The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-03-17
BABCOCK LEAVESASYLUM;
DR.. SAUNDERS ALSO GOES
RumOr Says Strait May be Head
of Hospital for Insane.
WANTED IMPROVEMENTS.
ReiterRtion of His Statement Brings
From Governor Acceptance OF
His Resignation.

Persistent rumor couples the name
OF DR.. T. J. Strait OF Lancaster with
the superintendency of the state Hos
pital for the Insane. A telephone
message from The State to Lancaster
last night found DR. Strait asleep, but
= member of his family said there has
been something said about IT, but
that the understanding there was the
appointment had not been finally
made. Friends of DR.. Strait In Ches-
ter insisted az early as Thursday af-
ternoon that he would be appointed.
DR.. Strait is senator from Lancas-
ter county, succeeding Yancey Will
iiams IN the uppers house in 1910. He
succeeded John ]. Hemphill as repre-
sentative OF the Fifth district in con-
Bress and served there six years, be-
ing defeated by ID. f. Finley, the
present representative from the Fifth
district.
He taught school in Chester, York
and Lancaster counties in the 7Os and
early sos and was graduated from
the South Carolina Medical college in
1885.
He served in the Confederate army
in the War Between the Sections be-
ing attached to the Sixth and Twenty
fourth South Carolina regiment. He
was mustered out at the close OF the
war with the rank OF third sergeant
He is 68 years OF age and has lived
in Lancaster since 1881.
The governor OF South Carolina
yesterday accepted the resignation OF
]. w. Babcock, NJ D., as superintend-
ent OF the State Hospital for the In
sane
Eleanora b. Saunders, NJ D., as
sistant physician I'm charge OF the
white women's department sent her
resignation Ito take effect at once"
DR.. Saunders and DR.. Babcock an
nounced yesterday that they would
very probably open private sani-
tarium in Columbia, a definite state
ment as to their plans to be made
later.
eff there is no to be cooperation,
then l desired to resign imediately
from the superintendency of the
Hospital for the Insane" said DR..
Babcock in a letter to the governor.
j. l.. Thompson, NJ. D., first as
sistant physician at the asylum, has
been placed temporarily in charge.
No announcement has been made
as to who will be appointed by the
governor to succeed DR.. Babcock.
The board regents held two long
executive sessions yesterday when
the affairs OF the institution were dis
cussed.
Following her letter of resignation
to the board OF regents, DR.. Saun-
ders, upon request, appeared before
the regents She told the members
that she would work today and
bring the record OF every case up to
date and that she would have her de-
partment In good order for her sue
cessor to take charge this morning.
She said that she would do every
thing to keep the patients from suf-
fering. Many of the white nurses in
her department wanted to leave the
institution Immediately, but she ad-
SSsed them to remain.
DR.. Babcock leaves the State Hos
pital for the Insane after a service
OF 23 years. having been appointed
by B. r. Tillman, former governor,
In 1891. He will remove today from
the home that he has occupied since
being connected with the institution.
DR.. Saunders was appointed as sec
Ouu NAY - loO
She was In charge OF the white wo-
mans department or the asylum.
The designations came as climax
to the recent Legislative Inquiry into
the charge In connection with the
State Hospital.
The committee cleared DR.. Saun-
dere OF all charges and gave high
praise to her work at the asylum.
The report was adopted unanimously
by the house and the senate.
The board of regents held two long
executive sessions Thursday at the
asylum, when several matters con
cerning the institution we're discussed.
Late in the day It was announced
that DR.. Babcock might remain as
superintendent OF the institution If
the proper rules and regulations were
adopted. DR.. Babcock discussed the
rules with the regents and 1t seemed
as II satisfactory agreement was
about to be reached. The governor
attended the meeting OF the regents
Thursday.
The State.
MARSHALL, f1,j YEARS OLD