The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-08
THEY SHOWED CAUSE.
Mayor Ronald Will Not Remove
the Board of Health.
FINDINGS IN THE CASE FILED.
The Mayor Criticises the Board and
Bismes Sparkling, but Finds No
Legal Cause for Removal.

Legal Cause for Removal.
Mayor Ronald yesterday fled with the
city clerk his findings in the case of the
board OF health, upon charges heard be-
fore him few days ago. He criticises tho
board and condemns DR.. Sparling's man.
agem ent Of the pest house but declares
that the charter provisions comforting
upon the mayor the power to remove for
cause means some legal cause or act, re-
moval for which is justified by law. and
not the mere exercise OF arbitrary power,
and concludes that the board have shown
cause why they should not be removed
from office.
The document is very lengthy and sum-
marizes the charges together with the
evidence adduced. As to the bills allowed
Carey and Clancy, he finds that the mac
curacies were discovered by the comptrol-
Ter in checking. and that Sparkling on COM
pairing the amounts with his time book
found that two clerical errors had been
committed. He also thinks there was
negligence in the fumigation of the Alaska
house.
Referring then to the more important
charges. Mayor Ronald says:
The expense incurred in the maintenance OF q
pest house in times of an epidemic is neces-
sarily large, and while the expense incurred
during the last smallpox epidemic in this city
has not been extravagant, yet it has cost the
city more money than necessary: that OF the
bills for supplies, provisions, etc. furnished
said pest house at the request OF said health Of
fcer by one Small three-fourths of the same,
according to the testimony OF said small, was
purchased by said Small from stores fn the city
other than bis own store and by him delivered
to said pest house, upon which Small likewise
received profit, in addition to the e. so a day
allowed him by said health officer for messenger
services and for delivery, aud paid by said city;
that had sail goods been purchased by said
health officer directly from the merchants SELF
Ing the same, they would have cost the city
much less, and in some instances more than 10
per cent less; that the delivery OF said goods
was made by said small, generally by deposit
ing the same on the ground in close proximity
to said pest house where the cook or attendant
at said house could receive the same.
That the patients at said pest house were not
properly cared for in that, with the exception OF
DIR. Miles, the assistants were inefficient, negli-
gent, careless, incompetent, and in two instances
inhuman and brutal: that said pest house was
not kept clean, but on the contrary was dirty;
that in one instance vomt was allowed to re-
main on the floor in the sick room of one of
said patients for more than twenty -four hours.
ana water which had been split upon said floor
by another patient while bathing was allowed to
remain upon said floor until the same evapo-
rated. and the window sill by the head OF tina
bed OF one of said patients was covered thickiy
with scabs from former smallpox patients which
had accumulated there prior to the entry of said
patient and which remained there during the
sixteen days that said patient occupied said
pest house; that in the case OF one Cummings,
who died in said hospital. said health officer
was guilty of negligence and inattention
in that said Cummings, when he was
taken to said hospital, Yves very sick and
nigh unto death; that on q Sunday about 3 p.
m, after said Cummings had been taken to said
pest house, said health officer stated to the at
tendants therein thas he did not expect said
Cummings to hve thtr he would likely die,
notwithstanding which, said health officer left
said pest house in charge of the nurses and with.
out any physician and failed and neglected to
return to said pesthouse until about p. m. of
the following Wednesday; that in the mean
: time Cummings had been without the care and
attention and services of a physician that at
the time of the return of said health officer to
said pest house on said Wednesday said Cum
mings had scratched and torn the flesh Off his
face and limbs 20 that he was bloody; that the
health officer brought with him on said Wednes-
day, a. assistant physician TO remain in tho
pest house, one DR.. Miles; that said DIR. Miles
was competent physician and nurse and did
his duty such while there; that on the
following day, Thursday, said Cummings
under the direction of said health officer,
buried in COW path about q rod from said
pesthOuse, and after having been SO buried, the
grave was ieveed with the ground aud left un-
marked or without anything to show where
said smallpox patient Is buried, or to warn
future workers against exhuming the remains
of such patient That from time 10 time, dur
tha All tens nf nil esfd
health officer inquired Of the patients therein as
to their treatment and care and endeayored to
make their lot, 30 far as nurses and assistants
were concerned, as comfortable as possible
That the acts of carelessness and negligence
hereinbefore found. il known by the board of
sanitation (which 1 do not fnd), constituted
sufficient cause for the removal, by said board,
of said health officer.
That on, to-wit September Is, 1892, commu-
nicaton was addressed and sen! by the auditing
committee OF the city OF Seattle to said board of
sanitation, requesting said board to mako
change in the health officer. and notifying said
board that 1t was the opinion OF said auditing
committee that such change was In the interest
OF the public service and that TIE present health
officer did not consider the interest OF the city
OF Seattle as the same should bs by such officer
considered.
That the auditing committee is a committee
created by the charter of thu city OF Seattle, and
u coiHppscu VI tHe mayor, COiiptrolief, ptesi-
dent of the board OF aldermen ami president of
the house OF delegates, and said communication
was signed by said mayor. said comptroller and
the president OF the house OF delegates. II was
q respectful aud courteous comm unication. ana
such a one was the duty, under the crcuni-
stances of said auditing committee to send to
the department of sanitation of said city. And
II was the duty of said department OF sanitation,
upon receipt of said communication. ii they did
not in their wisdom deem it proper or sufficient
in itself to warrant the removal of the health
officer. TO call upon said auditing committee or
the officers of the city government signing said
communication TO furnish to said department.
OF sanitation the evidence upon which said rea-
sons were based
The mayor goes on to say that they neg
lected 20 answer this communication, and,
Notwithstanding the utmost courtesy and
cordiallty should characterize the official
relations of The city departments" they
treated the communication with con-
tuinely and contempt. He finds, however,
that
Said board Of health did no. certify or have
anything to do with the certincation of the pay
roll containing the account OF the laborers,
Clancy and Carey.
That on or about July 5, 1872, said board OF
health approved the bill hsreinbetore mentioned
of 500 in favor of the said health officer for ex-
ira com pensation for services performed by said
heath officer IN attending the pest house: that
said bill WAS unauthorized.
That the board q. sanitation entrusted
entirely 10 the health officer the matter
OF purchasing supplies anu providing purses
tor the pest house. thai said health officer, with