The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-11
HE DRINKS TO EXCESS
CHARGES AGAINST DR.. THOMAS, OF
EVANSVILLE HOSPITAL.
Committee Convinced that He Is q
Big-Hearted Man, but Not Salts
fed with His Management.

Neither the Senate nor the House commit
tee on benevolent institutions had a quorum
at the investigation Of the Southern Hospital
for the Insane at Evansville. Senators Boyd,
White and Stuart represented the Senate
committee and Representatives Holloway,
Harris, Blue and Duncan were the MEM
bers of the House committee present. SEN
ator McManus and Representatives Stutes-
man and Williams accompanied the COM
mittees, but they were not members. Perry
Blue, of Sullivan, and w. l.. Swormstedt,
of Evansville, members of the board of
trustees of the institution, were present
during the examination. The members OF
the committees returned from Evansville
yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
A member of the General Assembly, who
visited Evansville Saturday and Sunday. re-
ports that the hospital for insane at that
place is not in as good condition in every
way as the hospitals at Richmond and
Logansport.
In speaking of 1t he said: "Dr. Thomas,
after a very rigid examination from Senator
I. E. Boyd, chairman OF the committee
from the Senate, admitted that there were
about nine Republicans in the institution
to thirty-four Democrats, who are voters,
that he was guilty as charged SO far as
drinking was concerned, to this extent, i
sometimes drink five or six glasses of liquor
in a day, but i never drink enough to
disqualify me from discharging the duties
of superintendent He admitted that they
ton for the purpose Of learning how to
vote under the Australian system. IL was
the opinion of the committee that a col
ored girl of the institution was pregnant,
although she had been there about two
years. DR.. Thomas claimed he did not
drink as much away from home as ne did
at the institution. He said his mind was
employed when away, but when at the
institution he found plenty of time to drink.
He said that civil service was practiced,
but could not understand or explain why
nine Republicans were employed in the in
stitution against thirty-four Democrats
declared that DR.. Thomas was unfit for
superintendent for the reason that he drank
too much; others. that he was indolent
he borrowed money of the employees. A part
of the employees appeared before the COM
charge. A lady physician testified that he
owed her $50 borrowed money and another
that he owed him $500. So far as could be
learned. however, these were straight bust
ness transactions. DR.. Wertz, an ex-trustee
of the institution, who resides at Evans
vile, could not say whether the super
intendent was a graduate Of any medical
college. He testified that he WAS indolent,
drank TO excess. did not look after the
interests Of the farm sufficiently and was
disposed to not visit the wards often
enough. When the Doctor was catechised
by Senator Boyd upon the subject of his
drinking he broke down and cried like a
chIo. Inc coAiliittee were AupieSsea WIZ
the honest, straightforward manner in which
he told his story and that superintendent
Thomas, with all his faults, was a big
hearted man. He said he did not allow
his employees to drink, when Mr.. Boyd
asked him If he did not think that he could
enforce that rule better if ne would alb
stain from 1T himself.
Many of the wards in the Southern in
stitution belong to that class known as
disturbed patients A large number OF
applications are on file and no beds for
them. The COMMITTEES adjourned saturday
night at midnight. Senator White, of Spen-
Ger, Republican, Representative Williams.
of Posey, Democrat, and Mr.. Fred Bennett,
of Evansville. an expert accountant, were
made a special committee to examine the
books and report to the General Assembly
the results of the investigation at an early
date. All the evidence heard in the insti-
tuition by the committee was taken down
by Hiss Poore, a stenographer. and will
be written up to-day for the benefit of the
members of the committees in the raoase
and Senate"