Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-23
The Freedmen.s Hospital Inyestisa.
tiOn.
TESTIMONY YESTERDAY.

On the 18th instant the subcommittee of the
Senate committee on OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Eaton. Allison and Sargent-examned several
witnesses as to the mana cement of the Freed
mems hospital, and it was then testified that
the bones which had been Inferred i'm tie
grounds of the hospital were buried for mas
ceratiOn. A few days thereafter Daniel Pot
ter, patient, addressed a note TO the commit
tee, intimating that the testimony on tat
point was untrue, and asserting that human
remains and Oflal from the (nssecting room
had been inhumed i'm the grounds for actual
sepulchre. Yesterday the sub committee again
visited the hospital, and Mr.. Potter was called
and testified before them He stated that he
was the author of the letter. and testified that
the body exhumed on the 18th had flesh on the
bones, but was minus the arms, and was in
such state OF decomposition that those around
could not stand the etfiuvia that the next day
two or three men, with Dr. Purvis and in DR..
Palmer's presence, dug four or FIVE holes and
took up bones and portions OF bodies placed
there in bags and carried them to the dead
house. Witness was at this time sitting with
DR.. Palmer in the engine room, in full view of
the parties at work, and DIR. Palmer said that
he knew nothing about the matter personally
and he would punish those who committed the
nuisance. The witness further testified that
prior to the investigation last fall the mess
house food was eXecrable in quality and small
in quantity: that for breakfast they received
one slice of bread two SpOOnSful of bad hOminy
and One-half pint coffee for dinner, one potato.
about four ounces of meat (tOngGe, shin beef
cheeks or heart), and one slice of bread; for
supper. about three gillS of weak tea one slice
OF bread. and dab of mOlaSSes. The corn
bread was always heavy and badly baked and
the rule was that patient could have but one
slice and of one kind. He related that in Sep
TENDER last one John Kelly, not liking his
piece OF corn bread, asked for some wheat
bread, which was refused him, and he there
lore took his allowance OF corn bread to the
interior department as aSpecimen. They had
nothing like the fore quarter of beef until Au
gust. when the Secretary paid the hospital a
visit. On the cleanliness of the ward. witness
fJanpS
clean and it was clean, and DIR. Glennan, he
remarked. was kind as physician and treated
all OF them well. Notwithstanding the clean
illness of the ward the clothing was inhabited.
On the lSt inst, having found vermin on his
person, he ScrutiniZed the clean clothes and
found four drowned vermin on his drawers
and showed them to the nurse. He complained
to the nurse and asked that he get him new
clothes, which was done. On the same day
another patient found quantity in his draw
eTs. When asked how he could reconcile this
condition of the clothing with the cleanliness
OF the wards. the witness said that the wash
room must be the place where the insects are
Since the investigation the diet in the wards
a. also the treatment. had improved fully 100
per cent. and now they had few Injuries.
Wesley Lucas c0rrOborated POtter'S testimO-
ny in relation to the taking up of bodies, and
also testified that he had buried six barrels of
odds and ends from the diSSecting room for
Bork,s, and he agreed to pay him Uucas) three
dollars. but only after a long time, paid him
one dollar. He also testified 10 the food in the
mess room being much better than formerly.
LucluS Hawkum and VIM. Brown testified to
the bad state of things before, and the I'M
proved condition OF things, after the eXamiaa
lion.
TESTIMONY TO-DAY.
The committee resumed the investigation at
noon today. James j. Calvert, engineer, re
peated his testimony given before the Schurz
Committee, as to doing private work for DR..
satisfied the latter paid for it. Worked alto
gether for DIR. Palmer about three days; did
not send in bill; The nurse looked out for
hntt l,o1f
DIR. PurviS, and also sawed three loads of wood
Tor him did not receive anything for it unless
II was turkey sent TO him on Christmas
Don't know whether the pipe used at DR.. Pal
mer'S belonged TO the university or the hOspi-
tai. Witness is an engineer, but for the past
eight years has been doing all the plumbing
and gas fitting about the place. He further
testified corroborating Potter. who testified
yesterday as to the exhuming OF dead bodies
November 18th.
Witness had received bones from the college
TO boil the grease out. Thought that they were
from the dlSSectIng room. There were arm
bones and others: but this was before Dr.
Palmer came here. Witness never took a let
ter from this room never had heard a note
read by Robert johnson from Secretary
SchurZ, that he would be retained if he testi-
fed against DIR. Palmer. There had been par
ties at his house in reference to the inyeStiga-
ton. but not to get up evidence against d.,
Palmer.
Maria Banks, nurse in Dr. Palmer's ward,
tNo. ~ testified that the patients are some
times very filthy: have seen clothes burned
because OF the bugs. in the ward. The food is
beef; potatoes and bread in the ward, with
food is good. The articles of food are the
same now as formerly. Have sometimes fish,
pork, Goldfish. The mackerel is No. /. and
only once had bad mackerel. Sometimes the
bread was sour: but it was remedied. Her
ward is cleaned thoroughly once per week,
ana about the stove and between the beds
daily. There are about thirty-tive patients in
the ward two white girlS.)
Henry Saunders, assistant nurse in No. .
wa,d (Dr. PurvisD since May last. ate in mess
room have beef, hominy and eggs. sometimes
fish. Meat was good generally but little tainty
sometimes and sometimes salty: the meat was
not well cooked about once per week the
bread was once or Or twice sour, but that was
thorough inspections. FELTON, is a patient
there and a pretty rapid one, calling him -
OF J., and charged him with being a spy.
cause he cursed too much in the ward about
his grub. There are IS beds in ward, and
before the investigation there were two or
three towels to a ward, and they were changed
about once i'm three days.
Mary AtklnS tnurSe in ward > testified that
some OF the patients are very dirty, and when
such come in their clothes are burned and
beef, turnips cabbage with eggs, corn starch,
&c. Last year there was some complaint as to
tainted meat, but they always had enough. In
the meSS-rOOm have fish on Fridays, and other
days Toast beef. There should be regular
night nurse.
Nathan Street tnurSe III No., DR.. Glennan'S)
testified that the ward was scrubbed out twice
per week, and the clothing of the beds and
patients changed once per week. Some of the
patients come in very filthy, and their clothes
are thrown away. Witness testified that the
food was good and was satisfied with it now.
The eatingS wasn't so good before the commit
tee met. The meat used to he tainty some
times (Once OF twice.
James Hurd (nurSe in ward g. Dr. Glennan'S)
testified that the patients are generally bathed
when brought in, and the ward is scrubbed
three times per week: have beef, bacon, NUT
ton, rice stewed peaches or apples, and some
times canned peaches.
Retsey Lawson (day nurse in and 81 teSti-
fed 10 those wards being kept in good order,
and to the fcOd being good.
BetSey BOuldin -(nurSe i'm Dr.. PurvS' ward)
cOrr0bOrated the preceding witness as to her
ward. and to the patients getting enough to eat.
Susan DAVIS "a patient in DIR. Purvis' ward)
testified that ward is kept clean the food was
good If it was better cooked: always had plen-
ty to eat.
Harriet Smith. Anna Cooper and Mary Bag
ley cOrrObOrated the preceding witness as to
the SOOd condition of the ward, but the latter
complained that the meat was not well cooked.
even now.
George Chapman {steward) testified that he
received the food, inspected the quality; re-
cPlSpd mPaIS-cOrD and fraSh-rnun1S 6.nES