The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-25
DR.. HOCEBOOM
REMOVED.
Head of the Santa Fe Medical
Department
Dismissed BY the Board Of Hos
pital Directors.
WnNsT NVAKE PTRIJC
WON'T MAKE PUBLIC
Exact Reasons For the Removal
of the Doctor,
But 1t Is Charged That Re-
cent Public Operation
BY the Unspeakable Pitcher
Was Permitted By Him.

Doctor George w Hogeboom, chief
OF the medical department of the Santa
Fe railroad has been removed from his
position, by the directors of the hospi-
tai aSsocia ton.
What the exact charges were has not
been made public, but it is minated
by those in a position to know, and not
denied by the president of the assOcia-
ton, that it was on account of a public
exhibition of a surgical operation made
by DR.. Pitcher, which should have
been kept secret.
DR.. HogebOOm was not in town at the
time of the operation, but it is alleged
it was through his permission or that
of his immediate SubOrdinates that the
affair took place.
The rumor- is that all the physicians
of the hospital who took part will also
be removed.
General Manager ]. J. Frey, who is
also president of the hospital aSSOcla-
ton, when asked by a State Journal
reporter about the removal of Dr.
HogebOom as chief of the medical de-
partment of the road, at first said: I
don't care to discuss that now" After
a short pause he asked: Have you
talked with Mr.. Hogeboom about it?'
Being answered in the negative Mr.
Frey said: Il will say this much. The
board of directors have deemed it nee
essary to remove DR.. Hogeboom as
mead of the medical department OF
the road. l do not care to say any
Who Will be appointed to succeed
DR.. HogeboOm?" asked the reporter.
That 1 can't say at present. said
he The arrangements have not yet
been made"
The officers of the association in To-
peka refuse to say anything about the
matter. Edward Wilder, who is sec
rotary and treasurer of the association,
was seen this afternoon at his home on
Harrison street and refused point blank
to say anything about the removal or
even that DR.. Hogeboom had been re-
moved.
Can you tell me anything about the
removal of DR.. Hogeboom?'' was asked.
mo, sir, know nothing about it, -
he replied decisively.
why was DR. Hogeboom removed %
Il have nothing to say
do you know why he was removed ?"
4 know nothing at all about it,
But it has been given out by Cen
eral Manager Frey that DR.. HogebOom
has been removed
Then let the information come from
Mr. Frey. 1 have nothing whatever
to say about it,
Mr.. Wilder maintained his position
and insisted that he knew nothing
about the matter. 1t is possible that
President Frey removed DR.. HOgebOOm
without consulting the other directors.
but that is hardly probable, for March
10 is the date named for the order to
go into effect and the date would not
have been fixed were an investigation
to be made.
superintendent Nudge. who is also
a member. of the association. is sick at
his home in Potwin and could not be
seen.
DR.. Hogeboom lives at 8O1 West Sixth
street, but he is not at home He left
Saturday for Las Vegas, N. M, and is
not expected home for several days.
He had nothing to do with the opera
ton, personally, for he left Topeka on
Saturday and the operation was per-
formed on Monday evening.
His removal could only have resulted
from the fact that he permitted the
operation at the hospital 1t is said
that there would have been no objec-
ton if the operation had been witness
ed only by members of the medical
profession but the general invitation
given to newspaper representatives and
members of the legislature and the
fact that there were men and women
present and it was made a Semi-public
affair resulted in the decided stand of
the. president of the association.
1t is understood in railroad circles
that General Manager Frey has not en-
tertained the best of feelings toward
the chief surgeon for some time. Soon
after he accepted the position of gen
eral manager II is said, he demanded
the removal of DR.. Hogeboom and the
election of a well known Missouri sur
geon in his place.
The plan failed, but it is said that
Mr.. Frey has been waiting for an Op-
portanity to dispose of DIR. HogeboOm
and he saw it in the affair of last Mon
day evening and accepted the oppor-
tunity.
The officials at the hospital knew
nothing of the action of the general
manager when a reporter called this
afternoon. DR.. ]. r. Fay who is the
next surgeon of the association under
DR. Hogeboom, appeared somewhat
startled when told of the order. He said
excitedly:
Il am not surprised. But everything
which was done here that night was
justifiable. 1t was thoroughly and abb
solutely justihable. All that were down
here were a few medical students and
some friends of DR.. Pitcher"
who will be appointed in DR.. Hoge-
booms placer asked the reporter.
Il don't know. l have no idea. I am
pect that if he was removed for this I
will be dismissed, too. I expect they
will have an entirely new force"
Though DIR. Fay is in the regular line
of promotion, and under ordinary cir
cumstances would succeed DR.. Hoge-
boom, it is not likely that he will The
man who is slated for the place is DR..
L. Fl. Mum of Topeka who is General
Manager -F'rey's family physician, and
who, though a comparatively young
man, is one of the leading physicians of
Topeka.
DR.. Mum refuses to discuss the mat
ter or to say whether he has been Of
fered the position, or whether he would
accept the place.
The position pays a salary of 50 900. ana
from a financial standpoint DR.. Mum
could probably not afford to take the