The San Francisco call., 1898-07-14

Enough was developed at the short and exciting session of the morning, | however, to warrant the intervention | of the Governor to the extent or seeing l that the internal affairs of AgneWs Asylum are thoroughly sifted, and the
 blameworthy exposed and punished.
 This was the day set by the board for the opening of bids for new cottages to be built for the institution. The bids
 were opened and the award made to | MT. Davis at $15,500. Before proceed ing to other routine business Mir. Frost | was asked if he wished to address the | board. He said that he did, and that it would take him but a few minutes. | He declared that he had been denounc- ed before the board by John Griffith as a blackmailer. He thought he ought to have been asked to come De- fore the board to answer the charge made by Griffith. He understood he said. that Griffith had said that he (Frost) had shown Griffith typewrit- ten document, which was to be used to blackmail Dr. Sponogle. Frost denied that he had any intention of blackmail- ing any one, and then launched out unexpectedly as follows
 From what has come to my knowl- edge I want to say this: Dr. Spo- nogle ought to demand an investiga- tion, or take his little gripsack and leave Santa Clara County. Either the doctor has been defamed, or he Is not fit to be at the head of this insti- tuition.
 |, Dr. J. R. Curnow here asked start ling question of Frost in way to show | that he had received some previous in tIa
 Have you heard of any bribe money
 being offered by anybody in this in l stitution?" was his interrogatOry.
 'I promised not to mention the mat ter" replied Frost, but as you ask the
 question, I will say that I have been l told that pr. Sponogle gave certain man s200 to prevent that gentleman's wife from being present at this meet | ing
 Charles Williams, the husband of the young woman, who Is said to have been discharged at the instigation of Frank H. Gould, was requested to formulate any request that he had to make. He stated that he appeared on behalf of his wife, nee Barnhisel.
 My wife" he said was let out here some months ago. The motive which brought about her discharge was that she had certain information det- rimental to this board, and they tell me that my wife is a nervous wreck. and that she was laboring under mental hallucination. 1 have made very careful investigation of her con- dition and If I am married to ner- vous wreck I have not discovered it.
 "She has told me that one morning it was her unfortunate experience to have seen the medical superintendents sec retary come out of a room in the other AF ho h,ril6iDU and have Q Der of witnesses and evidence to bring before this board in relation to cer- tain woman. This matter has been talked about throughout the build ing, and has given a black eye to this place. My wife reported the matter to MT. Gould and also to Dr. Sponogle. The latter said that. the matter was so important that he felt 1t was his duty to report 1t to MT. Gould, which I un- derstood he did
 "But Mir Gould said she was simply being made tool by some one who wished to injure his brother. MT. Tour tilotte.'
 At this juncture o. A. Hale. one of the members of the board of managers objected to any charges being made against an absent member, referring to Gould
 Mir. Williams stated that he was sim ply trying to give the facts that brought about the discharge of his wife, and said he thought he had a per feet right to do this. He then con- tinued:
 My wife believes that she was dis charged because she related matter that was entirely true, but which was against the interests of certain parties here. I don't believe you gentlemen would have discharged her if you had known the facts. I believe she was dis charged from malicious motives In behalf of my wife and in the interest of fairness. in the interest of good mor- als, I don't see why my wife should have been discharged"
 Edward White, another member of the board, here asked: "In case this board does not put your wife back. do you insist on an investigation as to her discharge?"
 To this Williams replied: 'I shall in- sist on thorough investigation of all the matters that led to her discharge. have the evidence of the immoral con duct of some of the persons here. and I think 1t should be placed before the board"
 MT. Hale again interrupted to ask