Legislature and have it repealed
entirely, or their ,powor TO refuse help
made as absolute, Us their power to furnish
reliefto persons in suffering condition is
now obligatory. Let them have q law
passed SAYING, no man having real or ppr-
sonal estate can have relief under any cir
cumstances, and they will then circumvent
tho Supreme Court Of the State and reach
future cases OF this sort,
| have taken IN appeal in this case.
Dir. II. CAPElART.