Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-17
aliseellaneoas 8sading.
THE ASYLUM INVESTIGATION
Or. Griffin Testifies to Alleged Inter
ference of Dr.. Saunders.

L
ference of Dr.. Saunders.
DR.. H. H. Griffin, third assistant ply
sician at the State hospital was the
only witness to give testimony last
Friday. He was cross-examined by DR..
Saunders, Governor Blease and DR..
Babcock. His testimony related main
ly to the causes Of friction among the
members of the hospital staff. Follow
ing is from the official stenographic re-
port of his testimony:
well, think there has been some
friction and disagreement between DR..
Saunders and myself, which, think,
dates back probably four years.
"Well, think the first time 1t was
more or less misunderstanding
That was some-felt was really the
beginning Of the little friction that
we had, it was little incident, a lit
tie remark think that made, that
I think she took exception to, and 1t
seems to me that from that time her
attitude toward me changed"
DR.. Strait: Will you mind telling
me what that remark was?
The witness then said that he and
DR.. Saunders were behind with their
dues to the Columbia Medical society
and that their names had been read
out That on the following morning
he mentioned the fact that their
names had been read out and she i'm
mediately said: II wish you would
mind your own business" The wit
ness said that he did not mean to
imply that DR.. Saunders was dis
honest or did not pay her debts.
DR.. Griffin: That Is, far as I can
see, the beginning Of the trouble.
felt that Il was a misunderstanding
and certainly on her part. Now,
since that, the main grievances that
I have had against DR.. Saunders. and
it was on that account largely that
1 spoke to the board Of regents, and
that was her, as 1 saw 1t, discourtesy
toward me.
1T would--don't mean to say now
that she showed that sort Of spirit
each day, but generally she did. For
instance, now, when I would go Into
the office in the morning, she would
frequently not recognize me when
said, Good morning. and some
times in passing her in the hall i
would greet her and she would not
take any notice Of me, and have on
some occasions, l do not remember
just specific instances, addressed some
little remark to her, when she would
give me a rather curt, short answer.
And 1t seemed to me that her whole
bearing and attitude was rather hos
tile, and so much so that within the
last year 1 even really dreaded hav-
ing to come in contact with her. Now
I do not mean to say positively that
she really meant to be disrespectful
to me, but that is the way that I GER
tainly interpreted her manner"
The witness next-said, in reply to-
questions by the committee, that he
had never complained to the superin-
tendent because of the attitude Of DR..
Saunders He said that there was no
rule to this effect until last July.
Continuing, the witness said:
Now I remember-well, one In
stance-we had just gotten in, I do
not know how long she had been
there, new stenographer in the
office, and I said to this lady one
morning, I wish you would take
some letters for me- and at the time
she was not occupied. DR.. Saunders,
who was occupying her chair there
at the desk, whirled around and said,
She is my stenographer,' that she Is
not to take your letters. Well, l had
never heard of her having been as
signed a private stenographer. I knew
this lady after that did take my let
ters.
There was another time, when l
had charge Of the white male de-
partment in DR.. Thompson's absence,
which 1 usually did. I think DR..
Saunders was guilty Of some profess
sional discourtesy then. She sent a
tray Of food into a nurse who was un-
der my treatment. This man had a
very severe case Of tonsilitis, his
throat was very much closed up, and
very much nauseated. very high tenn
perature, and I had left instructions
for him to have a very simple diet.
have-well, 1 think I had specified
that the man was to have little
milk and cracked ice at stated times
And I was apprised Of the fact, as l
understood the next morning, that
DR.. Saunders had sent tray into the
ward for this man and that the
nurse had sent word back that DR..
Griffin had given instructions for this
man to have only this specific diet,
and the message came back. however,
to the ward that DR.. Saunders said,
oh, well, that is all right, just let
him have it. Now that Is the way
that I understood it. And, as I say.
I felt that she didn't treat me just
right, and if 1 am not mistaken
spoke to DR.. Babcock about 1t, and l
think I also spoke to Miss Irwin.
tried to find DR.. Saunders"
The witness then said that II DR..
Saunders had wanted to send tray
in to the patient it would have been
much better and more courteous for
her to have consulted him about the
matter. The witness said that he had
never interfered with the department
Of DR.. Saunders.
Continuing, the witness said:
well, there was another little in
cident-I do not just recall the date
which / think was trying, too-in
which she apparently tried to brush
me aside. When I was first appointed
there on that staff in 1905, DR.. B. w.
Taylor said that he wanted me to do
any little archaeological work that
might arise there at the institution,
and while they had nothing Of lab
oratory at ALL 1 gathered together a
few little test tubes and things Of
that sort and I brought some Of my
own apparatus up there. I had a
fairly we'll euuipped laboratory at my