Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-28
Hot Shot Fired at the Commission.
ers Last Night.
CONT AGIOUS DISEASE HOSPITAL
Citizens Adopt Some Sharp Con-
demnatory Resolutions.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED


the present Commissioners Of the District
so severely condemned and so harshly crit
icised they were last evening, when
some three or four hundred Of the resi-
dents and property owners Of Columbia
Heights and Mt Pleasant met ut Mission
Hall, 14th street and Florida avenue, for
the purpose of expressing their Indignation
at the action of the Commissioners in pur-
chasing a site for contagious hospital in
Pleasant Plains, and also for the purpose
of planning such steps as Will prevent the
erection of the hospital in the locality.
The meeting was called to meet at 4 80,
and ct that hour the hall was simply so
packed with citizens anxious to express
their indignation that standing room was
at a decided premium. Indeed. hundreds
were turned away, unable to get In the door
even, and had the hall been large enough
the attendance would have run into the
thousands. Many speeches were made one
by Mrs. John A Logan, and none of the
speakers hesitated to condemn the Conn.,
missioners in the most emphatic manner
and in the plainest of words. AS result
of the meeting resolutions condemning the
action of the Commissioners were unani-
mously adopted, and committee appoint
ed to take such action as would prevent
the erection Of the hospital
The meeting was called to order by Pres
ident j. w. Somerville of the Mt. Pleasant
Citizens Association, and he was made
permanent chairman, the other officers
elected being: Vice president. L. NJ. Saun-
ders; secretary. Gilbert NJ. Hustled; assist
emit secretary. c. F. King; treasurer, c. G.
Schneider.
Mr.. Somerville. in explaining the object
OF the meeting, stated that the manner in
which the Commissioners had proceeded
In secretly determining to place the hos
pital on the site proposed was an insult to
the taxpayers of the District. In proposing
60 he o1 he CIT "a az
the Commissioners had shown, he thought,
that they considered Jail birds more enti-
tied to protection than school children and
orphans. Mr.. Somerville also criticised the
financial part of the question, contending
that the Commissioners could have much
moro satisfactory and commodious site for
less money than had been paid for the site
selected.
All of Them Protest.
A number Of short speeches followed,
Maj. l.. p. Williams stating that 959 peo
pie lived within 1000 feet OF the site Sc
lected by the Commissioners. Mr.. Jesse
Brown said that he knew OF his own per-
sonal knowledge that a tract Of twelve
acres had been offered to the Commission
ers for the same amount which they had
paid for the site complained of. Mrs. John
A. Logan said that no hospital could turn
away any disease afflicted patient, and the
Commissioners could not, therefore, make
the proposed hospital one only for cases of
minor contagiOn. She suggested that the
Commissioners purchase boats, was
done during the var, upon which patients
suffering from conta gious diseases could be
placed. Mr.. f. G. Harvey stated that
about a year ago Commissioner Truesdell,
then a private citizen, had protested TO
Commissioner NJ. NJ. Parker against loCat-
ing such a hospital in lexington, declar-
ing that it would ruin him and lexington
If placed there The conditions were
changed now however said Mr.. Harvey,
and it was the people of another section
whom the Commissioners proposed to ruin.
Mr.. John c. Judd expressed his entire SYM
pathy with the object of the meeting and
offered his time and money to defeat the
erection Of the hospital in the locality pro-
posed
Money Withheld.
Mr.. e. A. Newman declared that 1t never
was the intention of Congress that the
Commissioners should select a site for
the hospital in the city. The Commission
ers, he said, had gone about in a sneak
ing, underhand manner and had selected
the site before any ono outside Of them
selves knew of it. They had not only done
that, Mr.. Newman said, but they had gone
to the gentlemen who had charge of The
$1,000 fund of the Daisy Chain Guild, and
had endeavored to get possession OF that
fund, also in a secret manner, that thew
might begin the erection Of the hospital.
Then, having begun its erection. it was
gress for the completion of the hospital
before the people could know just what
was going on. Fortunately for the peo-
pie. said Mr.. Newman, the gentleman in
charge of the fund had told the Commits
sioners that they should never have the
money for the purpose of erecting hos
pital where they proposed to build IL.
Short speeches were also made by Capt
Patrick O'Farrell, DR.. Cobb. Mr.. Frank
Brown and others, and letters were read
from Senator Sherman of Ohio and Others
In which the purpose of the meeting was
commended and assistance promised. 1t
was explained that Mr.. Justice Harlan had
been invited to act as chairman of the
meeting, but, while expressing his heartest
sympathy with the meeting, he declined
the invitation, because Of his judicial po-
Sition.
Resolutions Adopted.
The committee on resolutions, Messrs.
7. NJ. Exley, John B. Lybrook, G.. B.
Fowles and G. e. Jeffreys. then reported
the following resolutions, which were
unanimously adopted:
Whereas, the District Commissioners re-
Gently decided secretly to locate hos
pital for the treatment of contagious dis
sirable residence portion Of the community
ing, and destined at very early day to be
one of the most beautiful parts of the city,
and,
Whereas the location of such an institu-
ton would not only be destructive TO the
property and dangerous to the health Of
this particular section, but a menace as
well to the entire city, situated, as 1t will