The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-06
HOSPITAL TRUS STEES
 ARE 4 AS0 EXAMINED
Justice A. B. McEachn, Jr., Testifies as to the Investigation of the Death of Patient Hines.
 Committte AdIourns.
BY B. [. MAJORS.

BY R. T. MAJORS.
 Tuscaloosa, September 5-(special)-T asylum investigation committee met here again this morning at o'clock at the ! hospital building and evidence for the hospital fin the matter was continued, being finally concluded shortly after noon. Dr. Searcy, the distinguished superintend- ent of the institution, was the principal i witness thls morning. For more than an hour he sat in the witness chair and answered with patience and courtesy the many questions that were put to him Tn regard to the hospital. Through it all both his words and manner spoke elo- ! quently of the deep and abiding interest which he entertains for his work and the 1 unceasing thought and care which ne | Sives to the treatment and help of the | poor beclouded minds which are under ! his charge. Had 1t ever been possible for anyone present to have doubted the conscientious discharge of every imaGIn- able duty on the part of Dr. Searcy, his appearance and manner and what they suggested this morning would have mada such a thing impossible.
 1 During his testimony and the explana- 1 tion and elucidation of the manner of ! conduct and the various systems that ' Have Deen thought out m tue manage ment of the great institution, one was impressed with the fact that one less I deeply versed In such an undertaking thau what hfs's experience and work can Ii give was hardly conpe ent to appreciate the magnitude of the task.
 pr. Searcy's Testimony.
 pr. Searcy stated that he became su- perintendent in 1892, just after the death | of Dr. Bryce; that before this he had | been a member of the board of trustees 1 and had also been an intimate friend of i pr. Bryce for number of years; that, 1 in fact, he had practically grown up | with the institution.
 He stated that care was exercised in the 1 choice of nurses, and that the kind and l character of the men and women so en- l ployed was pretty soon found out; that | hospital "tramps' were always avoided i; that he knew of the reputation and de- meanor generally of Winters and Holman and that they were both considered good men: that he had visited number of ! similar institutions all over the country, and that the system and manner of con- | duct of this one was adopted only after | mature thought on the best possible ways | and means: that peculiarity of this l hospital was the fact that patients are re- | uuired to be seated always on the wards 1 when inspection is made that he person. l ally goes over the eHllTe Dullulhb SNSI y | other day; that he knew about the occur 1 rences when Hines died and that a coro- | ner's inquest was held and that the death, | he thought as has been stated, was due | to a wound received in fall.
 He also went over the facts again in i reference to the man Johnson. He stated | that to him Harton was always a most | unapproachable person; that he was car | ried to ward No. 2 at once when brought | hp IVA mfStrpate cd | in any manner. The doctor then made a statement to the effect that he had absented himself from the witness room | for the reason that he did not care to have anything suppressed on account Of | his presence; that he had wanted the com mittee to make every possible investiga 1 tion free from any restraint: that he had heard some criticism had been made in regard to the age of the physicians that assist at the hospital, but that he pre- ferred young men, that these made more useful the better equiped men generally | than those who were older and had be come fixed in the practices of the outside 1 world.
 Is Examined.
 Dr. Searcy was cross-examined flor some time by the commission on several subjects, stating that he had probably | visited some forty other similar insti- | tntions; that he had never had a holiday | snce he had been in his present posi- | ton; that he thought the institution com pared favorably with any others. In reply | to a question concerning the frequent removal of patient from one ward to 1 another, he stated that he felt that he and the physicians in charge were thor oughly competent to pass upon what was best in the matter; that they had made 4 study of such conditions; that there were many crimnally insane in the building but most of them made very good patients that large number who | had never been convicted of any offense on the contrary made very bad and ob- | streperous patients.
 He also described the food that the patients had at each meal, and that there | was always plenty and much carried out | after the meals; that he hardly thought | 1t possible for such crueltes and prac- 1 tices as have been enumerated in some ! of the testimony heretofore to have been committed without being found out by the authorities. He stated that the hos pital was now embarrassed financially; that is. there was not enough money on hand and available to make some re- quired additions and improvements.
 Dr. Patrlow Called.
 After Dr. searcy retired Dr. Partlow,
 the first assistant. was called to the stand. Dr. Partlow's testimony was similar to that of pr. Searcys. He stated that he thought 1t was practically impossible for any such atrocities or cruelties as have been stated occurred at the hospital to have in fact been com mitted that the complaints of patients are always observed and if there is any | chance for a foundation for them in fact they are thoroughly investigated. He | stated that he would not believe what a 1 paranoiac had 10 say unless it was strongly corroborated by other testimony.