Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-08
HEARING ALDEN CHARGES
Dr. Nicholson Unable to Give Any
thing hut HeRrsay to substan-
tiate His Letters.

. NORFOLK, Neb.. June Especial Tele-
gram. "A net of hearsay was brought out
in the hearing Of the charges against DR..
Alden, superintendent of the insane hos
pital before the State Board of Public Lands
and Buildings today. The charges preferred
by Governor Mickey were practically based
on letters written to him by DR.. Frank
Nicholson, assistant superintendent. In
which Nicholson charged persecution OF
'himseifI a riot of fnisrule. vulger language
by Dr. and Mrs. Alden three inmates
deaths due to brutality, drunkenness
among employees and wanton cruelty. On
the stand today DR.. Nicholson admitted that
he had no personal knowledge to substan-
tiate a single item contained in his letters
He said that he had merely gathered up
hearsay at the request of Governor Mickey,
who asked him TO write what he could hnd
out regarding the alleged mismanagement.
DR., Nicholson in his letter to Governor
Mickey said Mrs Alden used language that
would bring the blush OF shame to innO-
cent cheeks. On the stand, though the
state board, Aldens attorneys and Nichol-
sons own attorney insisted upon hearing
this language Dr. Nicholson refused to
quote the alleged language. Nicholson said
that by riot of Hisrule" he meant that
occasionally an attendant went to town
without leave, admitted that there were no
printed rules at that time and said there
never had been misrule in the institution +
In his letter Nicholson stated Milton
shockley, an inmate. died from inJurier
received in a fight and that he was poked
with a broomstick by an attendant until
he bled On the stand he admitted that
the broomstick report was hearsay and
that he oould xprifNy 4 IIa he
could not state from an examination Of
the patient that he had been jabbed and
that he never heard a rumor regarding the
broomstick until months after the inmate
was dead. he said, and other testimony
cOrroborated the statement, that Shockley
and another patient fought over card
game December II. Several attendants
pinned Shickley TO the floor 10 restrain
him. as he weighed $50 pounds, was over
six feet high and unusually powerful. All
declared that no more violence was used
than wa sabsolutely necessary TO restrain
him and protect their own lives. DR..
Alden took of the patient who was beating
Shockley. Shockley was rational till he
died nine days after and he never men
toned being jabbed with a broomstick nor
blamed any one but the patient Cerebral
hemorrhage was assigned on the record
by Nicholson as the cause of death and
there was thought OF covering up any
thing.
In his letter Nicholson said 81 know
several patients who were struck by at
tendants' fists" On the stand he said.
Il know OF no patients struck by attend
ants fists / heard Indirectly OF one such
Tumor" Nicholson said that there is now
such a feeling OF goOdfeilowship between
TNr baV
smoothly. Nicholson in his letter, said
patients suffered from the lack Of heat
The daily record shows but one instance
where the temperature was below 60 and
general was 70 or over. He said inmates
were well fed and clothed and Or. Alden
had been dilligent in organizing the in
stitution and it's management and that IL
is he believes, the best managed institu-
ton OF the kind In existence.
He charged drunkenness in his letter
but declared on the stand he knew OF but
one case 1t was shown that in the Shock
ley night an attendant kicked shockley
while he was down. but the attendant
was then dAzed by blow from Shockey
Nothing was produced 10 hubstantists
rumors that cruelty led to the deaths of
Prosser or Davis
The board adjourned late tonight until
next Thursday. Governor Mickey and Hor-
ris Brown arrived al noon. Gslusha.
Eaton and Mortensen Of the state board
sat as judges.
Much Of the hesrsay In the situation was
traced 70 an attendant named BigEs. an
old man, who gave various directly con-
Trajectory stories on the stand. but who
told OF cruelty on me part OF Attendant
Ellis who he said. used his hsts Ellis
denied the charges Attorney Stewart 81
lincoln represented Governor Mickey, At
torney Loyle Of Lincoln represented DIT