The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-03-20
DIR. BABCOCK LEAVES ASYLUM:
DIR. SAUNDERS ALSO GOES
L. }. STRAIT OF LANCASTER CHOSEN AS HEAD
OF HOSPITAL FOR INSANE TO SUCCEED
DIR. BABCOCK
Babcock Insisted Upon of His
Statement That He Must Have Cooperation If
He Remained Brings From Governor
Acceptance of His Resignation.

Columbia, March Ex-Governor
Blease today accepted the resignation
OF DIR. James w. Babcock, superin-
tendend of the State Hospital for the
Insane, and appointed in his stead DR..
L. j. Strait, of Lancaster. This turn
in the events of the asylum came as
a climax to the two days session of
the board of regents. DR.. Babcock
became superintendent of the asylum
by appointment of Governor Tillman
August 18th, 1S91.-Greenville News.
DR.. Strait is senator from Lancas-
ter county, succeeding Yancey Will
llams in the upper house in 1910. He
succeeded John j. Hemphill as repre-
sentative of the Fifth district in con-
greSs and served there six years, be-
ing defeated by ID. E. 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 COL
lege 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 regiments. He
was mustered out at the close of the
war with the rank of third \sergeant.
lie is 68 years of age and has lived
IN Lancaster since 1881.
The governor of South Carolina
yesterday accepted the resignation of
j. w. Babcock, M. d., as superintend-
ent of the State Hospital for the In
sane.
Eleanora B. Saunders, M. D., as
sistant physician in charge of the
white women's department, sent her
resignation "to take effect at once"
DIR. Saunders and DIR. Babcock an
nounced yesterday that they would
very probably open a private sani-
tarium in Columbia, a definite state
ment as to their plans to be made
later.
"lf there is not to be cooperation,
then | desire to resign Immediately
from the superintendency of the Hos
pital for the Insane," said DR.. Bah
cock in letter to the governor.
j. l.. Thompson, M. 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 of 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-
vised them to remain.
DR.. Babcock leaves the State Hos
pital for the Insane after a service
of % 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
ond assistant physician May 1, 1907.
She was in charge of the white wo-
mans department of the asylum.
The resignation came as a climax
to the recent legislative inquiry into
the charges in connection with the
State hospital.
The committee cleared DR.. Saun-
ders 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