The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-21

the grossest scandals:
SOME SCANDALS UNDER FU-
SION RULE.
The management of the peniten-
tiary by the Fusionists was nOtori-
ousIy incompetent and scandalOus.
a plain, unvarnished history OF
all the scandals could not be print
ed in a reputable newspaper, so
vile and low were some OF them.
They skunk to heaven and became
so disgraceful that Governor Rus
sell transferred the Superintend-
emit to the position of Commits
sioner of Agriculture. 1T was
,,oised abroad that Governor RUS
sell gave as the reason for making
the transfer that there was so
much peculation and thieving at
the Penitentiary that he wanted
to get Smith away and put him
into a place where he could not
make way with any more of the
public property" The peniten-
tiary authorities, though required
nv law to do so, refused to give
any information about the affairs
of the institution when requested
to do so by State Chairman Sim
mons.
The Kirby Smith Scandal.
AT the last session of the Legislature
an act was passed transferring the crlml-
nal insane of the State from the Insane
Asylum to the penitentiary. Soon there
after apartments were fitted up in the
penitentiary building at Raleigh, and Dr.
Kirby H. Smith, son of John R. Smith
superintendent of the penitentiary, was
given charge of that department. Moth
ing was heard from it until September
II. 1897, when DR.. Kirby Smith suddenly
left Raleigh for New York city There
were rumors that he had been forced to
resign On account of intimacy with te-
male patients in the criminal insane de-
partment Investigation established the
truth Of this charge, not only upon the
evidence Of the women and woman con-
vict acting as attendant, but also upon
the testimony of Mr.. Benton Williams,
the trusted and capable attendant in
charge, whose character is as good as any
mans in North Carolina The details
of the shocking crime, as published IN
the papers, created profound sensation
throughout the State. The people are
ready to make allowances for the oTdl-
nary mistakes of public officials, but there
| is one crime in a physician in public
institution for which there is no forgive
ness, and that crime was committed by
the son of the Republican superintendent
of the penitentiary. On the 22d OF Sep
! TENDER, five days after the publication Of
/ this debauchery of demented women, the
directors of the penitentiary held a ses-
sion Instead of taking prompt action
Chairman Dockery said on the night Of
September 81 eff Dr.. Smiths resignation
is in this morning, it will be accepted
and there will be no investigation of the
charges made against him. If it is not
in, the charges will be publicly investi-
gated. / have been assured that it will be
before the board today 1t is thus seen
that it was the purpose of the board to
let the matter pass in the hope that the
public would not fully know of the dis
grace. But whom the gods would de-
stroy. they first made mad On the very
day when Chairman Dockery was getting
ready to accept the resignation and thus
smother the whole affair. John r. Smith
abused Mr.. Williams for making truthful
statements and threatened to have him
dismissed before night. This compelled
a change in the programme, for when the
board met it was confronted by a letter
from Mr.. Williams, resigning his posi-
tion and requesting a full investigation.
The board was baffed in it's desire to
avoid an investigation, and it was ordered
| to be made at the regular October meet
ing. At that meeting, after an eXamina-
ton, the board of directors declared that