The morning times., 1896-04-18
THESE DOCTORS DISAGREE
Emergency Staff Want Chief Sur
geOn Kerr 10 Resign.
PURELY PERSONAL GROUNDS
Committee of the Board of Directors
Now Investigating the Matter-No
Shadow Is Cast Upon the Doctors
Professional Ability, But Incom
patibllity of Temperament Alleged

Surgeon in Chief at the Emergency Hos
pital, DIR. James Kerr, has been asked by
four members of the medical staff of the
institution to resign his position.
In q few words the members who have
asked for the resignation have concluded
that they cant get along with DR.. Kerr.
There are seven members OF what is known
as the medical staff, including DR.. Kerr.
1t is said that the disagreement OF the
doctors eliminated about a week ago,
when the president of the staff, DR.. s.
NJ Burnett, stated to the staff that har-
monious relations with DIR. Kerr were
an impossibilty. The board of directors
of the hospital met ON the 10th instant,
and at that meeting Dr.. Burnett read
copy of the letter, i'll which the resignation
of DR.. Kerr had been requested, and 10
which no answer had been received.
DIRECTORS HOLD a MEETING.
The board of directors evidently thought
the matter worthy Of consideration for a
committee of the board was appointed TO
make investigation and report on the facts.
This committee consists OF Messrs. B. II.
Warner John w. Foster, A. A. Thomas,
H L. West and w. C. Whittemore.
This committee met yesterday afternoon
and did some Investigating at the hospital.
Mr. Foster was elected chairman and Mr..
Whittemore, secretary. One witness was
examined, Miss West, the superintendent.
member of the Investigating committee
was asked for a statement of the charges.
Il think" he said, you might eX-
press it by comparing the case to divorce
suit. 1t appears from the statements
so far that there is an 'incompati tibility OF
temperam ment' between the staff and DR..
Kerr, and the staff wants divorce.
LAS to what we did: We had Miss West
4l,p, ~, fl,aar.
a general discussion Of the conditions which
had led up to the request for DR.. Kerr's
resignation. Miss West, by the way, was
called in to make plain some matters We
did not understand.
WILL MAKE A REPORT.
The committee then adjourned until
Tuesday, May 4, without taking any ac-
ton. We will pursue the inquiry in the
meantime. Our report will be made only to
the board OF directors
There was a meeting of the staff last
evening, at the residence of DR.. Hawkes.,
the secretary, No. 734 Seventeenth street
northwest. Dr. Bennett was asked for
some report of the nature of the proceed
ings, but he said that there was nothing to
give out. DR.. Bennett was very courteous.
Dr. Kerr also had meeting, which was
attended entirely by himself, as was in
tended. He Is not the least bit affected by
the proceedings so far. He said that he
did not care To discuss matter pending an
investigation by committee. He had full
confidence In the committee" and would
await its report without fear
All of the physicians speak in the highest
terms of DR.. Kerr's professional ability.
The disa greement is on entirely personal
grounds. The members of the medical staff
are: Drs. H. L. f. Johnson, &. h. Harrison,
w. H Hawkes., 7. NJ. Murray, s. NJ. Burnett,
E. L. Tlmpkins, and James Kerr.