The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-04-22
DR.. S. &. SMITH is CHOSEN.
Action of the Board OF Trustees of the
Eastern Hospital for the Insane.


RICHMOND, April 15.-[Special. DIR.
S. L. Smith of Logansport was elected
today, by the board of trustees, superin-
tendent OF the eastern hospital for the in
sane in place OF DR.. Z. f. Wells, resigned.
Dr. Smith has been an assistant to
hospital near Logansport since that insti-
tuition was organized. He is native of
this state, his father being a physician of
Gosport, Owen county. The new super
intendent is young man of excellent ex-
ecutive ability who has spent several
years in Europe to perfect his studies. He
was Endorsed for the superintendency by
the superintendent of all the
other state institutions, and individually
by every member of the state board of
charities. DR.. Rsjens of the Logansport
hospital recommended his appointment,
saying DIR. Smith was the best man in the
state for the place. DIR. Wright of the
Central hospital and DR.. Thomas of the
Evansville hospital were of the same
opinion. Recently he was offered the po-
sition of assistant superintendent of the
Michigan insane hospital at Kalamazoo
without solicitation. No political pres
sure was used to procure his appointment,
as Dr. Smith relied entirely upon his
record at the Logansport hospital and
upon the Endorsement of experts in the
management of insane hospitals.
The new trustees, ex-senator Hale of
Adams, Montgomery Marsh of Hancock
and Capt James j. Smiley of Putnam,
have been in office but one month, but
they have already restored confidence in
the institution. Mr.. Hale is a business
man who made a good record in the state
senate. Mr.. Marsh is lawyer and banker
who has succeeded in everything he has
undertaken. Capt. Smiley is a veteran
of two wars. the Mexican and the war of
the rebellion. He was member of the
board of prison directors that placed the
northern prison on aself-supporting basis.
He is one of the leading lawyers of
Greencastle. These gentlemen We're select
ed by the legislature, on account OF their
ability and experience. to restore the
eastern hospital to first class condition and
by the appointment of Dr. Smith and the
reforms inaugurated in every department
of the institution, they have restored con-
fdence and placed the institution on the
same high plane as the other three insane
hospitals.
The hospital grounds consist OF 400
acres of which about fifty acres are util-
lied for buildings and yards. The re-
mainder is cultivated except twenty acres
of timber land, where the underbrush has
been cleared and the trees trimmed for
park where patients can be aired in the
summer. When the new board took
charge OF the institution a month ago
there was not a shrub or tree within a
quarter OF mile from any OF the build
ings. The grounds were as desolate as
the desert of the Colorado. At the first
meeting the board ordered shade trees
and shrubbery to be planted, also large
is larg, enough to produce all the vegeta-
bles and milk used by the institution.
DIR. Smith will take possession tomor-
row.
After accepting the resignation of DIR.
Wells the board adopted the following
resolution:
Eastern Indiana hospital for the insane, that
while under circumstances which they were not
able to control, they have had 10 perform the
unwilling ana painful duty OF accepting the
resignation of DR.. Edward +. Wells as medical
superintendent Of said institution, and that
each individual member OF the board desires to
assure him that during their control oil SAID
| hospital. under his sussrintendency his
gentlemanly conduct and the intelligent and
| faithful manner In which be has discharged his
| every duty. as well as his faithful wife, whose
Iady-like conduct greatly aided him. and TO all
others whom il may concern. that we and each
| of us have full conhdenos In his integrity and
| ability TO successfully and in the best manner
to control and manage hospital for the insane.
MONTGOMERY MARSH,
JAMES J.. SMILEY,
SILAs w. HALE.