Perth Amboy evening news., 1909-08-06
COVERNORFORT
ATTACKSEVANS
Head Of Jersey State Asylum
RoundIy Scored for Atti-
tude in Thaw Case.
NOT FIT FOR OFFICE

Sea Girt, Aug. 6:-More than 100
physicians of prominence from all
parts of the state, many OF them
having at one time or another had
posts of honor in the National Guard,
were guests of Governor Fort at the
Third Regiment camp and inciden-
tally greeted Major General Leonard
Wood, member of their own pro-
fession, who was the days guest of
honor. In a short speech to the doc
tors the governor numerically fay
ed DR.. Britton D. Evans, the Thaw
insanity expert, and practically read
him out of his position as head of
the Morristown State Hospital for
the Insane.
The sensation the governor caused
when he alluded rcintedly to DR..
Evans present attitude tntne T,haw
case was widespread and the assem-
blage of physicians applauded vigor-
ly. The governor was lauding the
physician as a man of character and
influence in his communitys and sell
dom a politician, and said that his
experience on the bench taught him
the truth that the average jury is
more quickly and thoroughly i'm
pressed by the testimony of physi-
clans from their own community
/ than by all the stuff that an expert
could get rid of. The governor then
said it was "a pitiable spectacle to
see an expert testifying that man
! is insane and then three months
later testifying that the same man
i is sane. Such a man." he cried ve-
hemently, who so deports and dis
/ graces himself has no right to hold
public position.
1t was plain that the governor was
\ directly alluding to DR.. Evans, who
gets a big salary as the head of the
Morris Plains institution, and the
rounds of applause that followed his
remarks seemed to- indicate that he
had struck a popular vein of thought
among the physicians.
General Wood made a short ad-
dress under the shelter tent where
luncheon was served, paying high
/ tribute to the character and worth
of the Third Regiment which, he
declared, is fine body of men. He
said the nation looks to the National
Guard as its greatest dependency for
the preservation of peace and for the
required service in time of need.
since it cannot hope to maintain a
large standing army. He said that
under the national law, which will
go into effect next January l., this
service will be greatly improved and
be made even more effective and
valuable. He recited some of the
good things which the army of the
/ United States had accomplished in
peace times, notably the cleaning up
of Cuba and Porto Rico, accomplish
ments which, even measured from
the standpoint OF dollars and cents,
have been of immeasurable conse-
quence to the people of America and
the whole world. Most of this, he
ascribed, not so much to engineers,
but to the practical knowledge
brought to bear upon the required
work by trained physicians in the
service.
Most of the visitors remained for
the evening review of the Third.
which was by General Wood Dur
ing his stay the Second Troop, of
Red Bank, which is in camp, formed
an escort for the general, and de-
tachment of United States Marines,
also in camp here, formed guard of
honor at the governors cottage dur
ing the reception, in which all the
officers of the command, with Divi-
sion Commander Wanser and his
staff, participated.