Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-08-13
.rur AsyLrM SCANDAL,
Reply Of pr. Burt and Col. Rutherford 20
Gov. Ireiand--They Die Hard, But
l.aine.

The following IS the reply OF DIR.
Burt and Colonel Rutherford TO Gov
ernor Ireland on the reasons given
! fir their removal from the board OF
/ n,..,agers of the lunatic asylum:
we regret very much 10 be forced T.,
auswcr John ireland. governor, very
I plainly on the reasons lac assigned
and published last Sunday morning.
| Wc wish II distinctly understood that
the governor las been the sggressor ia
the whole correspondence. He first
changes petty scandal'/ surrounds
toe management Of the Hylum. We
demanded OF him Co know IL IL con.
eerned the board Of managers. He
utterly failed To answer, but like ~
rant who cares Eothing for the law
or the equity OF individuals deposed
two of the members. And he did this
I immediately after he was informed
1 that the biard was going to investi
/ gate the management OF the superin-
( tend ant for tie purpose oi a>certalning
and correcting abuses IL they existed.
/ They proposed 70 inquire into the
abuse of inmates said 10 exist there,
such as strapping one over the Shout
defs with q heavy leather strip, abus-
I ing another aud breaking bis arm.
/ fastening others To benches in the
I halls with straps, subject 10 the abuses
! and kicks of amy who came along, and
( then retaining ~ his employ the at
! iendants who performed this work.
4 These aud many other abuses were
said to exist there, and the board felt
called upon To make full and fair IN
/ veStigatiou. but the governor would
not allow H. IN reference 10 the at
4 tendaut used rs Il private servant by
I the superintendent mentioned hereto
/ fore, we refer To Miss Mary Frank,
( who.was nistron OF the asylum, aud
! the officers of the Asylum, for the
/ truth OF our statements.
4 He next records and publishes his
4 reasons for our removal. We now pro-
/ pose 10 briefly analyze his statements
and answerhis rea sons. aud show their
/ fallacy;
( First--He says: THE board OF man
ayers, led by DR.. Burt and Colonel
] Rutherford dismissed Il number OF
employees
] We answer 1.-THE board Of mana
! gers never removed or dismissed an
empoye while we were connected
with the asylum. But on the CON
/ trary, the superintendent, from month
\ to MONTH without warrant of law, did
remove aud dismiss employees, and
never ever. notified the board of the
facts and circumstances, thus violating
! the law. which is very plain, Article
1 ~, section I'd: The board of mana
gers sliali have power 10 discharge.
/ upon the recommendation of the sill.
! perintendent, any officer, ernployc or
! patient in the asylum.
] Second-Ife says: "And refused to
| confirm or reappoint others after they
We're nominated by the superin-
! tendentD
We answer-"'rhe board never re-
fused during six months management,
to confirm or reappoint but one person
| nominated that was the wife Of the
superiutent rs inatren.N
4 Tniirl lie says: "This leaving
the institution without its usual aud
accustomed aud necessary a-sistanee.n
We answer" the governor.
knowing the facts, would He as !, mat
ter Of oilicig record such n statement
is beyond our colnprehensi sion. With
the exception mentioned, the board
never deprived Hie institution % its
usual and necGrsary assistance. in the
esse Of two pnntinatious where action
WAS postponed, the superintendc
was autlIrized to continue them IN
their poftio'ie, which he did, SO the
institution was MT dcip4gred Of IFS As.
sisranH as Il5e governor alleges
FolW He says: The breach pre-
vent9& the board from going into the
, office nj the institution " transact lis
Ordinary business =
We answer The board never failed
when at the asylum to 90 into III,
Office to transact its ordinary bust.
uess. The board made one visit
T. the asylum, NJ the request OF Capt.
Matber, for the specific purpose 20 eX.
anime and receive the water connec,
: lions he had made with the asylum
rbe board went OF the grounds, made
/ the examination OF the work and thg
I, cost of the same, aud returned &
Austin. They had no other business
to transact, The breach, assigned N
: the reason by the governor, uniortun
a'eiy, like most Of his other state
; ments IN that record of "reaSone,p ex.
, lists in his brain only, without a fact L
!, sustain IL.
!, Fith--He says: "The board passed
:. riage, horses etc, so ,as II preclude til,
!, idea of members using them
!, We answcr--The board passed ~
. such mn order, but they did pass a reso
= luton, which WIS made BY Col Ruth
. eriord and seconded and voted Tor d,
:, Capt. Wilson. stating theic di.ap
prevail of the use al the carriage
i horses, etc. for privatc purposes, hu
!, did Not restrict their as
: flr official and state purposes
Yet Governor ireland advised tn
sll erinten tent, through his mex
, friend, before the board visited tn
s asylum at the request OF Eapt, Mnthei
: to refuse To send the carriage after Tia,
board 70 attend 10 otlirial bushels.
SiXthHe stys; SHOWN g dispc
sitinn to annoy the superintendent. y
We auswer@The statement Is 10
true, and the governor has either vii
fully or gnumntly said IL. As Il sat
s document, that record at reasons
4. with the above coneiu sion of the y ~
eruor, based rs we have shown on
d such Wholesale tabricalians, is uu
I worthy The cldef eXec0tiveo OF the stait
He could not sly anything agains
y. the management 10y the board q
r. managers aud could only hatch up
" little outside issue with which he ha,
n. no more - do legally than the cZ ar q