Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-07-29
DRS. BABCOCK, POPE, JENNINGS
Also Examined Itichey and Advised
Againso His Release.

Columbia, July 26.-That Dr.. Jas.
w. Babcock had in 1911 urged Gov
ernor Blease not to liberate r. A.
Richey, serving sentence for a
grave crime, from the penitentiary,
and that he was concurred in this by
N" n 8. Pope, who considered
RicNe5 " man dangerous to COM
munity, we're developments Of par
ttcular interest yesterday in the eX-
change Of statements between DR..
Jas. H. Mcintosh and Governor
Blease relative to the Governors
justification, in physicians reports OF
Richeys condition, for paroling
eichey.
DR.. Babcock authorized the follow
ing:
'Dr. Jas. w. Babcock said yester-
day that while superintendent Of the
State Hospital for the Insane he had
reported to Governor Blease about
the condition Of r. A. Richey. he
said that to the best Of his rctollec-
ton he had advised agai"y, Richey's
release from the State penitentiary,
where he was ser. ing a sentence for
grave "r'1e.
CDR. Babcock further said that he
| twice by w. r. Richey, a brother Of
r. A. Richey, who sought to have
him examine r. A. Richey, but whose
importuning was refused.
when Governor Blease later ask
ed DR.. Babcock to examine r. A.
Richey, in the company Of DR.. d. s.
Pope and Dr. r. II. Jennings, the
State penitentiary physician he said
he consented, as he always did when
directed by Governor to make such
an examination. After making the
examination DR.. Babcock said a re-
! port, telling in substance, that
Richey should not be liberated from
| the penitentiary was written signed
by them and presented to Governor
Blease.
"In conversation with Governor
Blease, DR.. Babcock not only told
him not to liberate Richey, but said
If yo free that man you will have
all the women Of the State down on
you. 1t is bad pclitics.' He said he
1 made this. examination probably be-,
isfnHel tS,si lar exa ninatiol was made;
/ by DR.. Jas. Fl. Mcintosh, and about
tn close of 1917"
Pope Agrees With Babcock.
\ hen Dr.. d. S. Pope was asked
regarding this visit with Dr.. Bah
cock and DR.. Jennings to the State
.penitentiary to examine r. A. Richey,
| he stated that the facts related in
! the statement Of DR.. Babcock, which
is printed above, were true to the
| best of his remembrance
DR.. Pope further said:
Il was satisfied that Richey was q
malingerer and was even more en-
phatic than DR.. Babcock that he
should not be liberated from the
State penitentiary. believed he
would be dangerous to the State If at
liberty. A man whose mental con-
ditiOn is SO law as was Richey's
| Shou,G be taken care OF by the State.
| went there at the request Of Cover
nor Blease, brought to me through
DR.. Babcock, as I understood it at
that time, and signed the report in
that capacity"
Richey Feigned Fits.
"Richey feigned fits, but | soon
cured him of that practice" declared
DR.. r. II. Jennings, State penitentiary
| physician, when interviewed in con-
nection with the statements Of DR..
Babcock and DR.. Pope. "Richey
was brought to the Denitentiary one
Sunday afternoon, by Sheriff Lyons,
and Mrs. Richey accompanied them.
Within few minutes after they ar
rived Richey feigned fit, and gave
| him medicine which after repeating
the dose forced him to change his
tactics for the time being, though he
continued to feign fits and became
nuisance around the penitentiary.
| "As ! understood the commitment
papers, he was brought to the peni-
tentiary for confinement only.
'He became such a nuisance that
] wanted to get rid of him. / was
called out of bed at all times OF the
| night to go to the penitentiary and
| doctor him while feigning fits"