The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-02-12
HAD ISSUED CERTIFICATES
Declines to Make Any
Extended Statement in Regard to the
Matter But Insists All Dealings Were
Open, Above Board and on the Square
(From Saturdays Daily

nently into the lime l1gnC InlS morning
by the publication of an article from
the current issue of the journal of the
American Medical Association, aimed
at the issue of what are termed 6 fraud
ulent credentials for admission to medi-
cal colleges in Illinois. In the article
the name of the county superintendent
of schools is linked with the operation
Of the Bennett Medical College and the
Brooks Classical School Of Chicago.
The interesting thing in connection with
the article is the reproduction of an af-
fdavit bearing the signature of Mr..
Kerwin certifying to the qualifications
of one W. R. Cowgirl, who as an in
vestigator for the American Medical
Association went to Chicago to investi-
gate the conditions surrounding the en-
trance of students to the Bennett Col
lege.
Mr. Kerwin, who has the full conf
dence of the people of Kenosha county
and who has been at the head of the
county school system for many years,
declined this morning to make an ex-
tended statement in regard to the
statements made in the published ar
ticle, but insisted that his connections
with the case had been entirely on the
square and open and above board.
The Bennett Medical College is at
fliated with Loyo1a University, but IS
not a part of that institution. O. T..
Owen, register of the Bennett College,
is given credit by the Investigators Of
working out the plan by which students
could be admitted to the college with
out meeting all of the provisions of the
Illinois law. Balfour johnson, is the
head of the Brooks Classical School and
he is :lso alleged to have been connect
ed with school operated in room
of the Schiller building in Chicago and
where, it is alleged, the examinations
now under investigation were made.
Believing that all the provisions of the
law were not being met the association
sent Cowgirl to Chicago to enter the
Bennett Medical College. Cowgirl had
represented in correspondence that he
had Lad but year and half of high
school work, but had insisted that he
desired to give but four years to the
study of medicine. Owen, according to
the investigation IS story, agreed to fix
him upo with g. couple of weeks of
study and an examination 1t is claimed
by Cowgirl that at the time Owen pre-
sented him with a certificate which had
been signed by county superintendent
in Wisconsin.
Later Owen is alleged to have taken
Cowgirl to the Schiller building where
he was introduced to tombstone. He
alleged that he was given questions
with the answers already filed in.
tombstone is alleged to have stated that
man would come to Chicago and hold
the examination later, but he did not
in any way intimate that the man who
would come had been advised of the
fact that the candidate for admission
to the school had been given the ans
we to the questions proposed to be
asked. Cowgirl was to pay fee of $25
If the certificate paving his way tc
enter .she medical school. Cowgirl de
clared that when the day came for tbs
exami 1.tion he and two other candi.
dates were permitted to take the pa.
pers home and write in the answers.
tombstone was alleged to have said that
Mr.. Kerwin will not know the differ
ence. Evidently these questions ant
answe-s were later submitted to Mr..
Kerwin an he showed the various
! grades which had been at 1ined by the
| applicants il his certificate of exanlin-
alton which bore the date Of Dec. 18th
Of lasse year.
| In speaking of the matter County Su.
perintendent Kerwi.. said: 81 haze
/ been acting as an examiner for the
Bennett College for t e past three years
and my .ealings have been entirely on
the square, open and above board Most
of the examinations have been conduct
ed during the vacations but / have
gore to Chicago to conduct examina-
lions and have also conducted them in
S.ser Lake and Kenosha. OF course,
/ have records of these examinations.
So far as / know the examinations
| have been on the aquare and they were
conducted at the request of Mr.. John
stone. These students came to me vol
unfairly and only issued the certif-
cries when the papers written showed
th4t students were competent in
the branches covered by the examina-
ton. | did not issue certificates to all
applying and some were refused
| When asked if he had been in Chi
cago to conduct the examination of
Cowgirl, Mr.. KerWin declared that he
though he had but when the date was
shown to him he declared that he did