The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-11
PERU WABASH HOSPITAL
AN INSTITUTION NOW PROMINENT IN
THE PUBLIC EYE.
Reply of officials to Structures OF Act
havior-Wabash Hospital System.


PERU, Ind, Dec. 10.-Hans Schwegel or
Chicago, representing himself TO be the
acting consul of Austria Hungary at Chi
cago, has given out an interview in which
he makes a number of charges against
the Wabash Railroad Company and the
management of the Wabash employees hos
pital at Peru. He makes statements to the
effect that the Wabash has spirited away
the Austrian victims of the wreck and will
not reveal their whereabouts to him; that
the Wabash is inducing the men to sign
away their rights to damages for a mere
| song; that the road employed an inter-
prefer for the purpose of influencing the
victims, and that the officials of the Peru
hospital refused to allow him to converse
with the patients and treated him like
a burglar"
! After reading the interview which APP
reared in the Journal on Saturday, Super
intendent Gould said:
There is absolutely nothing in the
! charges The man must have a pretty
vivid imagination to conjure up such stun.
! Signor Bresetti, who was here to represent
the Italian consulate, expressed himself as
very much pleased with things as he found
them about the hospital
DR.. E. H. Griswold, surgeon in charge
of the hospital, said:
1.-The whole thing is base fabrication.
The man Schwegel is trying to defend
| himself against his own count -ymen. One
| of the AustrianS at the hospital threat
| ened him and said he would send a re-
port of his actions here back to Austria
| The Austrian would not have anything
| to do with Mr. Schwegel and now he is
| trying to defend himself by attacking the
! railroad.
NJ ipna uybp WA
very busy looking after the wounded. Our
| instructions are, when having as much
work as we can handle, to admit no Wis
itors except those who are personally in
| terested in the Injured people. Mr..
Schwegel presented himself, a stranger
to the house surgeon, Dr.. Glenn
| identification and information as to
whether it was right to admit him. Dr.
! Clemens invited the man in and telephoned
TO me. / replied that Mr. Schwegel could
see the Austrians and others If he desired.
At the same time it impressed on
him that neither the Wabash Railroad
representatives nor any one else is per-
| mitted by the rules of the institution to
| visit the hospital for the purpose of trans
acting business with the inmates while
they are under treatment. There is plenty
| of time after their discharge from the hos
pital and their friends are notified in ample
| time.
MIR. Schwegel saw the two Austrian
! victims of the Seneca wreck and talked
| with them. He said on leaving that he
| had secured their promise to give him
| power Of attorney to settle their business.
| He had the papers made out and took
| them back to the Austrians to sign on
Sunday. They refused their signatures.
were written in English, which they could
| not read nor understand. Some of the
| Austrians of the Cass wreck are still at
| the hospital They knew Mr.. Schwegeps
actions when he came to the hospital after
| that disaster last June, and they are the
| ones who influenced the men from the Sen
eca wreck against Mr.. Schwegel.
When he says he wasn't permitted to
see and talk with his countrymen he says
| what Is absolutely untrue He said he was
treated like burglar. 1t might be said
the window after being told of the hospital
rules, instead of coming in at the door.
He should have been treated like bur-
! glar."
There are still half dozen foreigners
and half a dozen Americans receiving
treatment at the hospital for injuries re-
| ceived in the Seneca wreck. The hospital
| here is the finest on the Wabash system,
| and one of the best-equipped institutions
of its kind in the country. The building
| was erected in 1896, and represents a cost
of over $35, 900. 1t is located at the top of
the Ridgeview hill, at the north end of
| Broadway, the main business street, and is
only few squares distant from the Union
Station. Arrangements are made for treat
ing all employees of the road, no matter
from what department, working east of the
Illinois state line. This includes the terri
tory from Chicago to Buffalo, from Titon,
Ill, TO Detroit, and from Peru to Toledo.
Besides the Wabash employees those of the
Indianapolis and Michigan City division of
the Lake Erie have the same arrangements
to be admitted as patients.
The hospital system was introduced on
the Wabash in 1884, when the Missouri Pa
cihc was in charge of the road. 1t was an
extension of the hospital system in opera
ton on the Missouri Pacific under the man.
agement Of DR.. ]. w. Jackson. When DR..
by DR.. Morehouse, the present chief sur
geon, living in Danville, Ill Hospitals are
maintained at Moberly, Mo-, Springfield
and Peru, at each place being shops of the
company, and arrangements also are in
force for caring for patients at St. Mary
Hospital, in St Louis, and at Harper
Hospital. in Detroit. In addition there are
dispensaries at Toledo, Danville, Decatur
and Ashley. The three regular hospitals
are maintained by contributions from the
salaries of the employees. those earning
more than $50 a month paying so cents a
month, and those less paying 80 cents a
month to insure them all medical and sur
gical attendance, whether victims Of acci.
dent or illness. The management is giver
to the officials OF the railway company, and
the board of trustees controlling affairs
now consists of President Ramsey, Solici.
tor General Blodgett and Auditor Pryor.
The hospital in Peru was established in
1885, and was at first in frame building
in different part OF the city. The size
was doubled while in the frame building
but the business turned to the hospital kept
increasing until the present large and mod
structure was made necessary.
DR.. 4. II. Griswold is the surgeon III
charge, DR.. G.. f. Clemens is the house sur.
geon, and Peter Senger is the druggist
Eight Sisters of St. Francis are employed
as nurses They also are engaged at the
hospitals in Moberly and Springfield. Tn,
building has a main portion of two and
half stories, extending 125 feet, and with
one-story wings on each side ii has
| breadth OF 200 feet 1t is built of fine buff
pressed brick. and has the finest Of every
thing in construction. both in its interior
and exterior. 1t has a capacity OF ovel
fifty patients, and the average under treat
ment is usually twenty-five.