The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-10-05
A SAD CASE.
Rev. X. +. Sweet, Of this CITY. Asks
Investigation OF ST. Luke's Hos.
pital, Chicago, on Account
OF His Mothers
Death.

Late in the month of July last the Rev
r. +. Sweet. Of the Episcopal church at
Rock Island. went To Boston and returned
west with his mother. au aged lady n
years of age. Leaving Syracuse, N. Y g..
Mrs. Sweet was Frustrated by an at
tack of apoplexy. On the recommends
ton nf n physician the sufferer was
brought through to Chicago. as the shock
Of removal from the train might prove
fatal. Arriving here, Mr.. Sweet having
once been trustee of st. Lukes hos
pital, placed his mother in that
institution, where. 1t is said, her
case was stated to be favorable
to recovery. Two weeks later, however.
pv1mia set in, and four weeks ago last
Tuesday death ensued. Mr.. Sweet claims
that his mothers disease was the result
of neglect while at the hospital. and in
this view he is upheld by his sister, Mrs.
Fols ON. of No. Ills Forty>fiIst street,
this city Under this belief Mr.. Sweet
demands an investigation of the hospital
authorities by the board of trustees, and
il is said he has further contemplated a
criminal prosecution.
DR.. Johnson, the house physician at
the hospital. emphatically denies Mr..
Sweets view of the sad case, claiming
that the management of the institution in
question is unimpe achable, and that the
death of the aged lady was from apps
plexy, and could not have been avcrted.
Chicago Inter- Ocean.
The following letter. written by the
hospital authorities to the Tribune, is self
explanatory:
CHICAGO, Oct. Editor OF ihe Trtb-
buns:-Wili you kindly allow me the use
Of your columns to correct a statement
made IN them about St. Luke's hospital
and the case Of the mother of the Rev II.
f. SweetY 1t il stated there that Mr..
Sweet says tried to hush the matter up
by referring 1t to the medical board.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The facts as far as | am concerned are
simply these: Early in September Mr..
Sweet wrote me, saying that he had
charges to make against the nursing and
management of his mothers case, and
wished them Investigated. l replied that
would summon together the medical
board Gas that was the body responsible
for the nursing) and he could come be-
fore them. He replied that he thought
the board Of trustees the proper persons
to investigate. but that he would consent
to appear before the medical board, re-
serving the right to go eventually before
the board of trustees. The medical board
was then summoned and Mr.. Sweet no:i>
fed. The day came for the investigation.
Mr.. Sweet called on me and said that he
had decided that he would not 60 before
the medical board. but only before the
board Of trustees. Very we'll, said, The
trustees shall he summoned rs soon as
practicable. will have notary public
there, so that witnesses can take the jus
dlcial oath you ask, and l will have you
notified in time. This seemed to satisfy
him, and am now arranging for. that
meeting. do not think my action looks
like hushing anything up. though ! still
think that when the medical board are
responsible for the nursing. complaints
against that nursing ought to come before
them. I land all the other officials of the
hospital court inquiry In this matter, and
we owe IL to ourselves that the investiga-
ton shall be thorough.
CLINTON LOCKE.
President of St. Lukes Hospital,