St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-12
BOWERS TESTIMONY.
The Investigating Committee
Begins Its Work at the
Rochester, Asylum.
Several Witnesses We're Ex-
amined, but Nothing New
Developed.
DR.. Bowers Welcomes the
Committee, and Is Repre-
sented by Counsel.

Committee, and Is Repre-
sented by Counsel.
The Grand Jury Is Expected
to Make a Final Report
To-Day.
Special to the Globe.
ROCHESTER,, June 1.-THE committee
appointed by the governor to investigate
the Taylor Combs case, together with
Attorney General Clapp and Secretary
Hart. arrived last night and commenced
the work OF investigation in the parlors
at the asylum shortly after 10 o'clock
this morning. j. F. Devlin, of st. Paul,
was sworn in as official reporter. w. c.
WilliStOn acted as chairman. All men,
bers of the committee Joined freely III
the questioning. but Attorney General
Clapp principally conducted the exam
ination. Besides the attorneys and re-
pOrterS. but few spectators were pres
ent. DR.. Bowers and the entire medical
staff, Drs. Phelps, COminS and Randall.
and Mr.. Kerr. steward, were examined
to-day, but nothing materially new was
brought out. The testimony of these
gentlemen was mainly reiteratiOns of
their former statements. DR.. Bowers
was the first witness called. Be-
fore being sworn, he made a
few brief remarks, welcoming the
committee, saying that, although he
could not say that he was glad to see
the gentlemen there, yet, in some re-
spects. he was glad, and would do all
he could to aid them in a thorough in
vestigation of the matter which they
had come to examine into, adding that
he had retained F. B. Kellogg as an at
torney, not, however, because he con-
sidered he had done anything criminal
or that an attorney would be practically
necessary, but as he was ignorant as
to how far the investigation might be
carried, perhaps his services might be
needed. The entire morning session
was occupied in taking the testimony of
DR.. Bowers. Every particular in which
he was connected with the Combs mur-
der was gone into. The case book
was the first evidence produced, and
Combs history from the time of
his entering the asylum until his death
was read by the doctor. it appearing
that he had always been in good bodily
health, but occasionally violent. The
doctor next read the entries he had
made in his
PRIVATE JOURNAL, 4a'
OH April l, 2 and 4, stating the steps
taken on those days, which are already
well known. After the reading of these
books to the commission the doctor was
asked to tell what he knew of the muir
der of Taylor Combs, and the Oft-told
it being 1890, an adjournment was
taken until p. M, when the eXamina-
ton of the doctor was continued. In
regard to matters concerning the two
months delay in presenting the affair
he stated that when Date told his story,
and he had come to the conclusion that
Combs had been murdered he called
the men to his Office, repremanded and
discharged them, telling them that they
could be severally punished, for they
had brutally abused Taylor Combs,
and had told him falsehoods
in regard to it; that he did
not want to see their faces again; that
they had disgraced both themselves and
the institution, and the farther they got
away from it the better. When asked
why he did not report at the meeting of
the board of trustees OH May 2, the doc
tor said:
In my written report which I submitted to
them 1 stated that Taylor Combs had died of
a fracture of the sternum and internal
hemorrhages, expecting that the board
would probably notice it and inquire about
it, and it was my intention to verbally in
form them OF it anyway, but hesitated and
was reluctant because of the SANDER and
what seemed to me insufficient evi-
dence to convict these men; then, the boy
John Date, being the only witness; ana was
institution, to make public a matter which 1
knew would put so much scandal and odium
upon it; which would cause people and,
particularly. the friends of patients, to lose
confidence in it, but now am convinced it
would have been better if had.
The doctor was then examined as to
matter relative to the management of
the asylum. The duties, characters and
pay of attendants were first examined
into. The doctor stated that when an
attendant was employed the rdles which
it was expected he should observe were
told him, both by himself and the
superintendent. They were told
that they should always remember
and would frequently be trying
and vexatious, but as insanity implied
irresponsibility they must ever forbear
and not abuse them. The duties of at
tendant on the wards was fully ex-
planned by the doctor at the request of
the commission. and also the manner in
which he selected attendants from the
numerous applications, but owing to
the inadequacy of the wages he could
satisfactory. The manner of pay
up and explained, the maximum among
the men being s25, minimum, slS;
ladies' maximum, SIG; minimum, 10;
and no discrimination was made as to
the nature of the work performed or to
ability or merit, but simply as to how
long the attendant had BEEN employed.
The attendants were mostly from the
farming community and had no pre-
vious training for the work. The duties
of the watchmen and supervisors were
also explained. All letters and papers
relative to Taylor Combs in DR.. Bow
ers' possession was
PUT IN EVIDENCE,
Dr. Collins was the next witness
examined. He has been first assistant
at the hospital for the last four yerrs,
and has charge of the east wing of the
building, in which the murder occurred.
In his testimony there was nothing
new. Second Assistant Physician DIR.
r. M. Phelps was next called. He
has charge of the ladies' department
and has been at the asylum since