The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-05-28

Star Chamber Of England.
The inquiry now directed to me by
your EXcellency gives no assurance
that the legiSla i've committee will
again convene, viii set aside the Sen-
tence of condemnation, will open the
Judgment against me, will try me anew
with open doors and without prejudice,
hcaring witnesses upon examination
and rOsS-eXaminatiOn, aReWing me
the Offices of counsel and hOfhng them
selves clear to the attainment of i'm
partial Judgment.
The investigation under your guild
ance has heretofore proceeded wholly |
in the spirit Of fault finding before a
Court which, for whatever purpose, in |
defiance Of justice, and in breach of
their faith, have prejudiced my case.
Ia view of all these circumstances,
however anxious may be to vlndicate
myself from the unjust and untruthful
celsureS they have denounced against
me, | am not willing to engage in such
triiling procedure before such a tribun-
al, and it is left to me to submit to the
consequences which your letter in ad-
vance threatens against me to invite
you in your own phrase Ito perform
your duty" whatever it may be. That
as you intimate, this may be diSa
greeable duty is to me the subject of
profound regret
] have the honor to be very respect
fully your obedient servant.
Z. Il. Grillin, Superintendent.
COLUMBIA, May 8, 1891.
Dr. Il. E. Griffin, Columbia, S. C.-Sir:
| find your letter OF yesterday awaiting
me OH my return from Pendleton. /
beg once more to impress on your mind
the following facts:
l. The committee appointed by the
General Assembly were charged with
the duty not of inVesti2 ating the SUI
perintendent Of the Asylum but Of the
inStit ltiOn as Il whole.
:. Their preliminary report called to
my attention certain facts in reference
to the management Of the institution
upon which l alone as Governor have
the power to act, for | alone under the
Constitution am given the power to APP
point its officers and employees, and
even the Legislature cannot remove
such persons us are thus appointed.
| 3. This being SO, alone am the judge
to decide whether the charges contained
in the report Of the investigating COM
mittee are true and, if SO, what is my
duty. There is no need to bring the in
VesLigating committee back here to
hear your defence. if YOU desire to make
any, for l can hear the testimony of
your witnesses and have offered to ac-
cord you the privilege of croSs-eXami-
nation Of those witnesses who testified
before the committee, and this can lie
had in public and with counsel if you
wish it. The witnesses are all either in
the asylum or in the city. and the testi
monY already given by them can UC
read in their and your presence.
4. The examination by the commit
tee was made in secret to prevent col
lusiOn among witnesses and to guarC
against intimidation. All Of the en-
pioyees OF the asylum had been ap
pointed by yourself or the regents with
out color of law, and many witnesses
testified uhwillingly, seeming to real
the llss OF place.
8. All your fine WI ting about "tht
Spanish InquisitiOn" and the "Stal
Chamber of England" may appeal tc
are mistaken when you say 1.-The ilveS
tigatlon under your my) guidance has
heIet ofOre proceeded only in the spirit
of fault-indlng before Court which
, for whatever purpose in defiance of jus
tice and in breach of their faith, hav,
preiudged my case in Court In ju"
, tice to investigating committee and Il
, myself it must be stated that we triet
, to arrive at the exact truth and nothing
, more. There has not been and is no
) now the least animuS or personal feel
, ing. The committee acting as gran(
| jury, have framed an indictment an(
+ sent in the testimony. Both were furn
iShed you and naturally expected yol
| would ask an opportunity to disprov
the charges, but instead you wrote
labored defence addressed to the re
: gents, but intended solely to inluenc,
t public opinion. The regents hal moth
. ing to do with the matter, and thci
: llattering endorsement Of your oilicia
I conduct cannot disprove facts and ma
l prove "a boomerang for themselves.
y &. Without touching on other mat
ters brought out in the testimony
s numerous witnesses testify that tn
s man, Milne, whom You characterize a
s. a"crank" and who Dr. COrbett says
Il "mOrally inSane,' by which | underStan
y he has a depraved nature which wOul
: not hesitate to crafty any passion O
d appetite, this man, for months, has bee
y permitted to have a key which woul
8 open the doors of any of the femal
d wards or any room in those wards. III
l. had such key before he was allow e
to go to North Carolina last year, no
z long is not known, and he Obtaine
& another which he says you gave hin
T. when he returned last fall. 1t was s
'e notorious tAat nc naQ these keys, VIII
Y, he had similar key to the male ware
o and thus go in and out of any ward
Is the building at any time. but none {
n the old employees seemed to think
l. worth while to tell you: as they a
thought you knew it and permitted j
.d If these witnesses have testified IL
n truth, to say nothing Of the teSi iimOn
IN about the infrcqucncy of your visits
ct other wards. it shows your knOWledg
ne of what was going on in the instiu
So ton to be very Slight. 1t proved tn
&c you have been grossly negligent aI
I'd culpably careless in Watching over ii
rs unfortunate female patients cntruStt
st to your care. There Is nothing to sho
s. that Milne ever used or abused his 0
ct pOrtunitles, but the mind reVolts
If and the imagination is sickened by t
In thought of what could have happrn'
IN and what may have happened.
as Without taking these things I
lg granted and removing you promptly
'e- submitted the testimony to the regcI
ty and to yourself. You did not ask |
In to redeem myi nronien INIT address