Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-12-27
THE ASYLUM RorTENNEss.

iZed the ofhCldl Circle Oh the west
ern Asylum for the Insane, under
the administration Of Gov. Beck
ham, will be one Of the matters to
urgently demand the attention Of
the General Assembly.
SON otter ihe uev officials we're
placed in ch rye, there began .
dsregard Of the rules Of official rec
titud and matters grew worse UNI
til in the early part Of the past year
the Idcts could 40 lOnger be con-
cealed. An exposure WAS made
and credible NItness>s swore that
the asylum had been Tor months
the scene gambling and licen-
tionsness. There resulted series
of scandals that nauseated the
whole state and brought reproach
upon the Democratic party. For
fifty years the asylum had been in
charge of men whose christian
characters commended them to the
public, and the people were filled
with indignation that the institution
should be turned into a gambling
hell and brothel, if the testimony
at hand was to be credited.
The Superintendent who tried to
stop the reign of lawlessness was
summarily removed.
The Board of Commissioners,
composed of nine of the best men OF
the community, four of them law
yers, including an ex-senator and
an ex.Representative, demanded
again and again that something be
done to purify the morals of the in
stitution.
The physicians Of HoPkinsville
loined in a similar demand.
The people in a mass meeting
protested against the condition of
affairs.
One hundred business men OF
HopkinsVIlle telegraphed the Gov
ernor, asking him to investigate and
remove the guilty officials.
Finally an upright Circuit Judge
and a fearless Commonwealth 5
Attorney took the matter up and
Investigated the criminal charges,
leaving to the Legislature the work
OF investigating the sworn charges
of various other phases OF ins
morality. The result of this in
curry was that every male Official OF
the asylum appointed by the Gov
ernor the year before, excepting the
superintendent removed, was in.
dicted for poker-playiug or crap
shooting, Many other frequenters
OF the asylum gambling rooms, some
Of them holding commissions of
honor or profit from the Governor,
we're Likewise indicted, Asylum
officials were not only indicted for
& gambling in the asylum, but were
likewise indicted by other witnesses
for the same species of lawlessness
in gambling rooms in the city of
Hopkinsville.
Some of these men have confessed
judgment and paid their fines.
Others are still under indictment,
having not yet been tried.
In the face of this disgraceful ar
ray of facts, the guilty parties are
still in Office and there is reason TO
believe that the Senate OF Kentucky
Will be asked to become an Access
sorry after the fact and endorse the
crimes and scandals brought to
light, by confirming their nomina-
tons.
The Board of Commissioners has
oy IT'S Cthcial report lald the facts,
or a part of them at least, before
the Governor to be by him trans
mitted to the General Assembly.
If the Legislature will take the
trouble tojnvestigate, it will find
that only part Of the corruption
has been exposed. 1t will hud
further, that the Board OF Commits
sioners Las found it necessary 10
keep; viglant latch on other
matters pertaining to asylum man
iagement, beside mere Questions Of
decehey and morality,
rbs Rsgals q ntnel'A