Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-25
FULL OF HORRORS
State Home for Feeble Minded
Grossly Mismanaoed, Form
er Trustee Says.
OR. HARDr IS ARRAleNED
Said to Have Paid 500 in One Case
to Hush UP investigation
Wagner Talks.

Lincoln, ILL.,, Jan. 2o.-Jonn wagner,
former president of the board of trus-
tees of the Lincoln asylum for feeble
minded children, testified to the hor-
rors of that institution yesterday be-
fore the legislative Investigating COM
mittee. The committee had been
hunting scandals for week. 1t had
touched the edge of several and had
heard the defense of Superintendent
Harry G. Hardt to others that had not
been really uncovered. But yesterday
it got testimony of actual Irregular
ties in every department of the insti-
tuition.
Hears Serious Charges.
Among the charges made by Mr..
Wagner were:
That T. H. Miller, one of the attend
he, the witness, heard DR.. Hardt had
paid 800 to hush the matter up.
That the child who was scalded so
that she died was injured. so he was
told, while the attendant was in her
room doing up" her hair.
That DR.. Hardt and another employe
| held up all the boys one night and
took all their money from them, but
afterwards returned it.
That the nurses of the infirmary
signed a round robin complaining of
the insulting language and attentions
of a night policeman named Robinson
and resigned because Hardt would not
discharge the man.
Says Deneen Ignored Complaint.
That two sick children were given
nothing to eat but roast beef, string
beans and corn.
That the food was so monotonous
that the children were made sick by
eating it. That the matron told him
the infirmary was the worst place she
had ever seen in her experience as a
nurse and made her SICK
| That for weeks the bowls of the in
| firmary overflowed so that DR.. Hardt
| had to roll UP his trousers to wade
! through the rooms to look for the leak.
| That contracts were made without
advertising for bids.
That employees were retained be-
cause of political pull, and that the
banks fighting for the deposits made
trouble at the institution.
Had Labored In Vain.
Mr.. Wagner said that he had tried
hard to get an investigation for
months, but the other trustee" Carl
IT, Bartling, only shrugged his shoul-
ders and would do nothing. Finally
| h. - he
was called a ''butter-in" and gave up
the office Bartling and Hardt. he de-
clared, were allied to suppress scan
dal, and the governor took their part
At times the former president
raised his voice and fairly shouted
and again he pounded the table, and
dozen times tears came in his eyes
as he told of the things he said had
shocked him. He admitted that much
of his evidence was hearsay.
The former presidents home is a
Mclean, ILL.,, where he is druggist
merchant and banker. He has livet
there SO years, he said, and the Onl!
Office he ever held was that of trustee
of the Lincoln institution. He wa:
appointed Dy Governor 1aUeS, Dut wa
retained by Governor Deneen until las
, July According TO Wagner, the who'll
Lincoln institution has gone to piece
since DR.. Hardt took charge a yea
ago.
Once Regarded rs a Home.
Under DIR. Taylor" he said, 9Th
i children seemed to regard the plac
4 as a home, but now they are all afrai
/. of DR.. Hardt. They scoot away i
S every direction when they see hir
e coming. 1t is the same with the en-
IS lployes"
e The witness said, however, that D
Taylor himself had been slack in hi
- management and much too easy wit
the employees.
Mr.. Wagner said that when Cover
or Yates appointed him he, was tol
there was something wrong at Lincol
a and he was to study conditions, an
II find out the trouble. He did SO, an
reported first to Yates and then
Deneen that there was friction
y tween the superintendent and Il
heads of departments. Governor d
neen said he did not want to take al