The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-26
Injured Tramp Left Uncared
for Taken to Hospital.
Dr. Keith Accepts Charge on
Own Responsibility.
TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.
City, County and Railroad Re-
fused to Aid.
Crippled Man Left for Hours
Lying in Round House.

The tramp who was injured by be-
| ing squeezed in d car of lumber where
he was stealing a ride, is being cared
for at DIR. H. H. Keith's hospital, ana
will be out and able to travel in a
| few days. DR.. Keith took the man
to his hospital because it began to
look like ne would be permitted by
the county authorities to lie in the
Rock Island roundhouSe until he dled
of pain and exhaustion When the man
was taken out of the car the freight
train crew carried him to the round
house and called up the poor commits
sioner. Commissioner Hale refused TO
do anything for the tramp, giving as
his excuse that the Rock Island had
not played square" with shawnee
county, and that the road could take
care of the tramps it crippled. AS the
man was stealing ride when caught
in the shifting lumber, the railroad
was exempt from any liability; and
when a railroad company or any other
corporation goes out of its way to. do
any charity work it will be much
warmer day. The Rock Island left
the tramp in the roundhouse and went
it's several ways. In the afternoon,
several hours after the man was in
jured, DR.. Keith learned that the vic
tim of the accident was still without
medical attendance, and sent him to
mis- hospital. He is not running a
charity institution, and, as the tramp
where the humanity of the physician
forced him to assume a responsible
ity which the proper authorities re-
fused Dr.. Keith can not collect any
thing from the county because the
county did not authorize him to take
charge of the suffering outcast.
The railroad men at the roundhouse,
after the tramp had been refused aid
by the county authorities, called up the
police station. The police called DR..
Hogeboom, city physician, and he told
them that it was case for the county.
Another demand was made on the
county officials by the police, and they
were in turn told that the county
would not accept a tramp injured by
the Rock Island.
When asked about the case this
morning DR.. Hogeboom said: "It was
clearly a case for the county The tax
payers contribute to poor fund, and
the county gets rates at hospital and
has power to care for injured persons
in such cases. The city has no hos
pital and no jurisdiction. 1t was clear
ly decided by the supreme court two
years ago-at the time when the city
board of health was given the five
mile jurisdiction = that the county
should care for indigents who We're
at is a disgrace to a city and
county of this size to be without some
means of caring for such persons. The
Catholics. the most charitable people
ing a hospital here. They should be
encouraged by the city and county by
helping to build the institution, and
then endowing poverty ward
Poor Commissioner Hale had this to
say: II did refuse to take that Rock
Island accident victim and I'll stare
by it. When the Rock Island treats
US fairly, we will do the same by them.
But they don't. Not long ago they
hauled a crippled tramp out Of Wa
baunsee county into this city, and we
had to care for him. He had both legs
cut off. and instead of leaving him i'll
they hauled him way down here and
dumped him in on u.s.
But" suggested the reporter. this
is hardly a case III which to call down
the Rock Island. 1t is plain that tie
railroad was relieved of all RESPONSE
bility, and it seems that the county
should have cared for the man
We don't see it that way" answer
ed Hale. THE railroad hauled this
tramp from down in Oklahoma. and
they should be responsible for him. 1t
is a sure thing that he paid his way
not to the company, but to its SER
wants, the. brakemen. A tramp couldn't
ride 500 miles on one train without be-
ing found by the brakemen, and it is
certain that they made him pay at in
tervals. We don't want any imported
tramps, and it is the business of the
railroads to make them get off the
freight trains before reaching Tope-
ka."
This may be first-class explanation
of why the county refused to care for
a poor harmless tramp who did ut
stop in Topeka on his own accord but
it is hard to see. 1t really looks like
common humanity should be held a
few degrees above a desire to get
even" with a railroad, especially in a
case where the taxpayers are giving
up money to a fund for the purpose,
and it would be no punishment to the
railroad to let the victim die l.. the
railroad yards.