The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-02
.BA7K|N5 CAsE|S
now upon TRIAL.
Much Evidence Submit
ted and investigation
Postponed,
COMMITTEE TAKES
DEEP INTEREST.
Long List Of witnesses to Testify
to Good Character and Eff
cheney Of Young Physi-
clan to the Poorest
for September
13th.

Before the Committee on Etellt1 last
night there was a partial Investigation
into the charges preferred by Mr. II. l..
Matthews against DR.. Linwood p. Bat
kins,6 Jr., one of the physicians TO the
poor OF The city. and the matter went
over untll September 18th, when 1t VIII
probably be disposed or 5
MIR. Matthews was represented by Hon.
Charles Y. Meredith and DR.. Batkins by
Mr.. James ". Gordon
Nearly all OF Mr. Matthew's witnesses
were examined last night.
The charges preferred are those OF
.'crlminal carccssness. negligence ana
drunkenness"
Mr.. Matthews alleges that Or. Batkins
i attended his little boy. who struck his
knee while bathing, and trea ted him for
#innammatory rilcumatism. that linally
Ftbc limb became greatly inflamed, ana
MS n result OF the alleged wrong treat
Il ment the limb had to be amputhted ana
that chances for recovery are about even
with those OF DEATH
BEFORE the corrmittce got down 70
h,,s,ness there was great deal OF
yrnnrllur between the lawyers as 70
nroccnd,1re. hut finally 1t was deter
,,,ined 10 20 on upon the charges as
nr,pInally Olcd without specifications.
NJ Meredith stated he was ready, pul p
NJ Gordon called for specifications un un-
der the charges, and said ne wouia asA
a reasonable delay In wh1ch3lo Prepa.e.l
After the two lawyers had cross urea
,or some time. the case was gone into
ana many witnesses were introduced.
Mr.. Hobson Presides.
II was $50 o'clock when Chairman
Hobson called the meeting to order.
A quorum OF members Responded ~
their names. and both Mr. Matthew's VS., ."'iu !,
II m 3atkins we're present with their
counsel. A number of physicians and
4 citizens. many OF them being witnesses
3for4c,r,e sitie or the otkcr. occupied seats
outside the railing.
Before taking up the Batklns case the
committee disposed OF much routine bus
mess A bill OF $1,000 in favor OF the
contractor for the new smalpox hosp'tal. "a.
vas approved 1t was tied that the
building is about two-thiris completed
Mr. Satterflcld moved to go into the
charges as stated In the paper submitted
by Mr.. Matthews, with the view to cs-
tabishing DR.. Batknss competency.
Mr.. Gates thought the committee had
nothing TO do with the charge of NAL
d practice. so lopg rs Mr. MattheWs's child
was not n charity patient. 5
1T.
to show that DR.. Batkins was incompe-
tent 10 be a physician to the poor
Mr.. Mtthews Testifies.
Mr.. Satterfleld' motion was adopted.
and Mr. Matthews was the first witness.
he said or. Batkns had been attending
y his family for about seven years. The
occasion when he was called to see his
boy was two days prior to the municipal
primary.
Tho little boy had hurt his leg while
bathing at the natatorium. The case
was treated as inflammatory rheuma tlsm
until the leg ''burs,ed." DR.. Batkns wa 8
'phoned for on July 18th, and the reply
came that Dr. Batkins could not he
aroused. DR.. Batkins arrived about lO:30
A. M. and found the childs condition
was a horrible one The Doctor came
I with no bandagcs and nothing for treat
ment He looked as though he was
supplied pt tho results Of the case.
Witness hnd asked the Doctor several
times IL he was sure the child had In
flammatory rheumatism The reply was:
"Yes: you must have patience When
DR.. Nichols came later, on call, DR.. Bat
kins gathered up the corruption on the
bed and took 1t into the bathroom, and
did not show it to Dr.. Nichols
Horrible Mistake"
Witness asked DR., Nichols what he
thought of the case. He said he agreed
thoroughly with y the treatment. do
you mean thnt?" / asked, "and Dr.
Nichols shook his head"
Witness said he then told DR.. Nichols
no would kill Batkinslf his child died. He
later decided he would not hurt him, BE
easy on him." said Dir. Nichols, ''he has
made an awful mistake. i could tell you
more. but ! don't want. to injure myself
with the Medical Association"
Witness said he had never seen pr.
Batkins take but one drink of whlskey
and that was in the house of witness.
He :uid of another instance when hs
said he had called for Dr. Batkins on 4
former occasion, when he could not be
aroused. He had never seen Batktns
under the influence of whlskey, but said
l,atkIns told him the reason he could not
bo aroused was because he was stupifled
from the results of drinking,
Witness told of tho operation unon his
child at the Memorial Hospital and said
the boy, now after suffering the agonles
of death, had about an even chance OF
recovery,
Mr.. Gordon now cross-examlned wit
ness, He repeated again that he had
never seen pr. Batklns drunk, had never
seen him take but one drink, and the
only personal evidence he had was DR..
Batkin's had told him he had been drunk.
He gave the name OF Ben Neise as one
man who had asked him why he had
III. Batkns as his physician, and II he
aid not know he had the reputation OF
\ being drinking man.
IIo said others had expressed surprise
aid referred to Batkins as a drunkard
ard gambler but the witness had a hare
time in recalling any more names.
Mr.. Gordon pressed witness hard or
this line, and he said Mr.. John Grumr
was another. The latter had said pr
va -------. n.