Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-18
Board of Control Files Its Re
port After Investigating
State Hospital
UNTRUE in EACH PARTICULAR
Effort Of Sensational Magazine and
Mayor Who Had a Grievance to
,piscredit Mt. Pleasant Management
Falls Flat-The Boards Findings
General News.
sn.c,a, to r,mes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 18-Sensationat
charges made against the management
Of the state insane hospital at Mount
Pleasant by an eastern magazine,
PHYSICAL Culture, and by former May
or James Hourihan of Mount Pleasant
have been pronounced groundless by
the state board Of control and q re-
mort to that effect including a vast
volume Of sworn testimony on the
point, has been filed with Governor
Cummins.
The board has carefully stated the
substance of the charges made by botn
the magazine and h attorney az
Mount Pleasant. The former printed
an anonymous article charging bru-
tally on the part Of attendants toWard
patients and the diversion Of presents
and property Of patients. MI. Hourl-
han made specific complaints Of in
human treatment of a woman who was
an inebriate patient, h refusal to pay
for the tools of an inmate which
burned and the retention OF portions
OF the pay Of employees under a sys-
tenn of fines for intoxication.
The board of control has filed the
evidence taken and its conclusions,
finding the charges without foundation,
as follows:
We believe It to be the constant eff
Axl< - xLo 1ff;oorc IN rhorpQ8 nf orr
hospitals for the insane to secure the
most humane and the best treatment
possible for the unfortunate wards Of
the state, to prevent abuse In all It's
forms and to reduce SO much as pos
sible abuse which cannot be wholly
prevented. 10 that end We invite in
formation from all persons who know
or think they know Of wrong doing Of
any kind.
The article in Physical Culture is
sensational In matter and style and
describes conditions which could not
be kept from the public and which
would not be tolerated in n civilized
community. Every right-minded per-
son would not only condemn the prac-
tices charged but would extend every
aid possible to discover and punish the
wrongdoers. Yet those publishing the
charges refuse to give us the name OF
the person who makes them, or to fur
nish any fact which will enable us to
discover the alleged ~wrongdoers. The
conclusion is inevitable that the
charges were not published for a prop
er purpose.
Mr.. James Hourihan does not stand
in any better light. He had heard Of
certain rules and formed an opinion
that they would work badly. Without
any investigation to ascertain the facts
he wrote for publication in a leading
newspaper Of the state a letter charg-
! ing in effect that the conditions in the
Mount Pleasant state hospital were
worse than charged in Physical Cul-
ture; that a sane woman in a~acondttion
demanding: the greatest consideration,
was treated with extreme brutality and
her life thereby endangered; that set
Element of q just claim by a patient
was refused; that the law Of the state
was habitually violated, contracts set
at naught and crimes compromised
by officers of the Institution; the fines
were unlawfully assessed on the en-
ployes to make good deficiencies in the
revenue due to poor management that
only undesirable employees could be Sc
cured or retained and that a state Of
anarchy existed.
He stated under oath that in writ
ding the letter he had n other motive
than the welfare of h institution"
But It is safer to Judge him by his
acts rather than by his words. We are
of the opinion that II he had been
moved by q SINCERE desire to promote
the welfare OF the institution he would
have investigated the facts before
making the charges, and that he should
moi be held blameless merely because
he failed to do so N was ignorant
OF them. Charges like those in ques-
ton, when published to the world,
carry fear and anxiety to tens OF
thousands of people in our state who
have relatives or friends in the hos
pitfalls. Such charges should not be
made and sent broadcast turnout the
sland without due Investigation and
good cause. Faithful officers and en-
ployes are also entitled to protection
against reckless assault upon their
] standing and work. In. this case they
have been charged not merely with
{ horrible abuse but with. actual crime.
It is true Mr.. Hourdhan claims that
he did not intend his letter to charge
certain Of the matters we have set
out, but no one can read the letter
without concluding that he did intend
to make all the charges stated in direct
terms or by innuendo, and that the
letter was designed to be what it. was,
an attack upon the officers and en-
ployes Of THE Institution. That it was
without just grounds is fully shown
IOWA MAN SEEKS BRIDE.
Howard County Farmer Seeks Aid Of
Minneapolis Relatives.
Minneapolis, Mimi, Dec. 1S.-Mallfck