Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-03
STAR CHAMBER PROCEEDINGS
Innovation Adopted by Populist Officials to
Transact Business.
PUBLIC EXCLUDED FROM ALL HEARINGS
Poynter Sits Judge, Jury and
Prosecutor In the SpraEue Case
Some Populists Criticise the
Governors Course.

LINCOLN, June 2.-(Special. 1.-The at
tempt OF the populst state administration
to establish a new precedent in the conduct
OF the states affairs is meeting with rather
severe criticism from all quarters, some of
the strongest populists being the most out
spoken against the adopted policy, which is
that Of holding secret board meetings and
hearings. Coming so soon after the opening
of bids on the governors mansion by the
Board OF Public Lands and Buildings in
executive session the action OF Governor
Poynter In excluding the public and repre-
sentatives OF the press from the hearing of
DIR. Sprague Of the Institute for Feeble
Minded is meeting with considerable criti-
cism
Under the laws of the state there have
been numerous hearings of heads of different
state institutions before both the chief ex-
ecutive and different state boards. but there
Is no of recent years on record where
the public has been excluded or the pro-
ceedings withheld from reporters. Without
consulting more than three or four men who
offered houses to the state under the act of
appropriating money for an executive man
sion the secretary of the State Board of
Public Lands and Buildings, after holding an
Informal conference with the members Of the
board, announced that the bids could not
be given to the public. This, Mr.. Porter
stated, was the wish of the bidders, but 1t
has later developed that only few OF them
expressed any opinion as to the advsability
OF opening the bids in the presence of re-
porters. In fact they were not aware of the
decision OF the board until after it had
been announced by the secretary of state.
All the publicity that has arisen in the
Sprague case came through DR.. Sprague him
self, who published the charges preferred
against him by the governor. Had 1t not been
for the publication of those charges through
the efforts of DR., Sprague the hearing before
Governor Poynter could and probably would
have been carried on unknown to any per-
sons excepting those directly interested.
Eleven Counts Against spraEue.
There are eleven counts in the indictment
of DR.. Sprague which bears the governor
signature and are in brief as follows
Wrongfully appropriating premium on war
rants OF employees, neglect OF patients
cruelty TO inmates carelessness and neglect
OF duty, causing the death rate to largely in
crease, Misrepresentation OF the condition
OF the institution in his biennial report
mismanagement in dsposing OF state prop
erty, failure to report funds in the sewing
department, wrongfulfy charging to the state
express on goods sent TO relatives and
friends and charging the state with cost Of
transportation 10 Omaha when pass was
used.
The first hearing OF DR.. Sprague was held
before Governor Poynter last Saturday At
that time only DR.. Sprague and his attor-
neys were admitted. His objection 10 the
hearing before the chief executive and mo-
tion that the case be tried before the Board
OF Public Lands and Buildings was over
ruled and the attorneys for DR.. Sprague
filed a general denial to all OF the charges.
The case was postponed until this afternoon,
when It was taken up again in the gov
ernor's private room. The proceedings re-
main secret. but after hearing 1t was
stated that the testimony OF five or six wit