The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1906-12-20


tiers and kicked up a dust on the |
Duke OF GiOuccstcr street,. \ Ihet
result was that the superintendent /
and two assistant physlcialAs Ai |
the Eastern State Hospital, lOAl
Gated there, were taken by me
nape Oh then neCkS anu the seat
oil pants anu thrown OUT OF tnvlr
poSitlonS INTO the street. There
"eie no charges against theSe
men pending before Tile board
when the meeting began, but
three OF ats mSmberS who had
been appointed to look over some
evidence taken before a Legisla-
tive eommitte appointed last
March and which nave been
heaping up volumes, went lnIo
that evidence. framed charges,
brought them before the Board,
and ia the twinklIug of an eve.
without giving the members who
wanted TO see the evidence on
which the charges were based, aud
also to see whether there were
any extenOating circumstances or
contradictory teStImony-a mo-
mcDt to examine the records.
brought on the hurricane, and the
storm burst, whereby thee most
reputable physicians were blasted
IN professional reputation. in prI-
Vate character, and III Immediate
means of livelihood. So ram
pant was the majority Of this
cody, So bent ON securing Scalps,
that they were with difficulty c:ls-
suaded and restrained from kick
ing out these ;nen IN TEN days, a
much shorter time than law ac-
cords an ordinary tenant, ard
shorter than one wonld ordinarily
give tenant OF the lowest degree,
wnoHn he mas caught robbing his
hen roOst. But by din, Of pesua-
sion they wee given until January
Ist next TO get their traps and GET
out.
The charges on which this mosx
summary action was taken, have
been published ana nave in them
no reflections ON character against
the physicians. The hospital |
over which they have had charge !
has Certainly been in the pink OF |
perfection since the investigation |
began IN March last, and is SO to-
day. The terms for which these
gentlemen We're elected would
nave expired I'D less than three
months. When theyactuaIlyIsave
tine hospital they would have
scarcely TWO more months tot
serve. If they have such charact-
ers and regulations as would per
NIT OF their serving TO January
Tst IL would have been. no great
stretch of conscience or abuse Of
official duty to have retained them
just two months more. then re-
fused reelection instead of dis
Eracing them. This would have
saved their good names. I h e
States reputation and the gentle
men OF the General Board from
the suspicion that theIs- ~sen,ea
thing behind this rapid transit
movement which the public has
not yet fully grasped. probably
some politics. The public viii
doubt whether any board ever sat
snpInely down, as this board has
done. with years. CT misma mage
msnt going OIL, such as is now
charged against Superintendent
Foster and First Assistant Hen
dersOn and Second Assistant
SSouthall, and then suddenly awak
ened to a situation with no great
or impeiiing fofce behind them
than the public good. If the
public good was what was sought
the managing boavi. the public
Will think. should have come in
for some critiSm al least. and the
punishment not ali have fallen on
the SERVANTS and the MASTERS
gone unwhipt.
There were charges as TO char
acter against some of the tnen,-
bers OF the managing board pres
ent and past. The Legislative
committee has nut these charges
N cold type. there are no charges
However. as-tO character against
the dismissed physicians. in the
indictment of the board which
dismissed them. as against re-
ceat member Of the mana ging
board it was fourd by the Lecisla
tive committee that at least FIVE
tons Of coal went into his cellar
from party to whom a coal can
tract Of the hospital had been
given, As 10 another member
MS father-in-law's store prosted
by many purchases. and he bv |