Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-05
IOWA WELL EQUIPPED
Plenty of Hospital Room in
State, According to the
Board of Control
INSANE BEING WELL CARED FOR
Completion of Many Much Needed
Secondary institutions Will Take Up
Overflow From State Hospitals
Movement Started for Better Care of
Epileptics-GeneraI Given's Career
;peciar to Times-Pepub!ican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Jan. 5.-According to the
estimates of the state board of control
it will be a long time before there
need be any considerable enlargement
of the hospital room for the state OF
Iowa. With the opening of the new
state hospital at Cherokee, the COM
pletion of numerous much needed sec
ondary buildings at the other three
hospitals, and the building of the new
soldiers hospital at Marshalltown, it
is reckoned that the state of Iowa is
now well provided with hospital rooms.
In addition to this there is marked
advance being made in the matter of
county and private hospitals for the
insane. and general desire on the
part of county officials to comply with
the law and regulations in providing
abundance of room for the hoplessly
insane This will have the effect of
taking up the overflow from the state
hospitals. The four state hospitals are
practically filed now, but this is be-
cause there are persons in the hos
pitfalls who ought not to be there. Prac-
tically two hundred are kept in the
state hospitals who have been sent un-
der the penal statutes by sentences
from district courts for the crime of
inebriacy It is regarded as certain
10 fnr
their removal to a special institution
In addition there are at the hospitals,
as we'll as in other state institutions
and in the county houses. very many
epileptics who are not properly classed
and should be in an institution by
themselves. Superintendent Powell,
Of the feeble minded institute, mad"
investigation a few years ago anc
found that there were about 5000 cpl
leptics in Iowa. Several hundred OF
them are at the feeble minded school,
but the majority are at other insti-
Ssgtions end very many are branded as
insane. DIR. Powell states that iii his
estimation these should all be placed
in a colony and the hospitals and
schools be cleared of them. The epi-
leptics may be cared for much better
on fern colony, for outdoor work
lis highly beneficial to them in all
stages, and it is an injustice to them
to be claSsed either as feeble minded
or as insane. A determined movement
for an epileptic colony establishment
in Iowa is to be made before the next
legislature, and if this is done other
state institutions will be greatly re-
lieved An epileptic colony can be
made almost self supporting.
The career of Gen. Josiah Given, who
today was commissioned by Gov. Cum
minis to be judge of the district court
in. the Des Moines district, has been
remarkable one. He was born in Penn
sylvania Is years ago. but was reared
in Ohio and was prosecuting attorney
there more than so years ago. He tried
to get into the Mexican war as drum
mer boy but failed and enlisted as {,
private and served in the notable cam
paigns. He was also an Ohio soldier
in the rebellion. Twenty-Five years
ago he was elected to the circuit court
here later to the district bench and
fifteen years ago was appointed to the
supreme court to succeed Joseph r.
Reed, now of the United States court Of
land claims. He remained on the su-
preme court until year ago when he
retired by preference and has since de-
voted himself to teaching IN law
school. At one time Gen. Given was
prominent candidate for the nominations
for governor of Iowa. While on the
district bench years ago in this city
be was regarded as model judge. He
accepts a place on the bench again by
solicitation of Gov. Cummins and Will
hold only until fall when the success
sor of Judge Holmes will be elected.
He was not a candidate for appoint
ment, but those who We're candidates
got into such bitter fight and became
so vicious against each other that the
whole bar OF the city was brought 10
the fighting point. In this dilemma
the governor invited Gen. Given to oc-
cupy the bench that he might not be
put to the necessity of choosing be-.
tween the rival candidates At the same
time the republican county primaries
have been called already for March C.
to name a candidate for Judge and this
brings on a sharp local fight at once
for the place.
Under the present administration of
state affairs in Iowa there has beer
much less cause for complaint about
the release of prisoners from the peni-
tentiaries than in other years. Gov
.ernor Cummins adopted at the outset
a policy entirely different from the
policy of his predecessor, Governor
Shaw. The latter was very free with
pardons and paroles, and wherever
there was reasonable ground for belief
that a prisoner had completely re-
formed or would thereafter make
good citizen he was granted a parole
and placed under restrictions for Il GER
tain time while enjoying his freedom.
The parole work of Governor Shaw oc-
Cupied a large share CT his time. Gov
ernor Cummons during his first year
granted sixty paroles. which is less than
half as many as We're annually granted
by Governor Shaw. A number We're pa
rolled or pardoned from jails where they
were serving time because of Inability
Ito pay fines, chiefly for cases involving
violations of the liquor laws. Only two
straight pardons were issued by Gov
lernor Cummins during his first year,