The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-06-04
Hot Letter Written to Coun-
Gil by A. Bavis Stirs Up a
Hornets Nest and Mayor
Runs Amuck.
LETS A FEW CATS
OUT OF THE BAGS
But Says He Won't Tell All
He Knows About Members
of His Craft Council Is
Thrown Into Turmoil.

THAT letter is an insult to the may
or and council" excitedly exclaimed
Councilman Bartel last night when the
city clerk had finished reading the let
ter of A. Bavis to council, raking ii
and the mayor fore and aft,
But Councilman BarteIs words were
lost in the uproar that ensued.
A whole family of yellow jackets
would have been better company than
the mayor and the council.
Il could tell lots of things about
the doctors in this town and about the
hospital. / needn't 60 any farther now
than to say they stay too long with
the nurses" This was the hottest shot
fired by the mayor.
The three councfimen on the COM
mittee ventured to remark that they
would like to explain to Mr.. Bavis
personally" which might be interpret
ed to be more than explanation by
word of mouth and more nearly by
blow of fist.
In great anger the council chamber
reverberated with: Discharge the
committee" TITS been discharged -
mo, it hasn't" We'll if it hasn't let's
make sure of it." I'm not afraid to
stake my word against A. Bavis's or
any other mans" "Bavis accuses US Of
being crooks"
So any orderly recounting of the af-
fair fails to convey the turmoil. How
ever this is a cold statement of facts.
Letter Starts Something.
Alfred Bavis' letter was published in
yesterdays issue of the Palladium. He
asked for all the evidence secured by
the hospital Investigating committee,
of which he was chairman, to make
tho same. .prblic in answer to charges
of the hospital board of trustees. Mr..
Bavis also referred to councils action
of first accepting the committees re-
port then practically repeating it by
approving the plans of the hospital
trustees. The letter was laid on the
table and the hospital committee dis
charged.
Councilman BarteI after the letter
was read was on his feet in a moment,
asserting that such a letter was in
sulting and he moved that if the letter
be so construed as to ask for evidence
and nothing else, it be considered, 9TH
erwise to give 1t no consideration. Won
Pein moved that the letter be laid on
the table Indefinitely, seconded by
Kaufman. Then Burdsall, a member
of the committee. stated, "Bavis in his
letter implies that crookedness on the
part Of three members of this council
body was practiced. He can see me
any time and show me where any one
influenced my vote"
II move the committee be discharg-
ed" yelled Williams.
In an acrimonious address Mayor
Zimmerman in no uncertain tones
made some charges against the Wayne
County Medical Society.
The mayor explained his stand on
the question of opposing doctors on
the Reid Memorial hospital board, rel
terating all his previous remarks on
this subject and again referring to the
jealousy of the doctors of the city. Re-
ferring to a part of Bavis letter which
the mayor interpreted as charging him
with absenting himself from council
to avoid a hearing of the hospital mat
ter, the mayor said, Il don't have to
answer for my actions to Alfred Ba-
Wis or to any one else. / was sick that
night and can prove it."
The members of the Wayne County
Medical Society are jealous Of the In
dependent doctors, l believe" averred
the mayor. "They said they would
withdraw their support of the hospital
If council did not accede to their de
mands" Then the mayor referred to
the fact that he was not a member of
the Wayne County Medical society be
cause he would not agree not to do
contract work
Doctors Marvel, Kruger, King.
Bramkamp and Wampler do contract
work and belong TO the society,"" ex-
claimed the mayor. They make a
thousand or two thousand dollars a
year that way. Believe men, gentlemen
that is the easiest. money that can be
made by a doctor, doctoring by the
year for some corporation or some or
ganization- II the doctors mentioned
belong to the society, why can't /.
suppose I could now that do not have
any contracts. have had them and
would have had them now il I had not
been defeated by other doctors in
lodge elections.
Il can tell lots about doctors. !
needn't go any farther now than to
say they stay too long with the nurs-
es''
They say i am not a capable doc
tor For shame. for shame. I say. 1 am
licensed doctor and have diploma
from a reputable college I have doc
tored and can doctor
Il could and would assume charge OF
the hospital They say I could not
could, but / won't"