The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-08-07
AGNEWS' HOSPITAL INQUIRY.
SOME OF THE FACTS THAT
WERE ELECTED.
a Report That Brist1es With
examinations and Recrim-
nations.

A complete transcript of the testi-
mcny in the Agnews Insane Asylum IN
Vestigation recently conducted by the
State Commission in Lunacy has been
received in this city, and excerpts from
1t make interesting reading.
The transcript covers 242 type-Writ-
ten pages, and while much of it is VOID
OF interest those sections referring 70
the distribution of patronage are sharp
and to the point
Edward White, a member Of the
Board of Managers of the Agnews asy-
lum, when asked if he knew OF
any act on the part Of any one
Of the Board of Managers that
would tend in any way to a1ect
the management and proper conduct Of
the institution, testified as follows:
Some time after l was appointed
there was, l am sorry to say, friction
between Mr. Gould and myself. 1t was
during DR.. Hatch's time. l think DR..
Hatch will bear me out good deal In
what I say, and in particular in rela-
ton to the patronage. Shortly after
l was appointed 1 had conference
with the Governor in relation to the
patronage business. l desired to get his
views in relation to the matter. He
patronage was to leave the matter IN
the hands of the Trustees, but that the
fairest way to apportion the patronage
would be, when we made changes here,
to divide them pro rata-to give one
fifth to each member, and allow the
Republicans two-fifths and the Demo-
Gratis three ffthS: and that whenever
any changes in employees were to be
made he would, rather than put in an
incompetent Democrat, put in a COM
petent Republican. That was the way
l started to act on. DR.. CurnoW and
Mr.. Gould, who were the members OF
the board a that time, had no meeting
with me in San Jose l stated my
proposition to them, and gave them the
views of the Governor. DR. Curnow
agreed to carry it out as far as he
could. Mr.. Gould promptly declared
that Governor Budd was not running
HIM. l stated that nobody was running
me. but that 1 thought it was good
proposition and we'll to follow out. Then
the trouble commenced, and has been
continuing ever esice.
The next thing that came up. Mr..
Gould announced that he was TO have
the stewards place.
Il said: Anything against Young
oh, hell he says; we have got TO
have this place. l says: i don't
know, and said /, furthermore. by
what right Mr. Gould, 90 YOU claim it?'
He said: I have promised the place
10 Gavin McNab of San Francisco
Says l: Will you tell me who this
gentleman is?' His name is Mr.. Long
| saws: Is he a Democrat?' He
(Gould) says: He is a Democrat. Said
5frl,- .,I.ie n n
not concede the place to you We had
some words over the matter. Things
grew pretty hot 1 asked DR.. Curnow
what he thought about it, and he says:
Let him have it if Frank wants it.
j says: He will never get it with my
vote; he shall never have the place.
Mr. Gould started out to run the
asylum-to fill the positions here. He
would write down TO DR.. Hatch telling
Dr. Hatch to put certain people in
positions. and one day DR.. Hatch called
my attention to it, and says: What
am | going to do? l don't want TO
have any trouble in this matter. ard
l don't want you people to think I am
catering 10 one more than another
Further on in the examination White
testified
Several of the employees came to me
and told me they had reason to believe
there was a detective in the building.
II said: i don't know anything about
1t. l don't think there would be a de-
tective there unless the board was
notified. They said he is mighty sus-
picious, and he is nosing around here
and investigating and lodging around
and I says: He cannot be much OF
detective or he would not give himself
away and if you people attend to your
business no detective or anyone else
can get a hold on you. DR.. Sponogle
was instructed by Mr.. Gould to put him
Ghe detective) in a position"
Erwin Frost Of San Jose. "a collector
of bad bills and rents and a 'detec
tive" told how he had been employed
by White to investigate the character
OF DR. Sponogle. the Medical Superin-
tendent Of the asylum.
He CWhite) wanted to know" relat-
ing conversation with former, what I
had heard about DR.. Sponogle. 1 told
him ard he said he was ashamed of
himself that he voted to put him into
this institution; he had almost violated
his oath.
He came to me and told me that his
sister-in-law, Miss Ella Royce, had
been fired out Of here and her place
filled by one of Goulds pets. who was
in every way. shape anad manner that
a woman can be to a man: he wanted
me t. go tc San Francisco and take up
Goulds trail and find him in a posi-
tion, in a compromising position If pos
sible. with the woman, so he could use
it on him. He wanted this woman re-
instated at all hazards"
DR.. Hatch: DO you remember
making the remark about Mr. Gould
living as 9 boy hunting rabbits and deer
and learning his sneaking ways in that
respect
A. II told him CNhite) he used to be
a neighbor Of mine where he used 10
shoot jack rabbits for his family and