The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-12
| Office
BURKE
| BUILDING
THE SMITH CASE.
The Poor Board Meeting Argues the
Case and the Attorneys Opinion.
Yellow Journalism.

The poor board met in regular ses-
sion last evening. The meeting was
called to order by Chairman McCape
at SIS. Attorney II. G. Butler, the at-
torney of the board. was in attendance
and gave legal opinions on several
cases which have come before the
board of late. A motion was made ny
Lynch. seconded and carried that Ill
the future the meetings will be called
to order at 7.3O instead of O'Clock,
the present time of opening the ses-
sion. McCabe explained the case OF
the deceased W. Ellsworth smith,
which has caused much public COM
ment in which the poor board ana es-
recially NcCabe and Williams of the
Farm, committee shared. He explained
bis mart of the case. lie had been noti-
fled that "A man named Smith was dead
ON the Greenfield road and his father,
the renowned c. Washington smith,
had no means with which to bury MN.
Mccabe journeyed to the scene ana
informed the father that the body
would be taken care of by the poor
board and sent to Philadelphia as the
law REQUIRES to be used by an anatomi-
cal society in the interest OF medlcai
science. The father did not want the
body used in that way and SAID he
would take charge of the remains ana
have them inferred without the help
of the poor department. MH. McCape
then came home and called Attorney
Butler and Undertaken Burns before
him. He stated the case to the attor-
ney and the latter told him he was IN
the right. The next move in the case
was when Sanitary Officer Moifitt or
the Board of Health notified McCabe
that the poor board must take care
of the badly decomposed body. MI.
Nccabc then had the body inferred at
the boards expense. Attorney Butler
read the law in regard to the disposal
of bodies of paupcrs. He showed that
Mr.. McCabc was in the right in regard
to the shipping of the body to Phila-
delphla and that he had also done
right in burying the decomposed body
after being notified to do so. He stat
ed that the body was in such condition
at the burial that Il medical school
could not handle it. Chairman Nc
Cahe predicted a roast for himself and
Mr.. Williams in 4 Sunday yellow
journal He stated that he did not fear
a roast, as he considered the crcula-
,on of the yellow sheet. but he did
Jlol wait lilt t'ipllt " b'l'tN' 'i'p' ~
had acted inhuman in not having the
body attended to inside tWentyfour
hours and Attorney Butler was then
asked for his opinion on the taking care
IF people said to be insane. 1t was
xpaincd to him that constables from
rhet towns can rush. and have done
30. persons said to be insane, to the Jail
1ere, and then send word to the poor
no n ~ ln of thpD1 ''Wr do
not know whether it is drunk or in
sane they are Mr.. McCabc said, and
we have to pay for two physicians to
examine them. Though they be resi-
dents of this city he was of the opin
ion that the relations should uay for
the examination The attorney stated
that the board could not accept them
as-ihsane unless statement by two
physicians testfying to their insanity
MAS shown. Mccabc wanted nforma-
1ion in regard to paying fares for re-
lations of an insane person confined in
an asylum for them to go and see
them. He tied that he had parties
come to him for transportation to
Danville to see relations confined there.
The attorney stated that there was no
reason for such demands. The drec-
tors thought there We're too many pa
tientS confined in Danvillc. They be-
lievcd that the patients from here
should be distributed in some of the
other aSylums. Lynch thought the
Hillside home an unsafe place as pa
tientS are allowed too much liberty
there. lie told of the several escapes
of Il Carbondalc man who had been
confined there. Several bills We're or
dered paid and other minor matters
settled before adjournment.