Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-12-11
LEAVENWORTH SOLDIERS HOME
INVESTIGATION.
LOCAL MANAGER TESTIFIEs.
MAKES AN UNFAYORABLE SHOWING
FOR GOVERNOR SMITH.
General Treasurer birmingham Tells
What He knows of Officers
Bonds-The keeIcy Cure at
the Various Homes
Adjourned.

Washington, Dec. 10.-The investigation
OF the National Soldiers home ~ Leuven-
worth. kas.. 10y q special committee Of the
house was continued to-day, and number
of officers of the board and home were
examined General Franklin. the president
Of the board Of managers. was questioned
concerning the disposition Of the trust
funds bequeathed to the home, known as
the Ward and Sunson funds. but nothing
important was developed.
General 5. G. Cooke, local monager Of the
Leaveuwor;h home, testified that during
the last fiscal year the number Of dishon-
orahIe discharges from the home had been
;,bnormally large more than from Dayton
home. which had i membership twice us
large. lie could not give figures. Being
asked 10y Chairman Grout regarding treat
ment Of witnesses who had testified against
the governor in q former investigation Che
Averiil investigation, Colonel Cooke said
that most of them. numbering about
dozen. had been recommended by the gov
ernor for dishonorabIe discharge. They
lad been promised protection from punish
ment on account of their testimony, but
irfractions Of the rules were charged
against them. Half of them were rein
stated by him Colonel Cooke. Men were
discharged on testimony OF the police force
and he lost confidence in the integrity OF
that force, and had sweeping changes
made
Assistant Inspector Averili read reports
of the results OF the gold cure in the homes
made in 1893. which were exceedingly COM
mandatory.
Concerning punishments. Mr.. Averill said
there were cells for confinement of the un-
manageable at most of the homes, and
straightjackets were sometimes used.
]. NJ Birmingham, general treasurer of
the homes. testified that most officers
bonds were furnished by the American Sc
curity Trust Company, of New York. which
charged y per cent of the face OF the
bonds. He denied that he received any
compensation for inducing officers to take
out their bonds with the company
In answer to a question by Colonel Blue,
Mr.. Birmingham stated that the treaSur-
ers bond was $4,000. BY persistent ques-
tioning Colonel Blue brought out the fact
that the American Security Trust Com
pany furnished nearly all the bonds re-
quired OF the officers and that tie secretary
of war sends forms. when bonds are 10 be
filed. for individual bondsmcn and fer Il Sc
curity company. The premiums on bonds
approved by General birmingham amount
annually to 81. 715. The general did not
think il a singular fact that almost with
out exception, all officers of the Soldiers
home secured their bonds in the American
company. IL answer TO question by
Colonel Blue as to whether he secured any
reduction in the cost of his bond by reason
of his services to the company. he said that
he considered the company the best kind
of security and that beyond that he had
no interest in it. Beyond William D. Lv
man, the vice president of the company, he
did nos know another member. He ac-
kHowledged that the company had made
proposition to him to get all the officers to
secure in this company. but he rejected the
proposition. He knew nothing of the insur-
ance on buildings of the Western branch.
Assistant Inspector General Leverfng was
examined in regard to the Kelley cure.
He said that the cure had done much good
at the Western branch and those who
took il came forward and begged for the
privilege AS a result of the cure there
were. only half as many cases of drunken
ness this year as last year. Many men,
he said, have left the home cured and are
now working for their own living, and that
men who before returned to the home
from furlough in a destitute condition now
return with money i'll their pockets. The
examination developed the fact that in
mates of the Western branch were charged
S22.3 for the cure, while those AT Marion
where a modified form of the Kelley cure
which is very successful is employed were
charged only $l5. He laid particular stress
on the fact that when the men paid for
the treatment they appreciated it more
than If furnished gratis.
The committee met again at o'clock and
Colonel Steele, local manager of the Mar
ion home. was briefly examined. He was
questioned upon several points, but de-
veloped nothing new.
The sale OF beer ON the grounds ut the
homes he thought TO be beneficial.
Pending the arrival of several witnesses
summoned. the committee will not meet
until Saturday.