St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-07
Three Other Prominent OFF,
cials Are Laid OFF for
a Time.
Persons Desiring to Prefer
Charges Must Make Them
by June rs.
Beckman and Peterson In
dicted for the Murder Of
Taylor Combs.

There is no miStaking the action Of
the authorities Yesterday in regard to
the administration of Rochester asylum.
DR.. Bowers, superintendent; DR.. COL
Inns, first assistant physician; Rev. A.
II. Kerr. steward. and j. Howe, male
supervisor, nave been suspended by the
board of trustees, and Gov. Merriam
has appointed committee to investi-
gate the murder of Combs and the man
agement of the hospital. The board of
trustees assembled yesterday morning
in Room 4 of the Merchants. Lieut..
GOV. Barto was in attendance, making
up the complement of the board. The
proceedings were again private. Two
officials of the hospital were called be-
fore the board. Steward Kerr was first
to make his appearance, and his story
was identical to the one told by DR..
Bowers. DR.. Phelps could furnish no
details. He is the physician of the
''female side," and acknowledged that be
knew nothing of the murder until
he saw it published IN the newspapers.
DR.. Phelps occupied but brief period
before the board, the trustees being con-
vinced that he was entirely free from
any suspicion of cOnniving to keep the
murder secret. When these two gen.
tlemen had given their testimony, the
trustees reviewed the whole question.
whitewash DR.. Bowers was quickly
secuted; there must be no shirk-
ing the great responsibility which
devolved upon them. All the
trustees reiterated their confidence in
the professional abilities of DR.. Bowers,
but there was not one who could over
look his dereliction of duty in withhold
ing the murder of Combs from the
board. Gov. Barto made very strong
speech, demanding rigorous action. 1t
was absolutely necessary that the man
agement of an asylum, like C@sar's
wife, should be above suspicion. It
was their duty to see to this; there
must be no half-hearued attempts
to clear up the present dark,
grave and unexampled condition
of affairs. Maj. Strait was equally out
spoken-indeed, the whole board ap-
peared anxious to prosecute an inquiry
to which there should be no limit Of
power. To attain this end it was evil
dent that the officials inculpated in the
circumstances attending the murder of
Combs should be relieved from duty. A
more complete investigation could then
be instituted. Judge Tyler therefore
proposed:
Whereas, Some members of the board of
trustees of the Minnesota hospitals tor the
insane received information on June 8,
1889, that Taylor Combs. patient of the
second hospital at Rochester. on the 1st day
of April, 1889, was killed by attendants in
said Institution, and also learned that the
facts connected with his violent death were
on ho nf 1890 Ey,0y fo I fbo
medical superintendent and certain other
officers of said hospital and never disclosed
to this board, or to the proper legal authori-
ties; and
Whereas. Said information has this day
been communicated to this board; therefore,
be it
Resolved. By said board of trustees, that it
is with extreme surprise and regret that we
learn of the concealment by said officers of so
grave a matter, both from the proper legal
authorities and from this board, to whom it
was their imperative duty to have imme-
diately reported it; therefore,
Resolved, That DR.. j. E. Bowers, superin-
tendent of said second hospital, be, and is
hereby suspended and relieved from duty.
Resolved, That copy of this preamble
and resolution be Immediately transmitted to
the governor.
The resolutions were unanimously
indOrSed, as was a second resolution,
which follows as natural sequence to
the first:
Resolved, That DR.. Homer Collins, first
assistant physician; A. Fl. Kerr, steward, and
j. Howe, male supervisor of the second hos
pital at Rochester, be aud they are hereby
suspended and relieved from duty until
further notice.
Maj. Strait subsequently explained
that these officials were suspended
merely to expedite any investigation
into the management of the asylum, as
more outspoken testimony could be
secured from attendants and employees.
The board of trustees have merely the
power to suspend DIR. Bowers, though
with subordinates they have full Juris-
diction. The law reads: "The said
trustees shall fix all salaries
not otherwise determined by law,
and may, on their own pleasure, remove
all officers except the superintendent,
who may be suspended by the said
board of trustees until he can have a
hearing before the governor of the
state; and after such hearing he. the
said superintendent, may be removed
from office by the governor
consent of the board of trustees"
Hon. John Meagher explained that
Dove, who has not hitherto been men-
toned in connection with the murder
scandal, was the supervisor of the male
the attendants and, in the opinion of
the board, he ought to have exercised
more rigid control of Beckmen and
Peterson, the alleged murderers. At
all events, he should, if he did not, have
ascertained the true cause of Combs
death.
He was. therefore, suspended pending
further inquiries. In the meantime
the superintendency of the asylum
devolves upon DIR. A. F. Kilbourn,
second assistant physician at the st.
Peter asylum, and William Schimmel,
of st. Peter, treasurer of the board,
was instructed to receive all moneys in
the hands of Steward Kerr. Itwas also
agreed that the medical staff of each of
the hospitals, at st. Peter and Roches-
ter, should consist of four assistant
physicians. When the board had ac-
complished this they threw open the
d. doors to the the reporters; ..RSa Maj;
we have come to we are
ready to make known and take the pub
lie into our confidence. We have moth
ing to withhold An adjournment
was taken. the trustees being instructed
during the afternoon. Gov. Merriam
was engaged with Secretary Hart,
of the state board of corrections and
charities, when he was interrupted by
the appearance of Messrs. H, B. Strait,
Shakopee; A. L. Sackett, w. Schimmel.
st. Peter; j. F. Meagher. MankatO; Burr
Deuel., Dodge Center; A. BartO. Sauk
Center; Milton r. Tyler, st. Paul; G. D.
Wright, Fergus Falls, members of board