The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-25

U home was obtained. and most OF tina
was indeflnite and vague. He read fro
uuently from printed copy OF thu
"A rtiles,i either to be sure Of his state,
nicnts, or because lie was not fainiliHl
with them. The leading question MS Y
why he left on his vacation on tht
morning following tho death OF The
wanted to know why he left. know
ing. as he did that the coroner lat
been asked to look Into the case.
Mr.. Davis replied thnt he did no
know he was showing any lack of.irl,
terest BY departing: that he did no
realize how serious the case was. Be.
4 yond this, most of the Inquiry related
10 the murder and to the p:ausibilits
Cof the many theories advanced IN con.
inection with the crime.
All OF this ground had previously
4 been covered by the coroner's Inquest
4 OF which there Is a verbatim report.
This Is connected only indirectly
with the management OF the insti-
tuition.
In defending his position and his
apparent neglect, Mr.. Davis's chief ex-
cuse was that lie didn't renlize--al-
ways that he didn't realize-that any
body could have had the heart to MUIR
der an innocent baby. and that he
didn't know even now, notwithstand-
ing the verdict OF the coroner's jury,
that the child had been slain.
He often asserted, In broken voice.
that he was not guilty OF negligence
that IL he had only realized that poison
& had really been criminally admins
tered in the home he would not nave
gone on his vacation. The committee
was mercifuI with him, for he was
visib1y affected.
Examination OF tnternes and nurses
and OF assistant superintendent also
paid more regard to the crime, tHan
to the conditions which made II pos,
sible. Several questions were askeu
as to the method used IN making To-
sports The reports We're usually SIN
gle.
- was testified that information
concerning the two poisonings was
-,,ant o,,iet only because they thought
+ray could find the criminal by a
,asti1, hunt." thus constituting them
s.iyss q sort of amateur detective
force. III. eea,,
i In regard to not reporting the attal'
- the committee at its meeting Mon.
day night, Mr.. Davis said that -
Mad never been the custom TO mass ,,s
such reports, and that he did not thlnk
AZ necessary In this case. lie spoke
most concerning the divorce, or als
.tinct,on between the medical depaEt.
,nent and himself as executive hea pa "
mo nome. which was, in oeslee'
,tnr,a ont by the rules governing tle
. oo. II was like two things
GOVERNING the same petty empire, WIZ
a chan eeable line OF demarcation.
Tha testimony Of the other witnesses
800 confined mostly to the muraer,
.i,ttle to the management OF the hoMe
49,, ,be AFFAIR, at the final analysis.
.,nas only the deeper involved IN
mystery. ,,,.
Tn calling the meeting to ordes,
r,,airr,an j. A, Hobson said that ne
ea,. the ewes of every citizen were upon
=, = -, en,bers. and that 1t was the GUY
:, Tho committee to sift the mater ~
tha bottom to find out why II was eMae
couldsbe committed IN .ne ~ 49,
Home and upon whose shoulders WIG
charge OF dereliction OF duty. ~ thels
md been dereliction, should be p4aseu.,
a little routine business was rapiuis
,S,snosed OF. and then the committee
entered upon the investigation.
Colonel George Wayne Anderson, As.
,S,stant City Attorney. suggested tnae
Witnesses who could inform the CON-
mittee as to the rules ny Whlch Ing
tnstttution Is conducted be ca4leu ii's.'
and this suggestion was auopteo w
motion OF Mr.. Elicit.
Superintendent Davis vas sworn
Colonel Anderson questioning MN. At.
Davis said that poisons We're lett IN the
operating room in the care OF the neuo
nurse reading from a printed copy
of the rules. He asked that ne might
be allowed to explain. am held re-
sponsible as administrator, but nave
NJ: no authority in the hospital depart
ment. could not send In or DIS
charge a patient Everything bearing
on a medical line comes under me
authority of the staff" He said that
the doctors were the Judges in al
patients to come into the hospi-
tai or visitors to call upon them. He
was asked to define his duties as ex-
ecutive. officer. and he explained that
his authority extended everywhere ex-
.cept where It. came into contact with
the power of the surgical staff.
No Rules as to Poison.
There are no rules applying to the
care of poisons. The question OF al
lowing visitors to enter the hospital
came up. and he said he often asked
permission of the physician before al
lowing to see a patient. He had, he
said, no code of rules OF his own. Read
ing from the rules. it was shown that
the head nurse had supreme authority
in the hospital, but that she was sup
posed to report all negligence or vio-
lation of the rules to the. superintend-
ent. He said there were only two
nurses.
1T is the duty OF everybody" he.
said to report these matters to me-"
He said that it was his duty to make
"a weekly report Of all deaths to the
Health Board. He admitted that there
were sometimes Irregularities In max
ing reports. But we would not att
tempt to make a burial" he said.
without proper certificate" He was
asked II 1t were possible, if a doctor
Az