The San Francisco call., 1896-05-13
WEAVER TURNS
ON HIS ENEMIES.
Board of Health AppointeeS
Charged With Serious
Crimes.
THE COOK DREW A KNIFE
Secrets of the AlmShouse Made
Public by the Superin-
tendent.
INMATES WERE ASSAULTED.
A Serious Scandal Is Now Brewing
in the City and County
Poorhouse
INMATES WERE ASSAULTED.

superintendent Weaver of the Aims
| house after bearing patiently the assaults
on his character and ability that were
made during his recent trial by the Board
| of Health, and which eventually resulted
| in his dismissal to make room for man
of the same political complexion as the
majority in the board, has at last turned
on his tormentors and returned blow
that has fairly staggered the men who
have done Governor Budd's bidding.
During the entire investigation, So
called, which was held in secret and behind
closed doors, Mr.. Weaver made no effort
4 to strike back beyond quiet intimation
that some of the acts used to support
| charges against him had been due to the
friction between himself and political ap-
pointees of the present board. who refused
| to keep up the discipline of the institution
and put his authority at naught. He
made no specific charges at the time, but
bent his energies to refute the accusations
against himself.
Now that the board has declared his
place vacant and appointed Democratic
| political hanger-on to succeed him, he has
made public certain acts of some of the
! boards employees that make the charges
| against himself pale into insigniiicance.
AT Meeting OF the board held on Mon
day Mr.. Weaver sent in a communication
that places three of the employees ap-
pointed by the board, and supposed not
| only to be sober, industrious, competent
men, placed there because OF their fitness
| for the positions they occupy, in a very
peculiar light.
He openly charges Chief Cook Kearny,
| on of the most recent appointees, and who
was lauded when his name was proposed,
IL. l.
| decrepIt and unable to resist, and pushing
him down stairs, pulling hair out of his
| beard and threatening TO carve him with q
| knife, which the cook drew during the
melee. Others are charged with like
| offenses and with intemperance. The
| bulk OF the communication is as follows:
As superintendent of the City and County
| Almhouse will acquaint you with the follow
| ing facts: On the morning of May D, P. F.
| Kearny, chief cook of the Almshouse, as
| saulted an inmate named James Hudson. He
| called him vile names, pushed him down.
stairs and pulled hair out of bis beard. Kearny
| then drew knife and made threats of greater
] bodily narm TO Hudson. This attack was not
made in self-defense, but a premedit tated as
| sault in the presence OF number OF witnesses,
| who can be produced.
| attack on James Coniff on April 1S last, and
| the1atter was rescued from injury through
| the assistance OF bystanders. Witnesses to
| this assault will produce at the request of
! your board.
DR.. Charles J. Grant, who is the night watch
| man in Hospital 3, / find is wholly unfit for
| his duties by reason of his feeble health, old
age and intemperance. The sick and dying
are neglected by him aud the dead are un-
| watched and uncared for during the night.
have not exercised the power / understand
| legally possess as superintendent TO remove
these men, owing to the peculiar relations
| that have existed for some time between the
] mem bers OF the Board of Health and myself,
| but upon reflection have decided to submit
| the facts to the Board and request an imme-
diate investigation, offering at the same time
| 10 present the proof for all the allegations
| have made.
The members OF the board looked
| askance at each other as their friends were
scorched by the superintendent, and when
| the reading was finished a motion was
hastily made and carried that the matter
be referred to the Hospital Committee.
To be sure that the Hospital Committee
should have the document at hand DR..
| Hart, member OF the committee, placed
| it in his pocket. The only mention OF the
matter il the minutes is that a communi-
cation had been received from Supe-in-
tendent Weaver and referred as stated.
1t is understood that Mr.. Weaver is pre-
pared to bring other charges against the
| boards appointees if these should be ig-
nored.