Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-09-01
THE DEATH RATE.

Ed. Keeling, died April II, 1892, OF cpl
lepsy.
G. Parker, died August 2, 1892, of abcess.
B. 9anfort, died December 8, 1892, of cpl
lepsy.
Gussie Smith, died March 10. 1898, of pneu-
monia.
Libbie Jet, died April %, 1898, OF consumr-
ton.
This is total of nine deaths in
four years and eight months. The
average number of pupils in the in
stitution during this period was 101.
Annual death rate less than TWO
PER CENT.
DR.. Pitcher took charge of the asy-
lum in July, 1893, one year ago.
Since then the following inmates
have died:
NJ. Rector, died September 9, 1898, of heart
failure.
Elizabeth Watkins, died September Is,
1898 of exhaustion.
E. Mos:er, died September a. 1893, of con-
vulsions.
Gertie Logan, died October 10, 1898, of pros
tration.
H. Anderson died December A, 1898, of En-
teric fever.
Maggie Murphy, died January ?, 1894. of
consumption.
Ada Fleckinger died January ., 1894, of
measles.
Stella Smiley, died February 27, 1894. of
consumption.
E. MCGOWAN, died February &c, 1894, of
don't know.
LucilIa Short, died April 3, 1894, of typhoid
fever.
B. l.. Brown, died April q, 1894, of nerve
trouble.
Maude Blake, died May %. 1894, of Bright's
disease.
Lewis Burke, died June a. 1894, of fever.
Chas. Billings, died July 10, 1894, of typhoid
fever.
A total of FOURTEEN DEATHS
in ONE YEAR. the average num-
Der of inmates during the year
being ninety-one, the annual death
rate being nearly SIXTEEN PER
CENT.
Is not this comparison appalling?
What manner of management is it
that would let these poor children
die as If they were in a pest house
instead of an asylum? Is it the idea
of the Reform" administration that
it is better economy to let the in
mates of the Asylum die than to
continue to care for them properly?
Oh, what inhumanity! It should
bring the blush of shame to every
honest Kansan's face.
The utter incompetency of DR.
Pitcher is thoroughly understood in
this community. Even those most
charitably inclined toward him, feel
that he is totally unfit for such a
position. 1t only requires a visit
to the institution to prove
this. Then why, in the face OF the
evidence presented, with the child
rem dying off like sheep in the
shambles, with poor, helpless, inno-
cent girls crying for protection, will
Governor Lewelling delay remov-
ing this man?
In the name of common humanity,
in the name of justice, in the name
of morality, in the interest of com
mon seIf-respect and decency, the
COURIER, on behalf of every citizen
of this state, demands the immedi-
ate removal of DR.. Pitcher.
Chas. Billings, the last name on
the death list of Doctor Pitcher, is
reported to be one of the boys cas-
trated. The cause of death was
given to the undertaken as typhoid
fever" To us it was given first as
brain fever and again as dysentery.
There are circumstances surround
ing the burial, which indicate q de-
sire for secrecy, hence the suspicion
is held by many persons that the
death resulted from the surgical
operation" of Doctor Pitcher. The
death occurred, according to DR..
Emerson, six or eight weeks after
the operation. These suspicious may
or may not be we'll founded. We
give them for what they are worth,
bat have taken steps to ascertain
the facts, conclusively.