The news & observer., 1905-10-01


man died under suspicious circum-
stances and as a PUBLIC official he
should have promptly advised the
coroner and demanded an investiga-
ton. Failure to do that duty-a plain
duty, as we see it-caused suspicion
and distrust, which is undeserved. be-
cause he is free from any blame Of
wrong doing. answerable only for
neglect that in public official cannot
escape proper criticism.
Then, again, DR.. Mckee erred when
he was not advised as to whether the
family of Nall could pay for emoaim-
ing and preparing his body for buri-
al. He followed the usual course and
obeyed the rules, but in a matter so
serious and so delicate the superln-
tendent should have seen to it that
no such narrowing event occurred as
the body of a ward of the State re-
naming unburied in an express OF
flee because the poverty of his rela-
tives made it impossible for them to
nav the charges. That fact made every
Indignant and is responsible for much
of the severe criticism of the lnStl-
tuition that has been seen in the pa
pers or heard on the street. NO
doubt DR.. Mckee, who took the Gus
to,narv precaution and followed the
direction of the relatives was aS
much shocked as the rest OF us Wneh
he learned that the body could not
he taken from the express office pc
cause the relatives couldn't raise the
necessary sixty dollars. The harrow
ing event was all due to the fact'
probably that the family ala ho'
suppose the expense would exceeu tie
cost of the burial at their nome III
C,batham whereas the bill was Sixty
dollars and Dr. Mckee supposed
when they directed the body to De
sent home that they were ready u
nav the expense. They didn't raise 'le
money and the body would now De IL
the express Office if the undertaken
hadn't agreed to accept thirty dollars
=, cash and give credit on the other
t,irt,, The Board of Directors says
that DR.. Mckee could not have anu
cinated the inability of the ram
ilv to nav the c. o. d. expense ou'
they add: ,.;ou 70 avoiding in future
anv embarrassment to the fanny VI
deceased patient the supe2nteliuei!'
has been instructed to notify tne ,aili
" of the deceased or the ac,ua, 60 -
them for burial"
The friends and relatives OF the IN
sane ought not to believe that they
will be harshly treated at the Hospltai
IN Raleigh. The spirit of the man.
agement of that institution is SO nos
ti,e to force or harshness that it VIII
not be tolerated. BY this We 90 not
mean to say that it has not In any m
stance been practised. but that seldom
has any attendant so far forgot the
rules as to fail of kind treatment. The
dismissal of two attendants who Vlo-
lated the rules shows the spirit. Ihe
rough treatment of Nall has Sharply
called the attention of the authorities
to the stern determination or the peo-
pie to require kindness at all times
and tho lesson impressed Will result
in not only ordinary care. but in ex-
traordinary care on the part OF all
officials fro mthe highest to the low
officials from the highest to the low
he saw the patients only once week,
Oft
see them every day. Until his testi-
mony we had supposed-and we think
the public had the same impression
that the superintendent went through
the hospital every day. If he has SO
many executive duties to perform that
he cannot make daily visits, the board
ought. to relieve the superintendent
of most of those duties and let the
patients have the benefit of his skill
and experience as physician. Execu-
tive duties are important but nothing
is so important as the skilled treat
ment and care of the insane by the
head of the institution.
IIeIc 10 Il NiuC-opl eau ihipi CoEoiOiA
that there is a disposition to white
wash the asylum officers and en-
ployes. That opinion is held by some
of the best men in the State. No
doubt there are men who have SO
much confidence in the officials>s to
believe them incapable of doing
wrong or making mistakes, but in
official as we'll as unofficial circles in
Raleigh the sentiment predominates
as elsewhere that justice shall be done
wrong doers punished. and mistakes
corrected. AS evidence of the feeling
that somebody is to be whtewashed
we publish the following note from
successful and honorable Physician:
Hope Mills, n. c., Sept. 2S, 1905.
TO the Editor:
1t will soon be necessary to trans
port the lake of whitewash from the
Philippines to North Carolina if the
present mode of Investigating the in
ternal affairs of public institutions is
continued. Yours truly,
j. w. McNEILL.
The neODle of North Carolina as