The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-03

INTERVIEWING AN EX-EMPLOYE.
Using Public Charity to Reward Party
Services.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
MARTINsvILLE, July 2As the recent arti-
c1es in the Journal criticising the management
of the Indiana Hospital for the Insane by DR..
Harrison and his board of trustees have awak-
ened an interest in that institution among the
people of the State, Your correspondent to-day
= visited an ex-employe of the hospital, who has
kindly furnished additional and corroborative
testimony. The gentleman for over five years
held very important place at the hospital, and
but recently resigned to take a more lucrative
position He is therefore not discharged
employee" but gentleman of standing hon
esty and truthfulness. In substance, this man
said:
"Dr. Mcclure, one of the physicians Of the
institution, is kept in position as payment for a
political debt. His father is State senator and
was chairman of the committee on benevolent
institutions In that capacity he prevented an
Investigation of the hospital. DR.. Mcclure has
been in the hospital for eighteen twenty
months, and it is we'll known to his associates.
and to attendants and patients as well, that his
sonvivial habits, which have become chronic,
have rendered him almost useless in the
position he holds An article in the
Cincinnati Enquirer of about Jan. %
S-gi~ess episode at tho Bates House In Indianap
oils in which the Doctor figured. He has been
known to be absent from his duties for a week
Rt a time enjoying himself with other festive
spirits in the city-the reason of his absence be-
ing known to many in the hospital, where his
shortcomings were general topic OF conversa-
ton.
'1 wish to say word regarding j. s. Hall,
the book keeper His predecessor was M. l..
Stansberry, who is we'll known as a first-class
book keeper and accountant Hall took posses
sion of the books about two years ago The
board soon found that he was incompetent, and
u man was brought from Huntington to do his
myn~1r ,ok Hall co. ;c, lo
does not and cannot do. He is meddlesome
man and tale bearer and tnttler his numerous
stories keeping the institution in ferment He,
too. is kept in position to pay debt for personal
political services.
''The board of trustees are recognized as in
capable by all who come in contact with them.
At their last meeting they discharged good me-
} chanics, giving written order that their serv-
ices were no longer. needed on account OF
lack of work and a scarcity of
funds. This was false on its face as the build
ings destroyed by fire were badly needed, and
the Legislature had appropriated money for
their repair. The force of mechanics should
have been increased, instead of being cut down
as the work was going On satisfactorily This is
q fair sample of the management of DR.. Harri-
Eon throughout 1t is at the spiggot and
waste at the bung-hoe. Skilled mechanics who
were badly needed, were discharged, and political
dead-beats retained on high salaries | should
not fail to say that these discharges were all
made IN DR.. Fletcher's absence. He was op-
posed to the removals. and expressed himself
strongly upon what had been done whom he
returned home, but was forced to acQuiesce "a
the board has supreme control. In addition to
being hospital for the insane it is a hospital
for broken down political hacks and dead beats,
who are incompetent to fill the places they hold,
but are thus paid by the States money for serv-
ices rendered to this or that magnate There
are many competent and Industrious EMPLOYEES
but there would be more-they would all be %
were it not for the Harrison system af rewards.