Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-11-29
COMMITTEE FINISHES ITS WORK AT
LEAVENWORTH.
GOVERNOR SMITH TEsTIFlES.
WAS THE LAST WITNESS CALLED
FOR THE DEFENSE.
Denies All the Charges Against Him
in Toto-COmmitteeme Leave
for the East-WiI Recon-
yene in Washington
December o.
Denies All the Chm.

Leavenworth, Kas. Nov. 2s.-(Special)
The congressional committee that has peen
in session here since November IS closed
its labors so far as hearing testimony at
this place is concerned, at 4 o'clock this
afternoon, and at 4:45 p. m. the committee
men left for the East. There was certainly
no junketing in connection with the work
of this committee, for it buckled down to
work from the start, and kept up the lick
until the end was reached, holding sessions
daily and expediting matters in every way
possible. There was nothing, however,
done in the way of shutting out testimony
of any kind, there being an evident deter
mination to get at The bottom facts IN the
case on both sides of the question without
the show of partiality.
So thoroughly has the committee done
its work that, no difference what its final
report to congress may be, the people most
nearly concerned will have no grounds for
complaint The committee adjourned 10
meet in Washington on December 8, but
before adjourning it was arranged that
the defense should have the privilege OF
taking and forwarding the testimony OF
Governor z. n. Morrill, and prosecution
should have the privilege Of taking and
forwarding the deposition OF one witness
who was not able to appear before the
committee at this place.
The proceedings of to-day were devoid OF
interest, being confined to the hum-drum
of denying the testimony adduced by the
prosecution, the witnesses tesufying all be-
ing officials at the home. Among these
were Mrs. S B. Smith, of Topeka, VINO
has been matron of the hospital for four
years, and who Is not a relative of Gov
ernor Smith, and Chaplains Kinsella and
Gillespie. Each testified that in the general
management of the home and in the treat
ment of the home inmates the governor S
conduct was all that could be desired,
and that they had never heard OF brutality
or ill-treatment until the newspapers pup
lished the proceedings of this investigation
In the cross-examination of Chaplain Gil
lespie it was brought out that he had been
tried at Sparta, ILL.,, for abortion, but ne
said he was acquitted of this charge by
jury. When questioned on this delicate
subject, Chaplain Gillespie said to Colonel
Waters, the leading counsel for the prose-
cution: You are trying to blacken my
reputation; 1 have been threatened that my
character would be ripped up the back If
came here and testified"
Dr. A. W. Reese, second assistant sur
geon at the home, and medical director of
the Keeley institute, testified to the good
conduct of Governor Smith in the man
agement of the home; that he knew the
governor had not tasted a drop of alco-
holic stimulants since he had taken the
Kelley cure in 1881; that in his official
capacity he visited the guardhouse every
morning at S o'clock, and he never knew
anyone to be bucked and gagged; that two
OF three times only had he seen men placed
in straight jackets.
DIR. Fryer, of Kansas City, who has been
third assistant surgeon in the home hos
pital for over three years, gave similar
testimony and described the straight jack
cts used at the guard house. saving they
were made of canvas and SO constructed
that the occupants hands could be folded
| across his breast and then so buckled back
behind as to prevent him from doing in
| jury to himself or anyone else; that they
I were precisely like the straight jackets
used for violently insane persons.
Governor Smith was the last witness
| called for the defense and he denied in
| toto all the charges that had been made
| against him; said that he had not tasted
| one drop of intoXcants since December 30
| 1891, the date he began the Kelley treat
| ment; that he never heard of anyone be-
| ing bucked and gagged at the home until
| this Investigation began, and that Il would
/ be utterly impossible for such thing to
| occur at the home without his knowledge
! He said he had not contributed any mon-
/ ey for the defeat Of Congressman r. W.
| Blue; that he had felt that he had been
| greatly wronged and he might have talked
| about the matter before election. ana he
| supposed what he said would not be very
! complimentary TO Mr.. Blue. Governor
| Smith was cross-questioned at some length
| as to the disposition of a report that had
| been made to him by Surgeon Viewer. al
| the instance of the then local manager OF
| the home but he could not recall. he said
| that DR. Viewer had ever made such a re.
| port to him.
| There is much speculation as to the out.
| come OF the investigation. Many appear tc
! believe that the result will be disastrous Il
the present home management. while
| as many seem to entertain different view
/ believing that the evidence adduced does
not warrant the dismissal of Governor
/