The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-17
FACTIONS ARE AT WAR.
Petitions and Counter Petitions
Over the Charity Hospital.


Over the Charity Hospital.
War to the knife and the knife to
the hilt seems to have been declared,
and the fight is now raging between
the McKanes, who oppose, and the
other colored people, who favor, the
the maintenance of the Charity Hos
pital at Florence and Thirty-sixth
streets.
Some days ago, it may be recalled,
a petition was submitted to the City
Council, requesting an appropriation
for the hospital. This was followed by
protest from the Doctors McKane.
who made vigorous protest against the
city making any donation to the hos
pital without assuming its control.
The McKanes made grave charges
against the board managing the hos
pital.
Yesterday supplemental petitions
were filed by both factions, as it was
expected that Council, in its last
nights caucus, would settle the ques-
eANAA 40 " WhCbiCl IlOL LHCAC
be an appropriation made. The petit
ton on behalf of the McKanes was
signed by some 200 colored persons,
and was as follows:
1.-The petition of your humble ser
wants, colored laborers, workingmen
and mechanics, respectfully showeth:
That, whereas, we, our wives and chill
dren, by virtue of our small earnings
are often found in times of need bene-
f1ciaries of the citys charities, and
from our scanty means contribute our
mites to support the Charity Hospital,
formerly the McKane Hospital, seek
ing thus to relieve the great strain
from the Georgia Infirmary; and,
whereas we have been informed that
its management lacks ability, tact,
Judgment and economy, we humbly beg
that the protest of Drs. McKane be
considered and no funds be donated
from the city treasury unless the city
is IN control
The petition from colored physicians,
members of the board of trustees and
other friends of the hospital, in answer
to the charges of the McKanes, was
as follows:
The appearance of four colored ply
sicians, Rev. Alex Harris, Lawyer A.
l.. Tucker and George S. Williams, a
little over week ago, before the
Mayor, and the filing of a petition in
the interest of Charity Hospital, was
the occasion for some savage on
slaughts in the form of protest sign
ed by one DR.. Cornelius McKane and
one DR. Alice Woody McKane, his
wife, which protest appeared in the
morning and evening papers of our
city, and in which they claimed that
there was gross misappropriation of
the funds of the hospital. and that
some of the board declared in open
meeting that there was no wrong done
and that if they We're in great need of
money for their own personal use they
would not hesitate to use hospital
funds, and further, that that the con-
trolling board reversed themselves and
repudiated us. claiming the colored
people could run the institution with
out the city's aid
First. We desire to pronounce every
one of the above, charges absolutely
and unqualifiedly false and every other
statement in their protest except the
founding Of the hospital eight years
ago. - s. ~
Second. We earnestly and honestly
petition anew for some little aid in
carrying on the present work of the
hospital for WITHOUT any aid at all
the hospital has done some good work,
under its present management, as can
be attested to by some of the leading
white physicians of the city, in allie
Waiting the distress of the rcolored
people. a.
..Pledging our good names for the
honest and faithful discharge, of, any
trust or confidence in US. the McKanes
Notwithstanding, we are respectfully
yours,
"a T. Tuoion vrAeidao+. 49,. NJ.
tall, Emma Collier. S. Louis Ward, L.
H. j. Mayring, NJ. E. Dukes, Alex
Harris, T. James. Davis. ]. H. Bugg,
j. w. Williams, Sol. C. Johnson, j. H.
Johnson, G. S. Williams, P. E. Love.
q j. r. Davis, C. Bryant Whaley and
w. c. Blackman."
The City Council, at the special
meeting last night, gave no consider
alton to the petitions. which were not
read. 1t is probable that they will be
taken up at the special meeting of the
board that is to be held Friday night