The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-16
INVESTIGATING DIR. WiSHARD.
The Council Committee Renews It's Work,
and Takes Additional Testimony.

| The Wishard investigation, after an interval
| OF two weeks, was resumed last night, with
Councilman Newcomb and Gallagher present.
| The general specifications of charges which had
never been signed, though purporting to come
frsm DR.. Ridpath, was called up by Dr. Wishard
to have the omission of signature supplied. This
was done by DR.. Ridpath. The first witness of
the evening, George White, laborer, said he
was at the City Hospital as patient three
months and four days, fast fall He went out
the day of the presidential election. DR.. Nor
row was the physician, but DR.. Wishard exam
ined him twice while there He could not say
he saw Wishard with the physicians in their reg
ular rounds. He might have gone with them,
but at times he saw Wishard in the
wards. Sometimes he Witness would be
asleep when these visits were made.
| at other times awake. He was one
of the patients moved into the new ward. It
was FINISHED, except the ioists above and the
| the doors. were unhung. He heard some patients
| lying near the doors complain of the cold He
did not suffer much. The first evening the
patients were not crowded, but afterward they
came so fast that the ward was full Last
winter the patients ate in the hall. He thought
the place was intended for dining room, but he
heard patients complain of the cold. He himself
thought it better than the dining room in the old
frame building, in which they ate when he was a
patient there three years before. This last
answer was on cross examination He further
| said when they were moved into the new ward
| there were two CRATES and stove in it. The
continuation of this testimony offered no mate
rial force in support of the charges that patterns
| were subjected to discomforts through crowding
| and exposure.
| Maria Yeager in response to DR.. Ridpath said
| that while she was patient at the hospital,
| from the last winter month until june
DIR. Wishard never visited her. She never
saw him go around with the doctor in charge of
| the ward. Fannie Singleton told him that while
| Dr. Morrow was away DR.. Wishard did not call
| upon her. Fannie said: ~ believe DR. Wishard
would let one die before he would put himself
| to any trouble. | was sick one day, and sent for
him early in the morning. He did not come I'M
| til 4 o'clock in the afternoon" The witness
however could not tell whether DIR. Wishard was
at the hospital when Fannie sent for him.
Morris Jansen, Intercepted by DR.. Ridpath,
testified to his not seeing DR.. Wishard in the
wards on the regular rounds Of the physicians
The defendant did not regard the testimony of
such Importance as to call for cross examination.
Mrs. Fannie Williams came next. She has lived
| In this city seventeen years. She had a son.
sumption at the hospital. He went there in the
winter of 1880, and remained eleven weeks He
took with him very large blanket to lay over
his feet. box of saddler's tools, $40
suit of clothes, half-dozen silver
spoons mustache-cup, and some knick -knacks.
The hospital authorities would not let him have
these things, but he never brought any of them
away except few trifiDg articles. He found
his mustachec CUP and silver spoons in the din
ing-room, but when he asked for them they said
he did not bring them to the hospital. The box
was found. 1t had his name. Charles Bone, on
the lid. Dr. Wishard told him that he thought
the man who brought the box was dead. The
janitor told him the box and blanket we're taken
to the store room Cross-examined, she said she
did not see her until he left the hospital. He
| then told her about the things. She asked Mr..
Bryce to ask for the articles. She expected he
would attend to it, but she never went to DR..
Wishard himself
Mary Addison was at the City Hospital from
the month of March until the middle of May,
1884. DR. Wishard never visited her at all, or
asked her how she was as long as
the patients On cross-examination she
| held generally to her previous statements but
| question from DIR. Wishard brought out the fact
of want of knowledge as to the building she was
| in. She called it the old building. in which DIR.
| Wishard said there had been no obstetrlcal ward
| for twelve years She designated the building
as one in which the superintendents offices and
| one DR.. Wishard referred
| Minnie Hill came out of the hospital on the
| LIST of April. The questions asked her were the
same as those which previous witnesses answered.
Her testimony developed no new point except
that she did know the building or the ward she
was in. Mary Burk came next before the board.
A year ago last July she went to the hospital
and remained there eleven weeks During her
illness DR.. Wlshard saw her twice. He did not
seem to have any particular interest in her or
any other patient. For eleven days after her
child was born she was very sick She told DR..
Wishard that he was with her in her confne-
| ment, and visited her twice after, while she was
at her worst
James Higgison was the 28th day of April,
this year, patient at the hospital in the surg-
cal ward. He remained four months. DR.. Wish
ard visited him three or four times The rest of
| his testimony differed in nothing from that of
| others who had been called. He told DR.. Wish
| ard that he treated him when he entered the
| hospital. 1t was his impression DR.. Ridpath as
| sisted at the time. He did not think DR.. Wish
| ard dressed his foot a dozen times On Penpsyl-
that he did not have any interest in the investi-
| cation, but he afterwards changed his mind He
| testified without the solicitation of DR.. Ridpath
| DR.. Ridpath said that he thought sufficient
| testimony had been presented to show general
mismanagement of the hospital, and neglect of
| patients. He would like, however to have the
| board summon employees at the hospital to tes-
| tify DR.. Wishard replied that ne intended to
| call number of employees for the defense. 1t
was suggested that if DR.. Ridpath had no other
| witnesses but the employees he could begin at
| once his testimony. To this he objected
| He was not ready to testify, as he wished to
come in last. The investigation will be contn-
ued this evening at the hospital