The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-29


mons Official conduct as superinten-
dent of the county inf1rmary was held
yesterday before the board OF select
men, who acted as accusers as well as
judges of the truth of the nine charges
which they had formulated against the
head of that institution. The inqulsl-
ton was thorough, that is, SO TAR as
was in the power of the prosecution.
but at the close of the affair last night
it was difficult for an unbiased person
to discover wherein one of the charges
had been in any way substantiated.
The witnesses produced by the COM
plainants, with few exceptions, were
all of such character as to be wholly
unreliable. On the other hand Mr..
Cannon by overwhelming evidence,
proved that his treatment Of the in
mates and management of the infirm-
airy in general was such as to COM
mand the approval of every unpreJu-
diced person.
The investigation began at the joint
building in the morning and wound up
at the county infirmary in the evening.
Promptly on the appointed time Mr..
Cannon was on hand with his legal
representative, Judge Powers. and sig
nified his readiness to. proceed. lie
demanded a public investigation and
this was easily acceded to by the wor-
thy three, as they claimed it was their
intention TO have the investigation
private to save Mr.. Cannon an unnec-
essary notoriety."
Before proceeding with the taking OF
testimony Judge Powers objected to
Mr.. Roberts as a member of the COM
mittee, on the ground that his mind
was prejudiced, and in accordance
with the ruling of the other two Sc
lectmen Mr.. Roberts was ordered to
leave the room.
The Bill Opens.
The first witness called was Robert
Price, who has been employed in the
capacity of steward at the infirmary
for the past two years, and by whom
the worthy selectmen had hoped to
prove all the material charges against
Mr.. Cannon.
In regard to the first charge that
Cannon neglected his duty by being
absent from the institution a great
portion of the time when he should be
there, Mr.. Price stated that the super
intendent was in the habit of going
into town every morning for the mail,
and that he would be gone from one
to three hours. The doctor usually
visited the infrmary once a week and
there were medicines and various
other things to get for the inmates.
OF course, other people could have
gone for the mail and. witness did not
think il particularly necessary for the
superintendent to go up town, as some
of the other employees might have
been sent. Witness could not say that
Mr.. Cannon had ever been absent at
night, to exceed on an average once a
month. There were instances, how
ever, when witness, Mr.. Cannon and
Mrs. Cannon had all been away at
one time; this was when they would
come in to town and put in their
vouchers, but nothing, he said, had ever
happened to the injury of the inmates
during their absence as other en-
ployees Were in charge. The rule was
that one of the superiors would always
be in charge at all times.
In regard to the charge of allowing
inmates to leave the infirmary and
become intoxicated and become
public nuisance" the witness first
stated he knew of none, but upon re-
Election recalled the case Of Erick
Swanberg. the shoemaker who enjoys
the distinction, according to the police
authorities, of having been arrested at
least 100 times during the past four |
years, for getting drunk and beating
his better half Swanberg was at the
1nilTnlaTN, OUT DcCdiIle 50 UDuOAlOUS W
all the inmates that he had to be sent !
away. Witness said Swanberg would |
often go down town, get drunk and !
raise HI in general He was a |
stout man and it would take a, pretty !
good man to keep him at home. and /
then it would require a steady watch. !
Mr.. Geddes elected the statement /
that two other inmates had slipped !
away one night and gone down town |
and INDUCED in n spree.
Cross-Examined BY Christophcrson.
Selectnnan Christopherson took turn |
at the witness. and cross-questioned, (
he said the inmates were allowed to |
ramble around the premises without /
any structures, and the only way it |
could be prevented was TO have a !
night-watchman.
Couldn't you lock them imp" sug- !
gested Christopherson.
Eyes, we tried to lock Swanberg up |
one day. but he crawled out through !
the window
There were several complaints
made to US about the sanitary arrange !
ments at the infirmary. and at one !
time we were threatened with being in |
dicted." said the selectman. Now, |
what do YOU know about that?'
at think the cesspools should have |
been pumped out oftener," replied the I
witness. and that was all he could say |
to charge No. 5.
-'Negiect of d1ty IN circulating and .
allowing to he circulated slaDderous
stories and gossip about the inmates
and emnlovees.' read Mr.. Geddes. I
Haunting charge No 4. Now, what |
90 YOU know about that?"
There is ALWAYS more or less gossip
in a place like this. Some of it vas
occasioned bv attempts
them I think there wer-a good reasons
for trying to remove The girls at one
time got into the habit of staying out
late at night and would often not come
home until the last car
Abusive and Profane Language.
Mr.. Price said he had heard Mr. Can
non use abusive and profane language
to a colored woman, Julia Brown She
had some difficulty with someone, and
The superintendent approached and
called her "a id old black hitch"
AS to the Superintendent ill-treating
anyone. Mr.. Price could not saw. He
found Swanberg. the old shoemaker,
washing blood from his ear one dav,
and in renlv to e querrv he told wit
ness that Arr. Cannon had struck him.
Witness did not think tho-a was
arv partislitv shown in distributing
clothes among the inmates. as had
been complained Of by an old lady.
and which bad been The foundatio,
for the last charge.
Mrs. Downey.
rrLe,, mr. D~-;1. LEA ~. ~+o,S a.