The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-03
HITS THE ASYLUM
Discharged Employees Make
Some Ugly Charges.
Fail in Effort to Bring Them
Before Legislature.
BOARD TOINVESTIGATE
Secretary Bowman Gives Them
Little Credence.
Says DR.. Biddle Is an Excellent
BOARD TOINVESTIGATE
Says DR.. Biddle Is an Excellent
Official.

Charges have been filed with Cow
ernor w. r. Stubs; G. H. Buchanan,
speaker of the house: H. c. Bowman
chairman of the board of control, and
with Robert Stone. representative
from Shawnee county, against DR.. t.
C. Biddle, superintendent of the state
hospital. All of these officials have re-
fused to take action in the matter and
have urged the compliments to go
elsewhere for their relief. Charges
have come from more than a dozen
persons, men have visited the officials
personally, asking for an investigation
of the state asylum at Topeka, but in
every instance the state officials are
said to have made excuses and urged
the compliments to file their charges
through some other source.
The charges have been made by
persons who have been employed at
the asylum. They have filed charges
against Biddle on a score of damaging
reasons any one of which would prob
ably GUST the superintendent from Of
flee if the case was substantiated.
Numerous charges are mad0 that Bid
die mistreated inmates. ordered them
beaten and was cruel anc heartless-
Eve witnesses have told of seeing in
view 1t is claimed that he gave in
structions to beat inmates with a club
when they did not obey his rulings.
Charges are made that he is profane
and abusive and will not give en-
ployees and inmates the treatment to
which they are entitled.
In a letter to Gov. w. R. Stubs, F.
]. Grub of 211 East Second street
says:
1.-THE institution is rapidly gaining
an unsavory reputation on account OF
the continual advertising to which he
(Biddle) is obliged to resort, on ac-
count of his domineering ways and UNI
Just rulings. He never investigates
case or gives a hearing and seldom a
reason for discharging AN employee
They are simply told to go and be
d. quick, too "
Earl Fish of 124 West Twenty third
street, wrote to the governor in part
as follows:
s'Mr. Hubbard, head cook until with
in the last few months. now with the
city railway company, residence 1908
Kansas avenue, can tell you how Dr.
BiddIe in one of his insane passions
gave him orders to take club and
knock down the patients if they did
not remember to dump kitchen refuse
where he CDR. Biddle) designated"
Last Saturday w. F. Mclaughlin OF
700 East Seventh street went to the
governors Office to urge an investiga-
ton of the hospital. Mclaughlin was
until recently employed as painter of
the asylum, but declared that he left
the institution because of the mistreat-
ment accorded by DR.. Biddle and the
mismanagement of the home in gen
eral-
Il went to the governors Office
first" said Mclaughlin Governor
Stubs was not in, but Mr.. Leahy said
they knew all about the charges and
a of should
done He then told me that it was i'm
possible for the governors office to
take the matter up at the present time,
owing to the rush of business. I left
the Office and went to Mr.. Bowman,
chairman of the board of control.
when 1 laid the case before him,
Mr. Bowman reached in desk and
produced a large package of letters
which he said were charges against
DR.. Biddle and in line with my state
ments. He urged me to see some one
else, as he declared the matter should
be taken up by the incoming board
and that there were to be changes in
the office at an early date I could
/ not induce him to start an investiga-
/ ton and 1 went to the house Of repre-
sentatives.
/ Mr.. Leahy had told me to see
some of the members of the house
! and recommended Mr.. stone, repre-
sentative from Shawnee. 1 had long
talk with Mr.. Stone about the matter
and he seemed convinced that the
conditions were very bad. Then ne
told me of personal friendship be-
tween himself and DR.. Biddle and
urged me to see Mr.. Orr. l did not
do this, as 1 was afraid Biddle and
1 his friends would say that it was a
! slap at the administration. Before
/ left the hall 1 saw Mr.. Buchanan,
4 speaker of the house. 1 urged upon
h ~ of
vestigation of the affairs of the asy-
1um and the rotten condition in which
DIR. Biddle had placed matters gener-
ally. Mr.. Buchanan seemed quite in
terested, but he said that it was i'm
possible to load more work on the leg
islature at this time and urged me to
look elsewhere"
Any one of a dozen or more persons
have offered to give evidence in a
court of record and Mclaughlin has
urged state officials and members of
the legislature to make an inveSti-
cation without results.
There seems just one avenue open,
declared Mclaughlin, land that is to
push our case through the columns of
the newspapers, as none of the per-
sons empowered to act will look into
the matter. We can prove every
charge we have made and these let
ters have been flooding the governor
office for several weeks. The con-
dition is almost beyond description.
| DR.. Biddle rules the affairs of the hos
pital with high hand, mistreats not
only employees but is abusive and
inmates. Just why this condition is
allowed to exist 1 do not know. A
dozen efforts have been made to
start an investigation, but no person
or body of men has been found who
will interest themselves in the mat
fer"