The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-05-04


Attorney Birds questions were more
on the order of state what you know"
than on the order of Did you do this?'
and gave Mrs. Lease an admira BILE Op-
portunity TO tell her story of Senator
Householder'S conduct as chairman of
the state board of charities, an op-
portunity which she improved to the
fullest.
TIME WASTED BY THE BOARD.
Much more time was spent by the
board at the state charitable institu-
tionS than there was any need Of, she
said. and she laid the responsibility for
it upon Air. Householder, the chairman.
She declared that he had unsurped au-
thOrity, assuming TO act as the board
without consulting the other members.
Judge Webb tried several times to stop
Mrs. Leases story, but she went on
without regard TO his objections. Once
she sad. on his obiecting to something
about the OSawatOmie asylum: You
know judge. and the other members OF
the board will bear me out in testify
ing to il, that you came to the boards
room and advised us to carry axes and
hatchets and wedges and TO use violence
10 put d r.Wentworth out of the OSa-
Watomie asylum and get into the vaults
and corridors. That is the kind OF An
archist doctrine you advocated.
Mrs. Lease went over the testimony
already given by other witnesses as to
the fact that four of the Pack family
have been quartered at the asylum for
a great many months; that Mr.. House
holder condoned shameful abuse and
neglect of patients by the officers and
attendants; that Householder spent
great deal of his time playing croquet
with the female employees, frequently
delaying board meeting thus; that
Householder and Mrs. French, an at
tendant, were more intimate than was
seemly: that Householder tried to COLI
lect mileage by chasing the board
around the state; that Householder
took advantage of trip made to Iowa
for the purchase of cattle To visit his
relatives in Illinois or Indiana and
that Householder assumed in several in
stances to award contracts for supplies
without consulting the other members
of the board.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
The best of the testimony came out
on the cross-eNamination Il almost
squelched Judge Webb. His questions
brought out such unexpected answers
a times that he was almost dumbfound
ed and could only gasp and appeal to
the committee. He was asking Mrs.
Lease something about an attempted
meeting of the board at BelOit on the
lst of last January. Householder, II
appeared. had gone to Beloit December
81, but as his pass expired with the
year. he left at once 10 avoid paying
fare. although he collected mileage
The next day the other members OF
the board were on hand. but no House
holder. Mrs Lease had said that there
wasn't a grea ideal Of clerical business
to transact and that the board left the
same day, when Judge Webb started 10
query:
If there wasn't any business over
there
Who said there wasn't any business
over there?" broke in Mrs. Lease. II
there hadn't been any business. what
business would tie members OF the
board had u so there?''
Judge Webb: But Mrs. Lease
Mrs. Lease: Judge, You are hope
lessly floundering: you had he;ter ask
some other line OF questions.
And the judge thought 50, too.
Mrs. Lease said that the members
Of the board had considered the mat
ter of protesting against the allowing OF
! HousehoiGer's mileage for the Beloit
trip. bat il was never done. In reply
10 Judge Wehb's question as 70 where
she supposed Householder went from
| Beloit. she said: Il don't know; but Il
IS safe TO say that he went home -
Cherokee county. 50 that he could coli
lect more mileage. He frequently did
this
MY DEAR BROTHER"
In the course of the testimony Judge
Webb had occasion TO ask who the su-
perintendent at the asylum was at
, particular time referred TO.
..YVhe was superintendent az the asy-
lump repeated Mrs. Lease. Well. L
is a little hari to tell. There have been
about thirty supreintendents at the
asylum for some months, my dear bro
ther. and I think there may have been
al this time"
1Ers. Lease had a way 81 referring
10 Judsa Webb as my dear brother
which pleased him nightly when it
didn't make him nnad9