The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-18
AGAINST Mr.. KIEFFER.
DIR. OWES CHARGE BEFORE THE
COMMISSIONERS SUSTAINED.

The Investigation of Mr.. Kieffer's
Refusal to Fill a County Prescription
by Commissioners Read and Dorse tt
Mr. Kieffer to : ppeal to the Full
Board-Some Lively Talk at the In
vestigation.
The subcommittee appointed by the
county commissioners and consisting of DIR.
j. B. Read and Chas II. Dorsett, took up
the charge yesterday afternoon, preferred
by DR.. w. W. Ovens against Z. J. Kieffer
county druggist. The charge was that Mr..
Kielfer had refused to put up prescription
on a county blank aud regularly signed by
Or. Owens as a practicing physician. The
committee sustained the charge.
The charge was read before the COM
mittee and Mr. Kieffer admitted that
he had declined TO fill the prescrip-
ton. DR.. Owens made a statement
that he had given Adam Floyd, (colored),
aged IS, occupation field hand, living on the
Ogeechee road, prescription on one of
the countys blanks, as Floyd had
no money to pay for medicine. Mr.. Kietfer
was asked if he had any statement to make
and when he began to detail the interview
he had with DR.. Owens, DR.. Read stopped
nun, saying IDdL II WAS DOb TeleFaNU.
Once or twice he attempted to explain why
he had refused, but DR.. Read would not
permit him to proceed, ruling against it as
irrelevant. Dr. Read held that Mr.. kieffer
had no right under Rule 3, "fOr tie guild
ance of the contractor in supplying free
medicines to the poor of Chatham county"
to refuse to fill any prescription whatever;
that he had no option in the matter, but
could only proceed under rule 4.
WILL APPEAL TO THE BOARD.
To this ruling Mr.. Kieffer strenuously
objected, and said that it was doing him
great injustice to so rule. He claimed that
Rule provided for refusing to put up a
prescription where he had a reason to be-
leve that the party was not in the class of
''indigent poor" He notified the sub COM
mittee that he would prefer charges against
DIR. Owens; that the man Floyd was field
hand on the Owens place, who had cut his
finger with a reap hook while at work, and,
being field hand, and an able-bodied man,
he could afford to pay for an article that
would cost but 10 cents at any drug store.
This, he says, he will prove, and, turning
to DR.. Owens, he said, Il hope you will be
here when the charge Is Preferred DIR.
Owens replied that he was ready
at any time to so into the iuvesti-
cation Some rather positive contradic-
tons passed between Messrs. Kieffer and
Owens, Mr.. Kieffer saying in his statement
that DR.. Owens had been very abrupt and
had ordered the prescription filled, saying it
was Dr. Reads order. Mr. Kieffer said: 81
replied that did not care any more for DR..
Reads order than any one else's. 1t is my
duty under my contract to see that the
county is not put to the expense of furnish
ing medicines to ablebodied people, DR.
Owens denied that he had told Mr. Kieffer
that it was DR.. Reads order. and Mr.
kieffer denied DR.. Owens statement that
he had said that he would see that a refas..t
to fill DR.. Owens prescriptions should not
occur again.
THE COMMITTEES REPORT.
The committee having construed Rule 3
unfavorably to Mr.. Kleffer, Endorsed on the
back of DIR. Owens charge, that they find
it well founded, and in that shape it will go
before the county commissioners.
Mr.. Kieffer says that he proposes to APP
peal to the board. He says that he has
taken legal advice, and his attorney tells
him that his construction of Rule is cor
rect, and that DIR. Reads construction is
wrong. He says that he will continue to
work under Rule 3 as he constructs it until
the county commissioners advise him to the
contrary
The author of the rules informed a MORN
ING News reporter that Mr. Kieffer's con-
struction of rule is in harmony with the
original intention of its operative force.
Mr.. Kieffer says that he will be able to
prove that Floyd boosted that his medi-
cines never cost him anything as DR.. Owens
always furnished him prescription. The
rules referred to are given below, as on the
phraseology Of them big contest is likely
to C me up before the commissioners, and
probably in the courts:
RULE O.
None but the INDECENT poor living In
the above described territory will be supplied
with free medicines at the expense Of the
county; and all persons owning property or
otherwise able to procure medicine either by
purchase or on credit, shall be excluded from
these benefits.
RULE 3.
None but regular practcing physicians shall
be permitted to order prescriptions chargeabie
TO this contract, and no prescription signed by
any physician who receives q fee from patient
knows of his or her ability TO pay for the
same, shall be filled under this contract All
prescriptions shall be on the blanks furnished
by the county.
RULE f.
Should 1t come to the knowledge of the CON
tractor that any person has been improp .rly
supplied with free medicines, it shall be his
duty to report the same to the commissioners
at One, giving the names of physician, pa
tient, etc.
A CHARMING WEDDING