Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-15
POLITICAL CHAT.
A CURIOUS CASE.

home, and did so. For months, however,
they continued to receive regular reports
from the hospital officers as to her con-
dition. These reports were varied and
showed from week to week just how
the lady's case was progressing. her
family finally notified the hospital
officers that these reports were superhu-
Gus as the lady had not been In the IN
sritution for some time. An awkward
explanation was given which made the
affair still more ridiculous. This incl
dent illustrates the methods OF our state
institutions. Some clerk probably makes
up report each week of the condition
of each patient without knowledge of
SUI fficient variety to disarm suspicion IN
the minds of the patients family, to
whom the reports are sent.
ANOTHER CASE
Another cease" from the same institu-
ton has attracted some attention. A
patient named William Wilson, sent up
from Adams county, was missed on
Jan. Goth, 1891. Hardly any effort ap-
pears to have been made to find him.
On Feb. %, one month and three days
after the disappearance, his body was
found floating in the reservoir by Engi-
1eer S. c. Follansbee. This reservoir
contains the water used by over one
thousand of the inmates. The body,
almost entirely decomposed and recoS-
nizable only by the clothing and marks
on same, was fished out by 5. c. Follans-
bee, William Wright, j. Follansbee and
Lemuel Brewer, and secretly buried
without inquest. Nothing was ever
done to cleanse the reservoir and the
L. he
superintendent and those about him TAX
ing care, however, to get their supply for
their personal use from wells. These
facts did not come to light until Dec.
Is, 1891, when one of the men, who
had assisted in the burial, and had since
been discharged told the story. No
doubt the fri. nds of this poor maniac
received regular reports of his improve
ment while his decaying remains were
lying at the bottom of the reservoir pol
luting the water used by the other in
mates of the institution.
WHERE Is THE REPORT?
Publicity was given these facts in the
| Chicago Times and other papers, and
force of public opinion compelled Gov
ernor Fifer to order an investigation.
The State Board of Charities, one of the
W tI oil Jul podS loAitie,
the matter, but, although months have
| elapsed, no report has been made public
DR. Fred II. Wines, the principal seed in
the before mentioned wart, never does
anything to hurt the party and we may
! be sure that no report of this outrageous
, affair will be made public until after the
election.
HE CAN GO TO WORK.
| in off in,
reply to Judge Altgeld's charges of mis-
management of the state institutions
that if.-any state employee was no better
than Altseld that he would discharge
| him The governors attention is respect
| fully called to the officials who
are responsible for the two incidents
mentioned above and if he wants a few
more cases on which he can act we can
remind him of them. He only needs to
be reminded, he knows of their exist
ence.
| CORRUPTION AT THE BLIND.
| For instance, he knows that one of the
! trustees of the institution for the blind
| has been in the habit of selling goods to
the institution. penal offense under
the law He knows that this same trus-
tee signed vouchers for money drawn
! from the treasury OF the institution and
he knows that on threat of exposure the
reports, vouchers, and records of the
| institution were altered and erased so as
! to conceal the fraud.
THE FIFER CADETS.
He knows that there is at the institu-
! ton for the education of the deaf and
! dumb a military company called the
! Fifer Cadets, made up of the students
| 4 e
are paid for by the state in violation of
the spirit and letter of the law.
STEALING THEIR SALARIES.
1t may also be worth while to call his
attention to the fact that large number
| of the employees of the state institutions
are away from their posts on political
business while drawing their salaries
regularly, and that these institutions are
being used as regular political machines.
THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
! If he is anxious to make an example
of some one he might read DIR. Eggle-
. stons exposure of the corrupt methods
I of the State Board of Health. How that
/ body has squandered the state funds,
! falsified accounts, shut off exposure by
bribery etc. He knows all about it, but
reading the articles referred to might
refresh his memory. While he is at it
he might read the confession of DIR.
Reilly, secretary of the board, which
confirms one of the gravest of DIR.
Eggleston's charges, or he might apply
TO DR.. Brinkerhoff for the documentary
evidence in the same case.
| OUR INSANE HOSPITALS
He might make an inquiry into the
management of all our insane hospitals
and thus find material for an example,