Omaha daily bee., 1900-09-01
POINTER ENDORSED LANG
Governor Gave His Official Countenance TO
Conduct Of the Doctor.
RECORDS OF THE MIDDLE At BEATRICE
OmcisI vi Miiconduct Was known at the
state House and Covered tp by
the Popocrntic Powers
for Months.

LINCOLN. Aug. (Special)-In the
light CT recent events at the Institute for
Feeble Minded Youth ~ Beatrice, It Is in
tersting to recall the findings OF Governor
Poynter after the star chamber hearing OF
Superintendent Lang, in which the latter
was completely exonerated Of all charges
ot mismanagement. At the time the opin-
Ion was written Governor Paynter had
Langs written resignation in his pocket
and consequently did not consider 1T nee
essary TO show any cause for change In
the superintendsncy Of the institution. one
of the conditions OF the agreement under
which Lang wrote the resignation vas that
Governor Poynter should put nothing IN
the findings that could be construed as
upholdnR any of the numerous charges
that had been made against him. 50 that
he could retire from the administration Of
the institution with clear record. Gov
ernor poynter gladly fulfilled his part Of
the agreement and not only exonerated
Lang but weng so far as to say that his
conduct OF the Institution had been ex-
cellent. This opinion places Governor
Poynter on record as practically approving
the conduct OF the home.
Poynter Must Have known.
II will be remembered by those who have
tOllOWtu lnt Lang iOHiIbNflog lhdl va lol
to the hearing an attache OF the governor 5
ONCE spent several days at the Beatrice
home investigating Lang's records. What
the examiner found in his Investigations
was never made public. but II Is now ad
mitted that the official records of the
institution were about in the same condi-
tion then as revealed III the report OF
Expert Accountant De France. For sew
ersl months members OF tho Board OF Pub
lie Lauds>and Buildings have known that
Lang was spending state money without
authority for unnecessary supplies and II
is now learned that Secretary of state Por-
ter and Land Commissioner Wolfe told
him that he might use what money he
thought was necessary for purchasing cat
tie sheep and other supplies. The individ-
ual permission OF these two officials was
the only authority Lang had for using any
portion OF the cash fund, and TO relieve
Governor Poynter OF a portion OF the re-
sponsibilty OF Lang's administration the
Board OF Public Lands and Buildings will
probably declare their words as good as
law and reimburse the institution cash funG
from the state general fund.
Robbed the support Fund.
The money spent by Lang came from a
fund for The support of inmates and the
law does not contemplate that the fund
shall be used for any other purpose Every
dollar OF this money that was spent for
cattle, sheep and other supplies was paid
to the institution with the understanding
that II should be spent only for the sup
port of the inmates. A major portion OF
the amount so expended by Lang was paid
by the parents and relatives to the wards
and consequently the misappropratiou
causes great hardship on many of the in-
mates
An Abraham Lincoln Afro American club
has been organized in this city with n
charter membership of nearly 200 A fam
beau club will be formed as a brother or
ganization and will be under the direction
of Captain Edwards.
With the exception OF a few repairs
that are yet to be made the buildings on
the State fair grounds are in readiness 10
receive exhibits and many of them are al
ready filled. In the fisheries building all
the tanks have been placed in position and
the fish are expected tomorrow morning