The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-04
THEMAYOR'S INQUEST
Hearing Charges Against the
Board of Health.
THE FARCE PLAYED soLEMNLy.
Judge Jacobs Tells Mayor Ronald the
Case Was Pref udiced-Argument to
Be Submitted In Writing.

oil the charges he had preferred against the
board OF health Drs. Churchill, S. j. Holmes
ana shannon, members of the board, and
Health Officer Sparkling were present, Hon.
Orange Jacobs acting rs their counsel Mayor
Ronald presided, and the city was also repre-
sentcd By Corporation Counsel Donworth. The
citation to the board was to show cause why
they should not be removed from Office.
Mf. Donworth opened by reading the charges.
which are that they refused to remove Dr..
Sparkling, who was said by the auditing commit.
tee to be incompetent. and that they did not
treat the executive with respect. Judge Jacobs
said that the auditing committee had no right
70 demand the removal OF an official; they
should have filed charges against him with the
board. Mayor Ronald overruled the objection,
to which ex-Judse Jacobs remarked that il
made no difference as to the conclusion.
Mayor Ronald sharply replied that there was
nothing in his record to justify that remark: he
was under oath and his findings would be In
conformity with the evidence.
Throughout the hearing Judge Jacobs made
little secret Of his belief that Mayor Ronald had
already made up his mind to remove the board,
and once or twice endeavored to draw out evil
dence to show that the mayor had been secretly
conniving with the chief of police and others to
procure testimony. In the course of the hearing
ofiieer Miliigan was put upon the stand to tes-
thy to n conversation between himself and DR..
Sparkling, to which Mr.. Jacobs objected as being
entirely immateriaL Mayor Ronald overruled
him. and the counsel made an impassioned ap-
peal to the mayor.
ave have TO submit to the ruling, of course"
said Judge jacob: "but DR.. Sparkling is not on
trial-the board of health is on trial; are they
to be convicted upon q conversation between
two other people? What would your honor
think If you were arraigned on charges based
upon a conversation between your clerk and
stranger? Yet you are admitting such testi-
Qnas mar nfofl Ia
have thought you a man OF honor, lawyer
learned in the law; / have addressed you as
such. desire to treat this court with respect;
but had your honor been treated in a court of
justice ms we have been here you would have
lost your temper long ago. If your honor, as
honorable man, and as one who is presumed to
know something of law, can admit such evil
deace-all right: we'll, all right"
The mayor answered quietly that the gist Of
the offease OF the board lay in retaining an in
competent official and that all that tended to
show his Incompetence was admissible. The
members CT the board, he said, were charged
with legal knowledge of their subordinates
incapacity.
eco ahead" retorted Judge Jacobs
The charges were then presented in turn and
for convenience the evidence on both sides is
given. not in the order of witnesses, but oppo.
sitely.
Andrew Blackstone, deputy comptroller, testi.
fed that he had received the bill for salaries on
the garbage scow: that DR.. Sparkling had made
two mistakes amounting to $40. man named
Clancy had been credited with six days work at
81 per day, while he had in reality worked but
two days. A man named Geary had been cred
tied with two days work at 81 per day when in
fact he had worked but one.
DIR. Sparkling admitted this; the pay roll was
called for by telephone: it was a very busy time
and in the hurry he had made the mistakes in
transferring from the books. The bills had been
checked and these were the only errors In twenty
months. The error was discovered aud rectifed
without cost to the city.
}. I. Martin, patient taken from the Alaska
house, OF which he is part proprietor. said DIR.
Sparkling took him to the pesthouse at midnight;
he only had varoloid; the quality OF food was
good but not served in fit style for GONZALES
cent lie said the pesthouse was filthy
patient named Cummings died and was buried
in cowPath, and Dr. Sparkling suggested that a
log be put over the grave but nothing was done.
When witness got home he found that sulphur
cans ordered by Dr. Sparkling had burned holes
in the carpet. He admitted he had received $50
from an insurance company for the damage.
He admitted he had considerable feeling against
DIR. Sparkling, who had quarantined his hotel.
L. Tystad. patient and "trusty," testified
that when Cummings was very sick Dr. Sparkling
ordered medicine given every hour, but Buck
nell, who was cook, waiter and nurse, would
IL.
witness was sick In the pesthouse DR.. Sparkling
came there every day. but when there was not
much sickness he did not come SO often He
never heard OF anyone making complaint to
DIR. Sparkling, and did not believe they had done
so. number of times DR.. Sparkling hal asked
him il he and the rest had all they wanted, aud
ii everything was all right, and witness, not
wishing to ''kick," had replied that everything
was ali right, aud that they had all they wanted.
Dr. Sparkling was often there at 10, IL, and even
T. o'clock at night, and witness thought him
very attentive.
Policeman Miligan was allowed 70 testify
concerning conversation he had with Health
Officer Sparkling, and Mrs. J. T. Martin told
about the damage done to the carpets of the
Alaska hotel by the fumigating process.
This closed the testimony, and Judge Jacobs
then moved that as there was no evidence that
the board had certified to the correctness of
Geary's ana Clancys bills, they be stricken
from the charges.
The mayor said there was no doub. they ought
to have certified the pay rolls, but they had not
done so, and he should accordingly decide in
the board's favor as to those charges.
DIR. Sparing was put on the stand, and ties ti-
fed that his attention had been called to the
error as TO Geary being allowed two DAYS nav
instead al one, and that in checking it over he
then discovered the error in Cancy's account
and corrected the amount. He, however, called
the conptrolier's attention to it. but heard no
more o; it until he sawShe charges He testi-
fed also that he took Tystad out to the pest
house ats o'clock at night He msde between
thirty anu forty trips out to the pest house and
only charged for nineteen. The only COMM mint
he heard was by one man that he had no vine
gar for his cabbage aud il was ordered given
| him. He said also that the fumigating cans
| used in the Alaska hotel were those approved
| by the Underwriters Association He had used
80 OF them and had never had any trou Bile be-
| fore such as he had at the Alaska hotel He
told Mrs Martin TO keep the room closed for
twenty-iour hours, but TO look in and see that
there was no danger of fire. She had failed to
| do this, and the carpet was seorched In four
| spots.
Questions were asked with a view 10 showing
that Dr. sparilnc had charged $3.50 for services
| which he should have rendered as health Off
| Ger. DR.. Sparkling contended that IL was no mart
! OF his duty TO attend 70 the pest house: he ad-
| mi'ted that he had once attempted TO do the
| double duty.
| Dad Won allow twenty-four hours TO pass be-
| fore ylsltlng Cummings, although You knew
! him 10 be seriously ilIf
| No; was oniy away from : a. m. 10 n m
| The maa died after the new physician went
| there.
Now, doctor. isn't it a fact that the directions
| On the 1umiEatng cans say that in order to
| avoid possible danger they should be put IN
jars
| Yes; but never found them TO hur, a carpet
/ before.
| DID YOU not fear possible danges'
| No; VAS quite confident about il?
hea Why DID you tell Mrs. Martin 10 look
! through the iEansom 10 make sure there WAS 10
| nrs?
| Oh, always take that preeautson.
/ This closed IL. Spsriings eros xamina
! aud pc. Z. l. smith was examined lie hal
/ once been heath officer iaT Eve years, ani hs1
1 ,-f.F "A .h a 81