The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-02-18

ate. Representative Stevenson con-
Quoted the direct examination Of Sen
ator Tillman.
Senator Tillman said he got the
information contained in the conf
dental letter made part Of Gov
ernor Blease's message to the general
assembly from Dr.. J. W. Babcock.
That the latter visited him at Tren-
ton and while there told him Of the
hostility of the board of regents and
Of an effort which he declared was
being made to remove him and DR..
Saunders. his lady assistant, and also
gave him the information about an
alleged effort being made to smlrch
his and Dr.. Saunders character. AS
far as the statements in his letter
about the "underlings and satellites
Of Governor Blease trying to manlp-
ulate the sale of the asylum proper
ty" was concerned the senator ex-
planned that he got this idea, which
was simply an opinion, from reading
the newspapers and because IL was in
the air. He said this was an intui-
tive sense. He said he had no direct
information on either subject. He
said he appointed Dr.. Babcock super
intendent of the asylum in 1891, and
he alone was responsible for the re-
moval of DR.. Griffin.
The senator read written reply
to a question about the "underlings
and satellites and literally excoriat-
ed the person who turned his conf
Dental letter over to Governor
Rlease. He referred to it as COW
ardly betrayal of confidence, similar:
to his experience of last summer,
and said the State senator who gave
the governor the letter, he hoped, got
all the glory and pleasure out of it
possible. His excoriation bristled
with the old time Tillman scorn and
vitriol.
He said that about two weeks ago
Dr. Babcock had written him asking
that Dr.. Grim, in the United States
health service in Savannah, be per-
mitted to come and testify If the
committee wanted him, and that DR..
Rupert Blue had given this permis-
lsion.
In reply to question from Sena-
tor Young, Senator Tillman said Dr.
Babcock had succeeded Dr.. Griffin
and it was a son of this latter man
now on the medical staff, but doesn't
know the young doctor, and is not
familiar with who appointed him.
Senator Tillman said that he. and
he alone, was responsible for the fir
ing of former superintendent Griffin
and the appointment of Dr.. Babcock
in 1891.
Governor Blease's Testimony.
Standing within three feet Of Sena'
tor Tillman and directly in front o1
the bar of the Supreme Court. Cover
nor Blease presented his side of the
| matter before the Asylum investigat
ing committee. He said that he came
into Office intending to FIRE DR.. Bah
cock because he thought he had be
trayed his friend, the late James H
Tillman, but after ride with Dr.
| Baocock one Sunday morning. soor
after he came into Office he learned
some things in confidential conver
sation which he, as a gentleman,
would not tell, adding: 81 hope tha
will soak in"
He declared that he named Dr.
Houseal for Dr. Babcock's place t
show what he thought Of Dr.. Housea
after the Legislature had refused K
elect him a trustee of the Medical Col
leye. saying that he knew DR.. Housea
would not accept.
The Governor told of having uset
his influence with the board to re
tain Dr.. Saunders, and of his refusa
10 accept Dr.. Babcock's resignation
on September II last, and said hs
thought if some outside Influence
who were wanting to sell the Asylum
property would let DR.. Babcock alone
he and the regents would work il
harmony. He said that he was oppos
ed to the purchase of State Park, ant
his idea was to sell the property ant
to retain the buildings for tuberculo
sis or pellagra hospital, use the pres
ent Asylum buildings in Colubia fo.
white patients and convert the Statt
! Penitentiary into a hospital for ths
| negro patients. He said the peniten
tiary would soon be depopulated, a:
he intended sending the convicts bacl
TO the county chain gangs, aad he
hoped by August to have all of then
on the road, He said be had turned
out l0S recently and more were com
ing. and some people could not hell
themselves.
He upheld the right Of the regent:
! TO make changes at the Hospital anc
| TOlupeU dll OSST Cf. OduCOCh lOI " I'D
| he said was lack of attention to his
| duties. He declared that someone hat
| told him that Or. Babcock had moi
been in some Of the wards for twelve
years and he wanted to know Il DR.
Babcock was the only man in the
State who could hold the position. as
some people seemed to think. He de-
, clared there were no charges agains,
DR.. Saunders moral character, bu,
said she had been interfering with the
| other members OF the medical staff
and referred to the charges against
her as being OF this nature.
He said he didn't consider it de-
cent for women to be testing fol-
syphilis and such like diseases.
Looking directly at Senator TILL.
man, Governor Blease said: eff he
were the giant he once was. would
sense Of obligation to his chief i'm.
PEELED him to betray it. Whoever he