The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-25
IN DEFENSE OF DIR. WISHARD
Evidence Tending to Show that There
Was a Conspiracy Against Him.
The superintendent Professional Brethren
Testify to His Efficiency-Some In
teresting Points ELECTED.

The charges of DR.. Ridpath against Superin-
tendent Wishard. of the hospital, which cover
neglect of patients. bad management, and the
like, have been thoroughly covered by the numer-
oas witnesses for the prosecution and defense. At
the investigation last night, with Chairman New
comb, OF the board. present, there was some relief
promised from this run of testimony when
John r. Pearson came to the stand. He said
he was present at a caucus of councilmen, on
Sept 16, on Market street. At this meeting
were Mr.. Thalman, Mr.. Reese, Mr.. Spahr, Mr..
Smithers and, he thought. Mr.. Reynolds.
Drs Ridpath and Morrow were also
there. At a second meeting members of
both political parties were present. DIR. Rid
path, previous to the first meeting, presented
these charges TO Mr.. Pearson, who said that be-
fore anything was done he desired to have a
meeting of certain councilmen. Witness
chose some and DIR. Ridpath others.
The first time he met DR..
Riopath he asked him if any
physicians had anything to do with it, saying, if
no. he would not touch the charges, as he had
gone through several investigations managed by
physicians. He further told the Doctor that the
charges must stand Upon their merits.
Doctor Ridpath pledged his word
Chat he and Doctor Morrow alone
were responsible. At the meeting referred to
no made the same pledge, and again when
asked directly if DIR. Eastman had an interest in
The charges. Friday evening, Sept. IL. another
meeting occurred, at which Mr.. Thalman
claimed he had positive assurance that
this was the old Eastman fight.
source, and Mr.. Pearson remarked that this
question must be settled then and there. Mr..
Thalman replied that he could get his informant
there within a few minutes. After awhile, Dr.
Wishard came in and supported Mr.. Thalmans
statement. The witness said that at that meet
ing DIR. Wishard confronted DR.. Ridpath with
evidence of his having been at Dr. East
mans Office on a certain Sunday AFTERNOON.
when a list of the physicians interested in the
charges was made out. DR.. Ridpath then &C
knowledeed that he had been at Eastmans
ofice-this in the face OF previous denials. Rid
path also stated that he had never read the
charges to any doctor, but Mr.. Pearson gave In
evidence that the Doctor had said he read
them to DR.. Long. The witness said that after
the meeting adjourned, he heard DR.. Ridpath
tell Miles Reynolds that DR.. Eastman had said
ne had $4,000 to spend in this investigation
Morrow and Ridpath, and Mr.. Reynolds
were going from the meeting. Mr.. Pearson
said that when he found that he had been de-
ceived, he threw down the papers in the meeting
referred to, and declared ne would have nothing
" ao Will ttOLl LIZ 0oui0 apoioE w ~
Wishard, as he felt satisfied it was nothing more
than "a renewal of the Eastman fight. The wit
ness declared before the committee
that after his experience with DR.. Ridpath he
would not believe him under oath. On cross
examination Mr.. Pearson told Doctor Ridpath
that the latter said he did not want personal
friends at the meetings of councilmen to re-
view these charges. The Doctor remarked that
ne n did not want Mr.. Neweomb, or
Mr. Spahr. He was willing to have Mr.. Doyle
present, for he knew him to be a friend. Doctor
Riupath did not want the charges referred to the
hospital board, because he regarded Newcomb
and Gallahue AS particularly friendly TO Doctor
Wishard. The witness and Doctor Ridpath then
entered upon some differences concerning
incidents and premises in their several
meetings. After the first caucus Mr.. Pearson
acknowledged that he promised to present the
charges in Council ard make a twenty minutes
speech on them. but when he discovered the de-
ceptlon that had been ~practiced by DIR. Rid
path, and it appeared conclusively to him DR..
Eastman was connected with the case, he de-
clined TO proceed any further in the matter.
He advocated then a reference Of the charges to
the hospital board, because DR.. Eastman had,
Ia his own case, a year ago, written to the
mayor, presiding in Council, a request to have
The note of DR.. Eastman was shown.
This act made the witness suspi-
cious of anything. proposed, supported, in
dorsed or assisted by DR.. Eastman. The
kAAG0 III tndt no WdO dtlShCu " LII.
Wishard's proof at the caucus that DIR. Eastman
had something to do with the charges, because
DIR. Ridpath had denied being at Eastman's,
when he was compelled to acknowledge his
presence there at the time stated, and also from
other denials of Ridpath. which were proved
otherwise by his own Acknowledgements
In answer to redirect questioning, the wit
ness said the charge relating to a nurse being in
DIR. Wishards room first had the time three
quarters of an hour, but when the charge was
read again at the meeting. the time had been
doubled-an hour and q half. The witness
asked DR.. Ridpath why the time had been
changed. The Doctor made some remark of an
evasive character. The witness told him to be
careful in this. as it vas a dangerous matter to
bring a woman into this connection. He also
said to him that if the woman was a sister of the
witness, and Ridpath could not prove the charge,
he would kill him.
for Friendless Women. was called, and testified
that she knew Helen, or Susie. Mccormack. She
came To the witnesses institution in a bad phys
ical condition. She believed she was a story
teller, and she would give no statement of hers
any credence. Miss Mccormack has been at the
Home occasionally since her first presence there.
which continued four or five weeks.
Alexander kirkman. colored, a hostler for
County Commissioner Ostermeyer, gave in evil
denee that he was acquainted with Helen Nc
Cormaek. On one occasion, not long
ago, he met her in a street.
car on West Washington street. She
said that she was married and lived in Chicago,
but she came down to Indianapolis to helpsout
DIR. Ridpath, who had been discharged from the
hospital. When she got through with that she
would return home
Miss Charlotte Dell, of 1913 West Sixth street,
colored, testified that she knew Helen McCor-
mack, who worked as a servant for w. r.
Wight, directly opposite. She often called on
the witness, and once told her that when she
was sick at the hospital she would have
died If it had not been for DR.. Wishard.
Helen always spoke of Wishard as a physician,
but talked OF DR.. Ridpath as a lover. Once Hell
an left her hastily, saying: Il must 90 home and
dress for l expect DR.. Ridpath to call" The
witness once mailed a letter to DIR. Ridpath,
written by Miss Mccormack, and which the
writer read to her. She thought it was a love
letter. The witness, In crossexamination, said
she never saw the Doctor and Helen together,
and did not know ANYTHING of their relations ex-