Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-06-27
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
NEWS VERDICT
concluded from Page one.)

had he actually appointed one? TIL
insane asylum is one Of the governor
pet institutions, they said. and he ha'
appointed men who would bow TO hi,
will and cover up the crime. TIL,
governor hadn't ever the right to ap
point a committee. Why didn't some
one else appoint it?
..Who would you have had appoint
1t, and what men would you have Sc
lected TO serve on it?' asked the
News representative of a score of the
principal kickers.
well the governor had no business
TO appoint it,
But if you didn't want him to ap
point the committee, whom did you
want to do so?"
We'll | don't know was the in
variable answer; but / didn't want
him, These men are his paid serv-
ants"
What men would you have select
ed'
"Well-I-; well, ! can't just think
Of any now
DO you know these men the gov
ernor has appointed?'
NO; not exactly. That is-Ive
heard Of them.''
investigation Was Open.
That seemed to be the general mar
ner in which the members Of the com
mittee were discussed by the oppo-
nents OF the asylum management.
The investigation was public and
was held in the law office of Colonel
Brunswick, in the very center Of the
Mexican factions stronghold.
II d he witnesses for The
prosecution, under The gcneralship OF
Editor Lyon, who had taken it upon
himself 10 become a prominent factor
in the investigation, consisted, with
only Il on two exceptions, OF ex-eln-
ployes OF the asylum, men and women
who had been peremptoriIy discharged
because of gross negligence or inabil-
ity, or had left because the hard work
at the institution did not agree with
their constitutions. They had all evi-
IDENTIFY been casting longing eyes to
the future, when they hoped to fill ro-
muneratiye positions with little work
at the asylum. That they had out
their h%atchets' for the present man
agement of the institution was shown
beyond all possibility Of a doubt before
scarcely any of the testimony had
been taken.
DR.. Da Costa, a young physician,
who had formerly been DR.. Tipton's
assistant at the asylum, was the cen
ter, around whom pretty much all
the rest of the proceedings revolyed.
The testimony showed that DR.. Da
AOSId Idu uIlllCu HUI ldo NtSdo
sometime ago with a sick wife. He
tried practice there, but failed, con-
circumstances, according to all the
evidence, DR.. Upton had taken him
up and befriended him, and upon his
urgent request had secured his APP
pointment by the board OF directors
as assistant physician at the asylum
DR.. Da Costa was provided with a
home there and a salary of sos a
month. When his circumstances grew
brighter so rapidly, his ambition grew
apace. Evidence showed that he had
weeks before he began to plan to GUST
his benefactor and secure his own ele-
walton to the position Of medical SUI
perintendent. Mr.. Gregory, a member
of the board Of directors, testified that
Da Costa had come to him and at
tempted to undermine DR.. Upton, say
ing that he could do the work of the
institution as we'll as 1t was being
done and hat he would do it for less
money.
Some interesting Testimony.
Other former attendants, who had
not been discharged, testified that Da
Costa had told them that they had to-
work too hard and received tod small
pay, and that he would soon be made
medical superintendent in place Of DR..
Upton. He promised to secure for
item easier hours and more money.
Virginia Maestas, who, 1t was
shown, had been run out OF Las Vegas
and had later been implicated in an
affair at Albuquerque that had caused
her to leave there also, testified for
the prosecution in regard to the ex.
cessive ~ill-treatment OF a patient on a
day when the records showed she had
not been near the asylum. Later. in
a conversation on the street, she fatty
~contradicted much of the testimony
before the committee.
The Ferris wheel, treatment was
ma nf Tho tbipuc v,on4 .r.u.~ I