West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-08-03
THE CHARGES WHICH
HAVE BEEN MADE
Against the Asylum MANAGEMENT at
WeStOn-They are Elaborate
and Specific,
AND MAKE ALLEGATIONS OF A
SERIOUS NATURE.
The Roard Of Directors Postpone n
Trial-A Desperate Effort 10 White
wash will be Made.

| Weston. w. Va, July TO- The pre-
sent row over asylum matters is one
in which the dem acrats have no con
cern 1t is exclusively repu 1lican
quarrel. Talk concerning affairs at
the city hospital has been going on for
a year or more, and there has been an
undercurrent of charges OF wrong do
ing all this time that has finally grown
until suspicion OF their truth become
so strong that republicans themseIves
felt the necessity of thorough in
vestigation
The offenses alleged are so serious
that nothing more than a mere allu-
sion TO them would be appropriate at
present
Recently committee of repu blicans
of this county formally presented TO
the Board of Directors OF the hospital
written charges against the admlnis-
tration of the asylum. The charges
referred in general way TO immoral
| conduct, but they were indefnits as to
specifications at first. They we're SUI
| sequentlY made definite enough to
>
Leading republicans here irsist that
the charges are abso' utelY true, and
that they will be abundantly sus-
tanned when the evidence is heard
DR.. Stathers and his friends deny any
| improper or immoral conduct on his
part, and theT assert that the charges
are the result of a black mailing
| scheme.
The truth or falsitY OF the charges
will be developed bY evidence but in
view of the fact that the charges as
| presented to the Board OF Din ectors are
signed by w. S. Woodell, c. =. Swint
and r. Ad. Hall, leading and iuflusn-
tial repn blicans OF Lewis county, is
| pretty strong confirmation that they
have testimony to prove what they
SAY, whether their testimony be true
or not.
The charges are specific against Dr.
| w. f. Stathers, and their allegations
are charges of gross misconduct to-
wards female employees Of the institu.
ton. 1t would not do for me TO use
the language of these charges, but the
substance of them is as follows:
| First, that he used the power Of his
position TO attempt to degrade young
women in his e m ploY, 10 wit: that on
the 30th day of April, 1899. he snt cred
I the sleeping apartment OF one OF the
female employees Of the hospital at
neaiIY midnight; that he turned out
the light and attempted familialities:
that later when he had learned that
she had told her mother Of the affair.
he asked her TO deny its truth. and
threatened a discharge if she did not
| 90 it' she would not deny it and after
wards he did discharge her.
The second charge is that on another
date he approached another employe.
and sought TO persuade her 20 take a.
trip 10 Pittsburg with him, and in his
conversation sought TO induce her TO
do wrong And later when he was in
/ formed of misconduct between two
other employees, he merely laughed at
the matter.
The third charge is that when he
was informed Of improper conduct be.
tween employees at tho hospital, he
declined to take any action in the
matter, and gave as reason that these
things were all right unless they were
| found ont.
The fourth charge IS that he sought
TO embrace another lady emploYe Of
the hospital, but she ran away from
him
The hfth charge is that he an.
preached patient in the hospital who
was afterwards discharged cured. and
the charges allege that he freouentlv
annoyed and insulted her. The charges
further say that when he learned that
she had made a statement OF his CON
duct toward her, that ne tried 20 coercc
her into siguinQ counter statement
and also tried 70 ind uce her 20 leave
town until after the board had adj.
iourned
The sixth charge is that DR.. statb.
ers told Dr. Snider that he wopId
give half years salary if he could
mislead certain one Of his etnpIsves
and in the same conYersation he told
DR.. Snider that he was welcome 10
bring about ANYTHING he could with
her.
Ihe seventh charge is that Dr.
9tathers on certain day pointed out
% Da7id Snidsr who happened TO be
IN the hospital a. that tine. one Of
'"e ieinale employees and told Snider
'hhI she was an improper character.
ana Tor snider TO cultivate her acauain-
lance, and IL would be all rigbt with
him. DR. stathers And this same
woman continued in the omploy Of the
asylum for months afterwards. and
was finally discharged because her
condition WAS such that she needed 10
retire to a hospital
The next allegation in the charges
is general one, calling upon the
Hnnrd 20 nrnfact IA. nt,N.-aa-