The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-07-26


knew was going on in this institution as
long as he could, but, when he became sat
lSfied that it was being transformed into a
haren, and the evidence of it was becom-
ing palmer each day, he could and would
stand il no longer, and resolved to expose
these lmiquities to the public gaze. He is
no too in the hands of Dr. Rogers, He is
no fool or weakling, but a man, every
inch Of him, mentally, morally, and ply
sically, a man who fears God and speaks
the truth, and who would wrong no hu-
man being Intentionally.
DIR. GrissOm's Biography.
The counsel who opened this discussion
speaking of the history of this institution
in connection with eulogistic biography
of Dr. Grissom, said that the unhallowed
hands of political partisanship had never
been and would never be placed upon it,
and he alluded to that sad period of the
history of North Carolina directly after
the war when she was humbled in the
dust. This was an unfortunate reference,
indeed, for his client, and it relieves me
from any obligation not to refer to sub
ject to which otherwise | would have
made no alluson. Does counsel suppose
that the people of North Carolina have
forgotten or ever will forget those days,
or the part that his client played in them I?
Is he trying to remind us that Dr. Girls
som enjoyed the distinguished honor Of
presiding over the first convention of those
who took possession after the war, and
organized hell III our State? Does he re
member how that good man and venerable
physician, DR.. Fisher, was displaced from
the Superintendency of this institution
How, after much dirty intrigue. the first
notice DR.. Fisher received of his removal
ba, hot Ilai, al
the carpet bag sheriff of Wake county,
appeared ut the door Of this institution
and notified him to get out as Grissom
was ready to take charge! Verify, it can
not hc denied that for nineteen years past
the hands of political partisanship have
NOT been laid upon this Institution when
they might very we'll have been, and no
living man has such cause to be grateful
for it as Dr. Grissom.
All this is irreleyent to this case, but
so was the biographical sketch of Dr.
Grissom as Mason and a physician,
which counsel read, and it is 10 complete
the biography which he left unfinished,
that add these little items.
How the First Shock Came.
Gentlemen, when the shock of the great
scandal startled the people Of North Car
ollnt they, with that spirit Of fairness and
enlightened justice which has always char
acterIzed them, turned their gaze ann
jousiy toward this Capital and waited for
the testimony before forming d judgment
in he case.
Righteous Indignation Fills the Air.
>iuce the testimony has b en- given, that
look has been hardened into one Of stern
determination, and the hot breath of their
righteous Indignation fills the air. The
thanks 0t he ntnIfa of Nnrth Carnlina
are justly due and | am sure, will be cor
daily given To those w o have unearthed
these wrongs, and especially are they due
to the able, and faithful. and indefatiga-
ble counsel with whom | have the honor
to be associated here, for the valuable ser
vice he has rendered to them, and to the
cause of good government. They have
experienced a humiliation in the discovery
that rottenness exists at the very core of
their system Of charities, but, while they
vince beneath the blade that cuts it out,
they will bless the hand that guides that
blade North Carolina has been stabbed
before. but thank God the blow has gen
orally come from alen hands. If she has
been a laggard in the race of SO-called
progress. she has been still slower in ac-
qurny some of the base arts that accom-
pany it. 1t has been her chief glory
throughout her whole history in peace or
war, that those to whom she cOnfided her
honor have been faithful to their trust
Accursed be the day that shall usher in a
change of destiny for her in this respect
| sincerely trust that the developments
made during the progress of this invest-
CATION may be promptly followed by a
searching examination into every other
public institution in the State, and that all
who are entrusted with any public duty
may be continually held to the most rigid
accountability. By this means only can
purity and honesty of administration be
secured, and the public interests be pro
tected.
The High Priest Unfaithful.
Surely, surely, if there was one institu-
tion in our State where the people had a
right to expect to find a pure and hu-
name administration; if there was, within
all her wide borders, one spot where they
might justly hope to see prevailing the
virtues which have elevated and ennobIed
our race, it was here, where by awful con
trast, Gods lesson of RESPONSIBILITY is
hourly taught. But those who have SC
trusted and they were the great body of
the people-have been rudely awakened
to a realization of the fact that even in
this sanctuary of the afflicted, the trail OF
the serpent has been made, and that its
chosen High Priest-he who should have
been its faithful ServitOr and guardian
has yielded to the tempter and done griev
ous wrong to them, to this asylum, and
| himsl If.
Am l using the language of exaggera
| ton Let us see.
The Unmistakable Cd0r of Perjury.
The first charge against DR.. Grissom i:
! that he has been guilty of gross immoral
| ity in connection with the female attend
ants of the institution, and others. lIa
this charge been sustained by the evidence
| adduccd We introduced three witnesse
| to prove it in the case of Miss Burch, an(
| two witnesses to prove it in regard t
Others Each of these witnesses (eXcep
the poor colored boy, Emanuel jones' ha
established a character for veracity by th'
mouths of many witnesses, and eacl
swore absolutely and unequivocally to th
facts in the respective cases named in th'
specifications. How does the accused
meet this proof BY a denial of the fact
and an attempt to discredit the witnesses
He was the first witness in his owl
behalf, and, taking the charges and speci
fcations SERIATIM, he tiatly denies ever
| damaging statement of the witnesses TO
the prosecution in regard to each an
every one Of them. 1t is, gentlemen
manifest that there has been an immens
amount of false swearing in this case b
somebody. There has been lying b
wholesale and retail either against or
behalf of the accused. There has bee
no room for mere differences of memOr