The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-01
EXPLOSION IS EXPECTED
Governor Mead is Having More
Trouble al StclaCo0m.
MATRoN HAS Been FORCED TO LEAVE
Board Of Control Sends Bookkeeper to
Investigate Disorder at
Asylum.
MATRoN HAS Been FORCED TO LEAVE

An internal explosion is imminent at
the Western Washington hospital for
the insane at Steilacoom, due to the
alleged interference of Governor Mead
in the management of the state instl-
tutions instead of allowing the board
of control to handle them without be-
ing compelled by the governor to dis
charge competent employees and put IN
their places incompetent personal
and political friends of the executive.
Mrs. Herman, the matron, has already
been asked to resign, says the Seattle
Times.
1t is declared by those on the inside
that unless the threatened eruption at
Steilacoom is Immediately averted one
of the biggest scandals ever uneartehed
at any Of the state institutions will
be made public within the coming
week. The trouble is the result, it is
declared, of the annoying interference
of the governor through his personal
henchman on the board Of control,
Jimmy" Davis.
DR.. Snooke to Go.
Some of the surface indications OF
deeper trouble within are said to be
the voluntary retirement within few
days of DR.. Snooke. assistant super
intendent at the institution, the recent
violent ejectment of DR.. Geddes, of Bel
bingham, stenographer and assistant
bookkeeper, a threatened personal at
tack by Superintendent Van Zant's
mother in-law on the mother of DR..
Snooke, visibly strained personal rela-
tons between the superintendent and
his wife, and the sending Of Charley
Aspinwell bookkeeper Of the board Of
control. to Steilacoom in response to a
frantic appeal for someone to straight
eu oul It's tdIlSicu UOOhS.
Shortly after he became governor,
Mead sent his family physician, DIR. E.
Van Zant of Bellingham. over to Steil-
accom- as Temporary" superintendent.
The governor himself is too fond of
spending time visiting the institution,
also.
Where Trouble Began.
DR.. Van Zant. who is quite elderly
and is described as very grabbed, at
once took a cordial dislike to S. c.
Woodruff, steward and bookkeeper, be-
cause Woodruff insisted on making the
superintendent sign acquisitions for
supplies. as all persons connected with
state institutions are expected to do.
Exception was also taken to the fact
that DR.. Van Zant's mother-in-law
also lives at the institution at the ex-
pense of the state, which is said to be
contrary to the law. The governor may
consider that this is offset, however, by
reason of the fact that during the alb
sence of the governor and his wife in
Kansas and California, Dr. Van Zant's
wife, much younger than the doctor, is
said to have lived at the governors
home in Olympia, caring for the COVER
nors household and presumably at the
expense of the governor instead of the
state.
Those who have served on the board
of control in the past declare that
Woodruff was one of the most valuable
men ever in the service of the state
They declare that owing to his close
supervision of the business
affairs of the institution, the Stella
COON was one of the mos teconomi-
cally conducted in the whole coun-
try. and when he was allowed to man
age the business affairs of the asylum
without interference things were going
enough.
Davis Blocks Improvement.
Less than a month ago Woodruff was
let out at the behest of Dr. Van Zant.
The superintendent demand in this
respect was readily assented to by the
governor and was carried out through
Jimmy Davis. Of the board Of control.
the action being stoutly resisted at the
time by Chairman Kincaid Geddes, of
was given the vacant place |
and the trouble started AS had been
predicted by Woodruffs friends. |
Geddes proved incompetent. but still !
Davis refused to acknowledge it, He |
declared that the talk was made by |
friends for the sole purpose |
Of having Woodruff again employed |
This. it is generally acknowledged. |
would be the sensible thing to do. But !
in his sneering manner Jimmy Davis /
declared that "Bill Mckinley died and |
We got a better man. and I guess we