Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1907-05-01
THINKS YAVAPAI COUNTY
 OFFICIALS ARE CHAPTERS

hob'Itr stHicmtnt, or lnhlnuHtIOn, that there is grating in the cxamin. alton or commitment of insane persons in this court is not borne out by the record. In spite of the fact that Pub. lie Examiner Foster has given ruling that n probate judge is entitled Co the collection of fees to the amount of tiO for examining an insane patient in his court, I only collect e, the county physician does not get cent for his services in addition to his regular sal. ary, and the other physician is allowed only $5. Physicians do not care Co as. sist in the examination of m insane person, and only do so when sub. pocnacd by the court, which compels them to serve, according to the provis. ions of the statutes" !"
 Concluding, the judge said:
 "I am considering the matter of hay. ing Steward Roberts escorted here by our sheriff, to give him n chance to getting acquainted with some of the Yavapai county 'grafters,' and pos. sibly, to provide him with cool and comfortable summer quarters here, for contempt of this court"
 i Dr. R. N. Looney, who was one of the examining physicians at Grfiin's trial for insanity, was highly indignant when informed of the criticisms of the asylum steward. He said: |, "Thc idea of 'jack.lcg' steward saying who shall be admitted Co an in. sane asylum is prcpostcrous, to say the | least. If Roberts made the statement that Archie Griffin is not insane, the probate court of Maricopa county would to well to have an examination made as to tho sanity of the asylum steward.
 "This talk about 'grafters' is all rot. If Roberts is not himself insane. | believe he should be punished for contempt of court in insinuating tha, Judge Hicks, who has been honored by the people of Yavapai county, regard. less of party, for six consecutive cleo. tions. and who is known far and wide for his honesty and official integrity, is graf'cr. Perhaps some patients are committed to the asylum from other counties who are temporarily in | sane from the excessive indulgence in | alcohol, ar other causes, but this is far l from being the use with Griffin, who has been under my personal obscrva. ton, with other doctors, for the past month. We use more than ordinary prccnu'ion in the examination of in. sanity cases in this county. At pres. ent we are using the county hospital as detention hospital, in precau. tionary way, and you will find, if you look into the matter, that in every in. sanity case committed to the Tcrritor. 1 ial asylum during the past two years. the patients were insane beyond any question of doubt"
 Dr. C. F.. Yount, when informed of the statements rcputcd to Steward Rob. crts. said
 "lt is rather amusing that the stew. ard of an insane asylum should inform the medical profession what consti. tutcs insanity. This talk of graft is all nonsense. Physicians get their fees whether the patient is committed to the asylum or not. Tn any doubtful ease the patient is confined in the hos pi'al as special charge, and accorded the best of care, under the observation of the physicians, until they are sat ished the patient is insane. In the case of Griffin; he has been in charge of the officers for almost month, and under the care of two physicians for the past two or three weeks. Evi. dcnce was introduced at his exnmina. tion concerning his peculiar actions, dating back two months, which proved beyond doubt that the man was and Is insane. Steward Roberts is certainly an amusing fellow, indeed. I do not care to discuss him further"