Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-17
A CARD TO THE PUBLIC.
THE RECENT INVESTIGATION AT
THE WESTERN LUNATIC
ASYLUM.

L u
ASYLUM.
About the IL of April the daily
papers of the State announced the
fact that the Board of Directors OF
this Asylum we're investigating its
management, and charges preferred
against the Superintendent by the
othOr officers of the Asylum
The result of this investigation, so
far as the public has been inform
ed, is simply that DR.. Conrad as
Superintendent and myself as
Steward were not reelected to the
positions we held, and the natural
inference OH their part would be,
that whatever blame or disgrace
NAV attach to one Is also due to
the other. 1t IS to protect my
character from any such reflection
as this, and to appeal to that sense
of Justice that animates the people
as a body, and to which an injured
man rarely appeals in vain, that l
am ont in this card to the public
On the 9TH of this month | join
ed 10Y brother officers Of the Asy-
lum in addressing the following
note to the President OF the Board
srAUNToN, VA. April 2, 1889.
To the President Of Board Of Directors Of
the W. l.. Asylum -
We the undersigned respectfully repre-
sent to your honorable body, that after
/ three years of daily association With the
present superintendent Of this asylum,
being thus afforded every opportunity
and facility for judging Of his fitness for
the position he occupies, feel 1t TO DO our
imperative duty to inform you that in our
opinion, looking TO the welfare and fair
name of the institution, DR.. Conrad ought
not longer to be continued st ITS bead. Our
reasons for this position we are prepared to
give in full if desired by the board and
when called for. They are, in our opinion,
controlling and far too numerous to DO
here set forth.
We desire in this matter most en-
phatically TO disclaim any personal feel
ing or purpose of debating and TO assure
the Board that we are moved only by a
high sense of duty and by deep interest
in the good name and welfare Of this in
stitutlon whose servants we are.
+. C.. FISHER, LIST Asst Physician,
All. WEIR, 2nd Asst Physician,
G.. s. WALKER, Sd Asst Physician,
JYO. w. BLACKBURN, Steward,
81. ARMsTEAD, Clerk.
In addressing this note to the
Board, through its chairman, We
thought they, as the sworn guar
dams of the Asylum's good name
and welfare, would ask US for our
reasons, take charge of the evil
dence we we're prepared to give
them, conduct the investigation for
themselves and in their own way.
Judge then of our surprise when
we we're handed a resolution from
the boad requiring US To prefer
charges and specification IN twenty
four hours, and to furnish DR.. Con-
rad one copy and the Board the
other.
Whilst this was not the position
we wanted to assume, as 1t came In
the shape of an order of the Board,
We did not feel authorized to re-
sist it, and complied with the or
der as best we could IN the time
given us. Our charges we're seven
10 number, and drawn up with a
view to support the general charge
of unftness contained in our Joint
note to the Board.
The Board assembled on the 10th.
About one hour before the time
set for trial, word was sent US that
DIR. Conrad had counsel, and the
same privilege would be granted
Ms If we desired 1t. We sent word
back, that it had not been our IN.
tention to employ counsel, we did
not desire to do so now, deemlng
the Board competent to act in this
matter, but If DIR. Conrad had
counsel, no one of US wishing to
act the part of public prosecutor
by conducting the case, we would
have counsel also. The examina.
ton of the evidence to support the
first charge, which was as follows:
Wn that in his moral treatment OF
his patients he has shown a marked
lack of judgement, tact, and deli
cacy of feeling"
closed about s o'clock, p. NJ
After supper, DIR. Conrad's counsel
examined one witness in rebuttal.
The evidence of this witness was
rather damaging to him than other.
wise. His counsel then rose and
asked that the Board adjourn to
meet the next morning; that his
client was not well, and that he
thought time would be gained by
an adjournment. The next morn
ing his counsel reported DR.. Con
rad too sick to appear. The Board
adjourned until 2 o'clock, p. H.
His counsel reported him still SICK,
and so Frustrated mentally and
physically as to be unable to enter
tain even written c0mmunica-
ton from the Board or the prose-
cutOrs IN the case. This repre-
sentation of counsel was supported
by a similar assertion from his
kinsman and friend, Mr.. b. Ii.
Boyd, a member ofthe Board, who
said he had just come from
the Doctors house. The Board
adjourned to meet on the 10TH
Yet we have evidence at o'clock,
or two hours after, DR.. Conrad
was walking In his front yard, and
at 6 o'clock he was a mile away
from home, witnessing a base ball
match.
The board resumed the investi.
CATION on the 10th. DIR. Conrad
appeared aud reported his counsel
sick, hut expressed his willingness
to 20 on without counsel, he said
he had spoken to some FIVE or SIX,
but none of them would come. At
this point Col. l.. X. Edmundson
OF the Board moved, that mas
much as DR.. Conrad did not have
counsel, that We be required to
dismiss ours. This was seconded
by Mr.. Boyd. 1t was objected to
by the prosecutors; that they bad
employed their counsel for the
case turned the management OF
the case over to him that We had
opposed having counsel at first
were forced into it, and now TO DO
forced out OF it, would be unjust to
US; but if it was to be done, we
wanted it to be made a matter of
record. The board insisted that DIR.
Conrad procure counsel which he
did. They then proceeded to in
vestigate the seventh charge, which