Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-15
REJO|NDER
15i
Caustic Reply to President Of
Emergency Hospital.
PAPER FILEDn TODAY
DENIES ANY ANIMUs IN REQUEST
FOR INVESTIGATION.
Declares Previous Examinations Were
Observation-Disclosures His Request
Complains Of Discourtesy.

the Commissioners his reply to the state
ment made about week ago by Mr.. w.
J. Boardman, president of the Emergency
Hospital, and other directors of that In
stitution, with regard to the suggestion
previously made by DIR. Hawkes. and 9TH
ers that the District authorities direct the
board of charities to conduct an investi-
cation Of the affairs and management OF
the hospital in question. Mr.. Boardman
in his statement, set forth his reasons for
Directing to such an investigation, stat
ing in effect that the circumstances did
not warrant such a proceeding.
The Commissioners had appointed day
in which Mr.. Boardman and DR.. Hawkes.
might appear before them and orally pre-
sent their respective arguments and rea-
sons respecting the proposition for an
investigation. On the day appointed, how
ever, Mr.. Boardman submitted a written
statement presenting his side of the ques-
ton to the Commissioners in lieu OF ap-
The statement submitted to the Com
missioners by DIR. Hawkes. today is in re-
ply to Mr.. Boardman's brief in the matter
and is as follows:
In answering the communication, dated
January 5, 1904, of Mr.. w. J. Boardman
and others 1 do not intend to indulge in
personal abuse.
THE question at issue between them and
me is clouded-purposely, perhaps-by
many irrelevant matters. Much space is
given to expressions of personal hostility
I made no criticism, direct or indirect,
about the work of the ladies' auxiliary
board. 1 made no attack on the location
of the dispensary patients water closet or
of the old clothes closet. / simply affirm
ed, and 1 now reaffirm, that it is viola
ton of the principles Of ordinary decency
to require the nurses to make thorough
fare Of the public water closet in the dis
oh n
the men-servants, but which the superin-
tendent specifically prohibits the men
servants from doing
Puts UP Record Against Animus
Charge.
considerable space is also devoted to
the tiresomely reiterated matter of an an
imus.' In answer to this / desire to say
that have been a director of the Emer-
gency Hospital for about fifteen years
much longer than at least two-thirds OF
the present board of directors dncluding
the president, vice president, secretary and
treasurer), and much longer than two
thirds of the present attending staff. Dur
ing those fifteen years / have been MEM
Der of the attending staff and it's secre-
tary, and for at least five years was also
the secretary of the board of directors. l
am, to say the least, as much interested in
the great work that the hospital Is doing
as any other member of the board of d.
i
interested in it's reputation and welfare.
in appealing to your honorable poaro, L
am actuated solely by desire to benent
the institution by establishing IT'S goou
name / have the temerfty to differ from
some of my colleagues on the board OF dl-
rectors about the existence and removal OF (
certain abuses in tflel hoepital land for fha t.
reason-aild that reasonSonly-l am per-
sonally abused and accused Of having an
'animus' against the institution. l have a
right to claim that the silly talk about an
animus' should cease. l do not peneve
that the proper way to cure abuses Is TO
ignore them, and 1 cannot allow that he
only is a friend of the hospital who loudly
asserts that everything is all right, when
the most superficial investigation on MS
part would show him his mistake
Mr. Boardman is undoubtedly correct IN
saying that his appointment of me, on De-
cember II, 1903, as chairman OF the lnVes.
tigating committee, was an act more ..
courtesy that was soon repented when ne
found that proposed to make real IN
yestigation, not a fictitious one, as has been
the custom at the hospital for the last year
and more But no mistake (from Mr..
Boardman's point Of view) was made by
the attending staff in its subsequent ap-
pointment of investigating committees
whose reports show that their tnvest1ga-
tions were superficial and pretended, and
whose findings are couched IN terms SO
personally abusive as to need no 1urther
evidence of the prejudice OF the ihVesusd-
decisions.
Wished stenographer to Avoid Error.
my reason for demanding stenographer
for my committee was that at the HiVesu-
cation by the board of charities last spring,
some members of the board OF directors
testified to certain statements, alleged to
have been made by Dr. H. L. E. Johnson to
them as a. COMMITTED which 1 personally
know that he did not make, because ap-
reared with him before that committee.
There was no stenographic report OF that
committees Investigations. Not wishing 10
have any possible Misrepresentation of
what might be said in the course OF my
proposed investigation, desired 10 nave
everything put down In black ana Wmte.
"In answer to the statement that my re-
mort contains almost as many misstate-
ments as paragraphs ask for some In
telligent proof of the assertion The state
ment that my report was not, h sN -,
rnnted In the public prints in the form IN
which it was read to the board can not be
substantiated because It's reading was IN
terrupted before 1t was half completed
Moreover, Mr.. Boardm sda, says IN ms SET, iet-
heard all of your report | am not able to
Judge of it's Importance. How, then, can he
assert that the report was not correctly
printed in the public press?
THE little bell boy referred to in Mr..
Roardman's statement, is a full-grown
boy, and apparently old enough to vote. MI
Boardman declares that the conduct OF tnlS-
little bell boy was 'commendable in every
particular Then. of course. his conduct
in turning out the light when a colored
man-servant was in the old clothes closet
with a nurse in order that, as the bell boy
said, the servant might have an opportu-
nifty to insult the nurse, was 'commenda-
ble.'
Alleges Discourtesy.
"Mr. Boardman declares that the investi-
CATION of the hospital by the board Of char
tiles last spring was unnecessary and I'M
justifiable In view Of the damaging 0o
quote the expression used by director of
the hospital in speaking OF the report of
the board of charities director, by the
way who is not one of the reformersO re-
suits of that investigation, such a state
ment is needlessly discussions to you, the
Commissioners of the District who ordered
| the investigation and the gentlemen of the
| board of charities. who patiently and hon.
| estly conducted it. HH
"Mr Boardman refers to statements
made at that investigation by seven or
! eight witnesses as intelligent and philan-
| thropic as can be found in our city, three of
| whom are leading physicians Of the Dis
| trict, to the effect that this hospital Is as