The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-17
WHEELING. W. VA, OCTOBER IL. 1889.
r eAIiesed investigation Of tie Insana
Akylum


During tho month Of September friend
OF the INTELuGENcRI., whose letter lies
before US, forwarded to this office the fol-
lowing information:
The Board Of Directors OF The Insane
Asylum have arranged their defensive pre-.
grGmme. They will meet in October or No.
vsmber ostensibly to Investigate. They are
satisfied that they can present arep1rt that
will show the Wetton Asylum free from all
the charges made against i;-ihat all the
charges Ilade aRainat 1t are wickedly false.
They per APPS will Sdmlt that the relatives OF
III Governor pIedOnlinhte. They will take
high ground as to the competency Of DR..
Bland, &C., &. They will make 1t appear that
Il ey are willing 10 receive testimony on the
other side. After all they intend TO pres nj
report that will show the present organize
tion TO be the best that was ever bad, aud the
conduct OF the institution perfect. BY conf
nara iva statements they will show that II is
economically run. 0ae Of tho objects is to
snow the IETELMuESCER under.
1t must be admitted that that is re-
markable investigation Of which the result
~ determined month before it takes
place and is known TO persons outside OF
the investigating body. The directors
were to fad the charges 'wickedly false"
They did find them, in the language OF
the report, "maliciously false" They were
TO take high ground as to the competency
Of Dr. Bland. On the testimony Of his
'assistants, who had Observation-Disclosures
stake in what was going on, and ION our
own knowledge Of his worth and eff.
ciency," they did take the very highest
ground in his behalf. They were to ''show
by comparative statements that the insti-
tuition Is economically run," and they came
to the front with the statements. Another
thought, advanced before the Board too
late to incorporate in the report, was that
De Bland is Just the man for the place
because the Board chose him for. the place.
Our informant, 1t will BIO observed, struck
warm trail when lie WAS able to give in
advance the substance OF the whitewash-
ing report. When was that report prepar-
ed? Was any OF it written alter the Board,
without notice to anybody outside, held its
little Investigation" and shoyeled up all
the evidence on one side? What was the
use Of examining ANYBODY when the finding
OF the court was already before it-as the
Weston correspondent OF the ISrELLIGES-
GER put it, report first, examination alter
wards"2 Did ever anybody hear Of such an
investigation?
The ISTELLIGESCRR had published some
comments on the institution and It's man
agement, but the Board did not think it
worth while to notify the ISrELLIGRSCRR
that it was about to investigate. The
Boards attention being called by Director
Despard to its conspicuous remisaness, it
refused by vote Of six to two TO give any
notice OF the business in which 1t was en-.
gagged. A reporter OF the lNTELLIGRSCEH
was present on general principles-there
was to be meeting and the IN
TRLLagNcEH desired its readers TO
know what happened there. To
this alone the public is indebted for full
reports OF what We do not hesitate to char
acterize as the most remarkable investiga.
ton on record.
II there was nothing to cover up, why
was 1t covered up in that. way? And what
is the net value Of the report as a campaign
document?
The Board Of Directors has triaed with
and insulted the people Of the State.