The morning call., 1894-08-01
Supervisors Go Through
the Hospital.
A SHALLOW INVESTIGATION.
Nothing New ELECTED From the
Patients.
OLD COMPLAINTS REPEATED.
DIR. Titus Nearly Shoots His Wife
While Entertaining His In
quisitive Visitors.

Supervisors Stanton, James and Ken
nedy visited the City and County Hospital
yesterday to complete the investigation be-
gun week ago by Mayor Ellert and
committee from the Board of Supervisors.
AS an Investigation the trip really didn't
| amount to much. A stenographer was en-
ployed to take the testimony of patients
who had grievances, and an hour or
two was spent going through the wards
without eliciting much new evidence In
support Of the charges of mismanage
made against DR.. Titus. Supervisor Stan
ton did most OF the talking with the
patients, while Supervisors James and
Kennedy listened and employed their
spare time commenting on how nice and
clean the hospital looked and how fortu-
nate it was that the sick poor of San Fran
cisco had such a delightful place to go TO
when overtaken by poverty and disease.
Leaving Supervisor Stanton out of con-
sideration it would have been difficult for
stranger TO tell what the remainder of
the committee were there for.
The investigation" ended at noon when
DR.. Titus invited the members of the COM
mittee TO luncheon. An hour was spent
il general conversation, and then the doc
tor invited his guests into bis private Of
fee across the hall. Supervisor Stanton
begged to be excused that he might 60
downtown 10 attend to business matter,
but James and Kennedy accepted the in
vitation.
Nobody ever would have imagined from
the manner of DR.. Titus that grave charges
against his management of the hospital
hai in iOa ata0 hu
from the Board of Supervisors. Neither
did the reverend Supervisors act as il they
were performing so delicate mission.
Charges Of this kind sometimes produce
GOODNESS between the accused and the ac-
curers. but DIR. Titus seemed to have
gauged the depth of the investigation and
betrayed no evidence OF i'll feeling against
the ones who were supposed to be trying
to dig a hole under the Lofty pedestal on
which he sits.
On the contrary, he could not have been
III ore gracious if he had been entertaining
royalty itself instead of delegation from
the Board of Supervisors. He showed
James and Kennedy a nice new pair of
fencing foils that be had recently pur-
chased at great expense, and danced about
the room making savage thrusts at an i'm
aginary enemy while his guests looked OF
in open-mouthed amaZement.
When the doctor had shown his guests
the latest tricks in fencing he produced
fine new Winchester rifle. The doctor is
great sport and never looks through the
sights OF a fowlng-piece that does not
bear the brand of the most celebrated
maker and the latest patent.
You see, this gun is away ahead OF the
old-fashioned kiud," said the doctor as he
drew the trim little weapon to his shoul-
der and let his vision wander along the
barrel. 'lf / should shoot at a deer and
miss it don't have to lower nv gun to
reload, but just keep on pulling the trigger
like this"
Bang went the gun, and Supervisor
James, whose face had been wreathed
with a beautiful smile. jumped so violently
that his tall Andrew Jackson tile nearly
fell of. Kennedy was so startled that he
couldn't speak for half a minute, and the
doctor was in the position of the man who
didn't know 1t was loaded. When the
smoke cleared away the bullet was found
imbedded In the wall, having passed with
in two feet of Mrs. Titus. who was seated
on a sofa not more than six feet from
where her husband stood when he was at
tempting to show the Supervisors how to
bring down deer.
So ended the investigation. The acci-
denial discharge of the rife broke up the
sporting matinee, and the Supervisors
called for their carriages After shaking
hands warmly with DR.. Titus, James anu
Kennedy drew the reins over their fiery
steeds and drove away.
As matter of fact what little investiga-
tiou was made amounted to nothing Some
patients who professed to have great re-
spect for the aged said the eggs were so
old that they could not find the heart to
eat them, while others complained about
the quality of the meat, lea and coffee. But
there was nothing new about all of this,
for the same story had been told the MAYOR
a week before by dozens of patients.
A few of the inmates said they had
noticed an Improvement in the quality of
the food since the Mayors visit a week
az o. They said for the last few days they
had been receiving genuine chops instead
of odd pieces of old meat dignified by tn at
name on the diet lists.
Mr. James had only one suggestion to
offer after going through the hospital. He
said he thought expenses could be re-
duced by reducing the nu mber of en-
ployes, but could not tell what ones CO uld
be dispensed with withou making a more
thorough investigation. When asked il
be still believed the hospi tai was misman
aged he said he did.
II only look at results" said he. 81
know this hospital has been conducted for
$4,000 a year. and even less than that,
and l do not see why it cannot be run for
that now. l don't pretend to know
where the money is wasted. but it must
get away somewhere"
The committee will make a report of Its
investigation at an early date. 1t Is
rumored that it will be written on the
hack of q Cnlnm hian nnstapa stamn