The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-17
In DIR. WISHARD'S DEFENSE.
The Superintendent Begins Introducing
Testimony in His Own Behalf.
The Burial of the Babes Explained BY the
Man Who Buried Them-The Evil
dence Of Subordinates.

night at the City Hospital John Dotson. an
employe who had been sick one week with
rheumatism, last February and is said to have
been neglected by the superintendent testified
that when his sickness began DR.. Wishard was
out of the city. When he returned he treated
Dotscn calling upon him the first morning of
his return. He said he did not send Mrs Mar
shall for Wishard, and, while he could not say
of his own knowledge that the superintendent
was out of the city, he was certain that such
was the case. Dr. Wshard told him to take
bath, not DR.. Ridpath. and the rest of his testi-
mony relating to treatment gave tho credit to
the former. The dning-room in the hail. to
which much objection has been put forth by
the prosecution, Dotson said was heated by
stove-that it was comfortable. AS orderly,
which he became after serving for some time as
janitor, it was his duty to clean out the dead
house, but he never saw there bodies in a state
of decomposition. AS to burying two bodies
behind the barn, he explained by saying
that DR.. Wishard told him to take a still birth
that had lain for day two and bury it. He
misunderstood the Doctor, and buried the still
birth and the body of another child. When no
informed the Doctor of what he had done, Wish
births not both" 1t was not the custom to
bury the babies at the hospital. AS orderly, he
was under instructions of nurses as well as the
doctors. A statement only of Importance to
show how an act usually performed in the man
ner witness described it had been used to perfect
charge of inhumanity followed. It related to
the contents of a which witness said did not
contain the body of an infant. Here Dotson
and DR.. Ridpath locked horns as to former
statement of witness bearing this question.
Dotson said that he was compelled by Dr. Rid
path to make the first statement DR.. Ridpath,
as witness characterized it. on that occasion did
all the talking and a man named w. A Foster
| did the writing, he. Dotson. having nothing to
do with it. On ss-examinaton by Dr. Wish
| ard witness said the babies buried behind the
| barn, when he discovered the mistake he had
| made, were exhumed and reburied by the I'M
| dertaker. In reference to DR.. Ridpath securing
| the first statement from him. Dotson said ne
| was taken to Fosters Office the
| ner of Market and Delaware streets. The
Office is above that of Dr. Sutlfe, into which
| room DR.. Ridpath went on the way up stairs to
| Foster, telling Dotson to wait outside. Ridpath
| came out in minute or two and asked him if
| he, witness, could not meet him at 8 o'clock.
Witness told him he could. When they met in
Fosters office, Ridpath told Foster what to
write and Dotson signed it without knowing the
| full Importance Of his signature and oath. He
also said Ridpath often played cards with him
and tried to get him to show discomfort with
his surroundings. telling him he ought to have
higher wages and receive better treatment
Witness could not read or write. While ne was
sick he had no cause to complain of neglect, and
during the year he had been in the hospital
never knew of Dr. Wshard being neglectful of
employees Dotson said he asked Dr. Rdpath to
| return him the paper written in Fosters Office,
but the Doctor told him he did not have it.
THAT is the paper DR.. Ridpath has in his
hands| asked Superintendent Wishard.
''Yes"
1T is yours is it notl"
you would like to have him return it to YOUR
DR.. Ridpath paid no attention to the request
thus made. After one or two immaterial ques-
tons. w. A Foster, attorney atlaw, was called.
He said Dotson as rule, made the statement
shown to witness on his motion. There was no
compusion used by either DR.. Ridpath or him
self, as far as he knew Dotson was cautioned
not to tell anything that Was not true. Dotson
said he knew the nature of an oath. Cross-ex-
amined, Mr. Foster said the language of the
affidavit was his, but when he had written
| paragraph it was read to Dotson Any questions
as to what had passed between him and Dr.
| Ridpath looking to charges being preferred
| against DR.. Wishard he would refuse to answer,
as he was the Doctors attorney: but he would
willingly respond to any bearing on the affidavit
| of Dotson. He had had general conversations
| with DR.. Eastman his brother-in-law, relative
| to this investigation, but the nature of them he
refused to describe: DR.. Ridpath was discharged
| from the hospital Sept. /. but the witness
could not say that he was employed
! as an attorney by him before that time
or not; but the affidavit was made
in the latter part of August and it might be said
| he acted AS attorney for the Doctor then He
could not recall any conversations in regard to
| this matter with DR.. Eastman about that time.
| 1t is possible he talked with him then. He
| never heard DR.. Ridpath say that ne intended to
have DR.. Wlshard's official scalp. or that he Rid
| dooy for To Nv iGpot !, yho
witness announced that it was his opinion DR..
Eastmans suggestions were listened to less than
| those Of any other man. for as Dr. Morrow had
said they might interfere with their plans, as it
| would be charged it was DR.. Eastmans fight
| over again. All that he knew in regard to DR..
! Eastman's suggestions in this case he learned
from the conversations between Drs Ridpath
and Morrow, who cid not wish to follow them.
| The witness had had great many conversations
with DR.. Eastman about the charges in this in
vestigation but he could not remember what he
said. except that if the charges were true DR..
| Wishard ought to be removed. This was in
| swer to DR.. Wishards questioning. He had
heard Drs. Comingor, Wands and others ex-
| press similar opinions. He heard DR.. Comingor
say this in Mr. Duncan's Office in the presence of
DR.. Ridpath. Prof. Ridpath and DIR. Sutclife
were also present at this interview.
Chairman Newcomb said to DR.. Ridpath that,
| as to the hall being used as dinine-room last
winter. the hospital beard was responsible, not
| DR.. Wisbard. 1t was matter of necessity, and
! ne ala not tnlnK IL worm Wnlle TO use Iurtner
! time in that examination. Dr. Wshard said to
expediate matters he would admit the dining
room feature of the investigation. so far as the
| hall complained Of was used for that purpose.
! Mary Reichart, the next witness, said she was
| acquainted with John Dotson, and for several
days before he went to bed he was seriously sick,
! and very sick after that 1t matter of com
| mept about the hospital. Mrs MacNaughn Miss
| Myers and Mrs. Marshall noticed his sickness,
but did not know that either of them went for
| DR.. Wishard. In relation to Lizzie Heckman's
! sickness, Dr. Wishard was sent for and came.
| She did not know how much time passed be-
tween the essage and when the Doctor came.
| She testified as to the rule in regard to employees
having no fire in the daytime in their rooms.
| DR.. Wishard told witness be could not let her
| have fire because others would ask for the
same privilege She only knew that Dotson was