The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-08
DID NOT RESPOND READILY
Hospital Steward Hall, Worried by His
I~nterrOgatOrs, Gives vasiye Answers.
A Loose System of Book Keeping and an Enor-
nous Amount of Supplies Purchased-Ex-
Senator Browns Suggestive Letter.

probably make about half the report taken
by the stenOgrapher of the committee. His
testimony is not voluminous by reason of
its Importance, but his inability to give an
answer to the simplest question without
adding a train of rambling qualifications
and irrelevant digressions adds to the work
of the interrogation and stenographer with
out adequate return in the sought-for facts.
He declared, with considerable show of
feeling, that he had never received any
gifts of clothing from any one, and that
the several occasions in which DR.. Fletcher
had testified that he THE w~itnessl had been
in suspicious proximity to Sullivan at
times when bids were being opened, had
never taken place. Witness said he knew
nothing of any money being loaned to Sui
Ivan by Gapen until after the Meridian
Bank had refused to honor Gapen's checks.
How much butter" queried Mr.. Henry,
lis needed each day in the general kitchen
in charge of Mrs. Naughton?"
From fifty-six to sixty pounds" an
Swered the witness.
Then how do you account for this list of
issues of butter on successive days?" MIR.
Henry read: "'Sept. 4, 1888, 124 pounds: 5.
90 pounds; @, 14 pounds; z, 60 pounds; 8,
100 pounds, and so on during the entire
month, nearly half the issues grazing near
100 pounds, sometimes above. sometimes
slightly below
'sThose big i~ssues,n said the perturbed
steward, must be on Saturdays to last
over Sunday"
The questioner thought the explanations
little lame, as an average week seldom has
the list through the months of October and
November. He could not tell why so much
butter was issued. his only explanation be-
ing because it was ordered" The order
book OF Mrs. Naughton was the one
read from, comparison being made be-
tween it and the book kept by, the
stewards assistant. The latter book
showed the big issues. the NaughtOn book
the comparatively light demand. The book
for butter day after day to be about sixty
six pounds. Witness was asked how the
number of persons cooked for in the super
lntendents kitchen under DIR. Fletcher,
compared with the number under DR..
Galbraith, and answered the number is
nearly the same now as then.
Then how do you account for the fact
that there was issued to this kitchen i'll
June, 1886. unde DR.. Fletcher. thirty-one
pounds of coffee and in June, 1888, under
DR.. Galbraith, 200 pOundsl"
Witness Thoughtful was q mistake, but ON
being shown the figures made no attempt to
explain. Neither could he explain how it
month that DR.. Fletcher left the Hospital.
the amount of sugar issued to this same
kitchen, was ninety pounds and in Septem-
Der, 1885. $50 pounds. In October, 1887, the
sugar issued was ninety-three pounds and
in October, 1888, 423 pounds. In the first
named month, sixty-three pounds of butter
and in the last 206 pounds.
The questioning of Hall from this point
was keen and searching, and shows that
there is little or no systeminth the keeping of
nous expenditure of money. No intelligi-
BILE record is kept of the supplies issued to
the hospital departments from the store
room. h books merely show lump
amounts of supplies issued to each depart
ment, and no vouchers or orders are kept
by which the accuracy of the records can
be tested. One or two months money of
the yearly maintenance fund could each
year easily be diverted into the pockets of
a combination of contractors without much
fear of detection. Whether this inquiry
will develop the amount the State has lost
is not to be predicted with any degree of
accuracy, as the time of the committee is
too short to. make the investigation as
thorough as is necessary to get at bottom
facts.
Mr.. Hall. after a season of rest at noon.
was again placed upon the stand. The
book used by the storekeeper or steward,
but kept, as Mr.. Hall stated, by his assist
ant, Mr.. Hyde, was placed before him. Mr..
Hays, of the committee, called TO his notice
that nearly every page of this book bore
evidence of one or more erasures, on some
D1kCO 10 llnN 40 JOuls NhOoC dtnt
asked Mr.. Hays. pointing to one of these
changes, twas written here before Mrs. Gal
braith's name was placed there, and who
made the changer
lessly; 1.-The assistant keeps the book
But you are the steward; isn't it your
business to knOwa"
It's in Mr.. Hyde's handwriting
did you ever before observe that these
changes had been NADER
"NO sirU
"Can you tell" asked Mr.. Hays, pointing
to other evidences of changes, whose name
was there before Mrs. Aliens name was
writtenf Wasn't it the name Swartling?"
Il don't know"
Mr.. Conn, acting as chairman, asked who
was Mrs. Allen and what she did at the
hospital. The witness answered that she
was in the general kitchen, department for
was compared with that of the storekeeper,
and date for date they showed as follows
in the article of sugar: Mrs. Aliens book
July 2. one brl; 5th, n brl; 9TH, one brl;
18th, two brls; 18th, none; 14th, one brl;
bril-; oath, one bril-; 9th, one brl; 18th, none;
3Oth, one brl; total ten brls. Average
weight of a barrel of A sugar, $50 pounds,
or a total of $500 pounds of sugar. Store
keepers ~book-July 2, 1853 lbs issued; 5th,
lbs; 14th. 439 lbs; 10th, 942 lbs: 21st. 426 lbs;
oath, 327 lbs; 9th, 337 lbs; 18th, 81 lbs; 30th,
341 lbs; total, 4,169 lbs. The daily average
of patients in the mems department for
that month was shown to be Cpl, employees
$50; total fed from that kitchen. I'll persons.
Seven hundred and seventy-one persons
and 4, 1863 pounds of sugar would give five
and tve-seventh pounds of sugar to each
person per month. DIR. Fletcher, in his
testimony. showed that two ounces of
sugar a day flor all pers0nsl to each person
was more than enough; that is three and
three-quarter pounds for each per month.
"YOu said" ~interpOsed Mr.. Conn, that
as to the receipt and distribution of sup
plies they were all right; how do you know
they are all right"
Everybody gets the goods he needs; the
superintendent orders are filled; / see
these supplies weighed OUT
"A while ago you said Won didn't see to
it; now you say you do see to it." The
witness wriggled about uneasily in his
chair
ITS now you see it, and now you don't
see it, quoth Mr.. Henry.
Mr.. HAYS asked the witness if be knew
of Senator Eli w. Brown, of Columbia
City, coming to the hospital to investigate
the matter of furnishing supplies.
Hall; Il don't remember how much con-
versation / had with him"
Didn't you, as soon as you had an OppOr-
tunity, communicate to John l.. Sullivan
the fact that Brown was there and looking
into the matter, and didn't you cali him up
by te~lephonefp
Didn't you communicate with DR.. Har-
risonf"
mo, sir.n
You knew Mr.. Brown had complained TO
DIR. Fletcher that you had interfered and
taken sides with Sullivan"
No, sir"
"