Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-01
Exciting Election at the Emergency
Hospital.
DR.. KERR TO BE DEFEATED
The Former Directors Are Put
Back in Their Places.
A WE'LL CONCEIVED PLAN

held this afternoon at o'clock at the hos
| pital building. 1t had been looked forward
to with much interest by the entire medical
profession of Washington. as well as by
the large number of people who are inter-
| ested in the prosperity of the institution
and whose anxiety had been excited by the
recent developments of the unpleasant re-
| lations existing between the surgeon-in-
| chief, DR.. James Kerr, and the members
! of the medical staff of the hospital. 1t will
| be remembered that the members of the
| medical staff some days ago formally de-
manded the resignation Of DR.. Kerr. because
Of the impossiblity Of its members sustain
! ing pleasant personal relations with him.
| There was no complaint against DR.. Kerr's
| professional skill, but the staff declared
that its members individually and collect
| lively, could not pursue their duties at the
| hospital and submit to DR.. kerr's methods
| and mannerismS and retain their self-re
| Spect. The matter became public property,
| and the board of directors Of the institution
| concluded to investigate it and committee
! was appointed for that purpose, which is
! now considering the controversy. with the
| intention of making report upon 1t May 4.
The Election Last Week.
| Meantime the annual election of the con-
| tributing members of the hospital was held
to fill the vacancies In the board of di-
/
terms of Office of ten members. This cleo
| ton took place week ago this afternoon
and resulted in the development Of methods
| that We're characterized as being of the
same genus as ward politics.
The result was that numerous people
| who had not heretofore been identified
| with the institution became contributing
| members by paying in So apiece at the
| meeting and thus purchasing the right to
| vote. The majority Of these new members
l u-h
! the ballots were counted it was found that
| Mr.. John b. Wight. the treasurer; Mr. II.
| Randall Webb the secretary, and Mr. w.
| J. Boardman, all of whom have been con-
| nected with the institution for long time
| together with Drs. II. l.. E. Johnson and
| George Byrd Harrison, who were among
| the most faithful laborers in behalf of
| the success of the hospital. had been drop
| ped from the board and their places filled
by the election of DR.. J. Foster Scott, Dr.
]. F. Moran. Mr.. John cassells. Mr.. Gardi-
| Smith. The other directors elected were
| DR.. d. w. Prentss, DIR. J. Ford Thomp-
son. Mr.. w. C. Whittemore, Mr. B. II.
Warner and Mrs. Joseph r. Hawley.
Much bitterness Developed.
The result of the election was regarded
| as a victory for DR.. Kerr and at first
glance it was thought that the new board
| of directors would stand by him in case
the emergency arose that would make such
| a course necessary. The manner in which
| the elections had been carried however,
led TO great deal of bitterness and more
indignation. The bitterness existed be
tween the friends of DIR. Kerr and the
| friends of the institution who regarded
| his continuance in authority there as in
| furious TO its good. The latter claim that
| DIR. Kerr's friends had packed the meeting
at which the election was held, while DR..
| Kerr's friends said that the others had at
tempted the same thing and were simply
| outnumbered.
| In reply to this assertion the defeated fac
| ton declared that while they did secure a
| number of contributors who voted for their
| ticket that they were justified in doing as
| they did because they were inspired by their
devotion to the best interests of the hospital,
| while their opponents We're influenced by
| personal considerations for DIR. Kerr. The
| Indignation at the result of the election was
| not so much due to the controversy between
| DR.. Kerr and the medical staff, however,
as it was to the fact that DR.. kerr's friends
| had succeeded in ousting from the director
| ate of the institution men who had worked
| faithfully for its success.
An Unexpected Turn of Affairs.
| Drs Moran and Scott Immediately de-
CARED to their friends that they would de-
| cline to serve on the board of directors I'M
| der such circumstances, and one of Dr.
| KerrS most earnest friends on the board
| and a surgeon of wide Tenown, Informed
| DR.. Kerr that he would not countenanCe
| such methods and would vote for the re-
! turn of Drs. johnson and Harrison to the
| board whenever the occasion was offered
| This occasion arrived today. Under the by
| laws of the Emergency Hospital the con-
| tributng members of the institution have
| the power of elccting ten members of the
| board of directors. When vacancies occur
! in the board however, they must be filled
by the board itself, ballot being cast for
| each name proposed, and a majority vote
| carrying this election
Plans to BE Carried Out.
1t was pretty well known before the meet
Ing was called to order that the resigna-
| tons of DR.. Moran and Dr. Scott were in
the hands of President Warner, and that
Drs. II. l.. f. Johnson and George Byrd
Harrison, who were defeated at the election
last Friday, would be chosen to fill the
| vacancies
| 1t was also known that Miss NJ j. Waite
had also sent in her resignation, and it was
believed this vacancy would be filed by
the return to the board of Mr.. John b.
| Wight, who had been the efficient treasurer
of the hospital until his enforced retire
ment at the same election last week.
There were assertions also that Mr.. VIM
| Calf and DIR. N. S. Lincoln contemplated
retiring, and that these vacancies would
be filled by the election of Messrs W. j.
| Boardman and Mr. H. Randall Webb
| former secretary of the hospital, who were
also left off the contributing members
| ticket.
1t was pointed out. however, that DR.. Lin
| coins resignation could not create a va
cancy to which either Mr.. Boardman or Mr..
Webb would be eligible. only physician
could succeed physician. These were the
| premoHitory symptoms when the doctors
and laymen began to gather, and it was
| pretty generally admitted that Dr. Kerr s
friends would be in minority in tho board
until another election of contributing mem
bers would be held. at any. rate.
| 1t was currently believed that the board
would organize. after the vacancies were
| filled, by the election of Mr. Henry l..
| West as temporary presiding officer, to
hold office until Mr.. W. ]. Boardman was
reelected member when he was to be
| made president.
The Meeting Convened.
When the meeting convened 1t was nearly
2:3O o'clock. and there were present Mrs.
Joseph R. Hawley, Mr.. c. ]. Bell, Mr.. B. H
| Warner, DR.. G. L. Magruder, DR.. w. H.
Hawkes., DR.. J. Ford Thompson, Mr. Cal
deron Carlisle, Mr.. w. c. Whittemore, Mr..
Henry l.. West DR.. T. Norris Murray, Dr.
E. L. Tompkins, DR.. Swan NJ. Burnett, DR..
| James Kerr, DR.. D. w. Prentiss John