The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-06-28
The State LunatIc ASYLUM.


10 Vi Inc OIdleSIilstus
In your issue of the 22d inst. APP
pears an interview of the reporl er of
the STATESMAN with Dr. A. n. DEN
ton, superintendent of the lunatic
asylum, in which DR.. Denton makes
Inc the hero of the state lunatic en-
brogliO. He tries to make this COM
munity believe that such noble, hon
est and independent men as Col. r.
a Rutherford, Mr.. Alfred Smith,
Capt. VIM. Wilson and DR.. A. E.
GOODWIN, do nothing but follow me.
The two first named gentlemen have
been living IN this community not
less than thirty years. They are
noted as being Independent, honest
and upright and will follow no man,
but act from honest convictions and
stand by it, ami no man dares to ques-
ton their integrity.
Notice Dr. Denton's language, he
says, ''Dr. Burt was the first to apply
to the attorney-general for decision
aS to the tenure of my own Office. This
was an unfriendly act" In answer
to this statement, / simply quote the
motion of DR.. A. E Goodwin, which
was adopted, and is as follows:
May Sd, 1883.
"Resolved, that the president, of the
board of managers of the lunatic aSy-
lum be requested to ask the opinion
of the attorney general, whether it
was the duty of the present board to
elect d medical superintendent for the
asylum, under an "act t" amend arGi-
cieS 66, 81, etc, passed by the eigh-
teenth legislature, and approved and
went into effect April IA, 1888"
Is the statement true that DR.. Burt
d d it?
DR.. Denton further says in the same
connection, land CDR. Burt) failing to
procure my removal and yet deter
mined, if possible, to cripple and ruin
my administration, the next step
waste declare all the offices vacant,
except that of the superintendent
How was it possible for DIR. Denton
to make such statement, with the
action of the board before him, as Il
matter of record on the asylum
books?
On the 1st day of June, at the regu-
lar monthly meeting of the board OF
managers. the following resolution
wa intr ,duced by Col. Il. A. Ruther-
ford, and passed unanimously by the
board:
Resolved, That the offices of the
asylum filed by the old board are
hereby declared vacant, and DR.. A N
Denton is requested 10 present nomi-
nations for the various offices, as con-
templated by the new law. Article
y, section iy.
The reader must judge who has
made false statements. Again, DR..
Denton becomes perfectly fearful, be-
cause in an interview published in
the Galveston News l was reported
10 have said that 80 per cent. of the
furniture went into the private rooms
of the superintendent.
The statement l did make, which
appeared III the Galveston News, is
as follows:
DR. Burt, on the other side, has re-
turned after 4 trip East, and calls the
reporters attention to an error in the
report OF his interview. The reporter
asked him what proportion of the fur
niture purchased by Mrs. Denton was
in DR.. DantOn'S private room and par
Tor? He could not state exactly, but
it was ii large amount. The reporter
asked if it was as much as 80 per cent,
and he replied he believed it was in
that neighborhood. His published
reply makes him say 80 per cent. with
out the qualification" -
| regret to have been so exceedingly
minute in making this statement, but
1t becomes necessary from the atti-
tude taken by DR.. Denton. The above
are my exact words, and should be
satisfactory. w. j. BURT.