The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1915-04-08
WHY KNAUF DUG
INTO The mess
MATRON OF HOSPITAL STOOD IN
THE WAY
AZ Her Attorney Knauf Found Mat
ters It Asylum in Deplorable
Condition

jamestown, March 20.-Regarding
the recent investigation of the STATE
board of control, Attorney John Knauf
says:
"As some Of my friends have IN
quired, why did l get into the board
of control investigation?' l take oc-
casion at this time to say:
"That question is easily answered.
First, it was because became aware
of facts which startled me. l had no
idea that the board had 80 far dis
obeyed the mandates of our legisla-
ture as to misapply the 100000
tubercular hospital building funds
appropriated by the 1913 session Of
the legislature until late last De-
cember; and, second, l never knew Of
the board taking the sick and the tu-
bercu ar insane from the hospital ded-
icated to their use, until the same
date, and made up my mind that SO
far as was concerned the facts would
be known.
How did learn of these things?
"Well, it was this way. Late in
December a lady, then acting as
matron, relative of a prominent
citizen of Valley City, was ordered
by the board of control to show cause
relative to charges filed against her
by the superintendent, and she en-
gagged my services and, appearing be-
fore the board at its room at the State
Hospital for the Insane, l was greet:
ed by Mr.. Lewis, chairman of the
board, who politely, but nevertheless
emphatically, informed us that it did
not matter whether the charges pre-
ferred were sustained or not, Others
would be preferred and, in the end,
the matron would be discharged any.
how. y
1--WE discussed the matter and Sir.
Jackson, a second member of the
board, was very vindictive toward the
then matron and insisted that she
must be gotten rid of.
MT. Brewster and other officers at
the asylum stated that our client was
the best matron the state had had
l learned from them that her check
ing system, the requisition and order
method as put in vogue by her at the
commissary department, though dis
pleasing to some, had saved the state
from $2,50O to $4,000 in the few
months that she had been there. '2..
nevertheless she must co. was the
edict.
Il earned that member of the
board had made inquiry about the nu-
merous rumored local scandals peep
ing out about the asylum, and tina, he
had gone to this same matron, telling
her that, If she would tell him ALL
that she should remain at the hos
pita' while he remained on the board.
She said she had answered him truth.
fully, and he Immediately set abou: to
right the existing wrongs then learn
ed, with the result that few days
later, this matron, stranger in u
strange land, among strange and
crazy peoples, widow without local
friends, was called before prejudiced
board which had apparently prejudged
her for telling the very things the r
own member had asked of her.
Did that make me sore?' Ger
tainly. l could grin and take the :
pared medicine, but it was with some
mental reservation, and l then made
inquiry as to what had become of the
asylum appropriations, and it was
then l learned of the misapplications
of the tubercular hospital 100000
fund; it was then learned Of the
payment to the state architect of the
sum of about $1,000 over the $4,000;
it was then ] learned of the conver-
sion of the sick and tubercular pa-
tients' hospital into an office and Of
ficia! residence, with the patients
taken elsewhere, and it was then that
decided to ask the legislature to
turn the light on and to let is shine in,
and If the good folk Of jamestown
would just read the facts as broL ght
out by the cross examination uf Gov
ernor Hanna. Mr.. Hall, Mr.. Jorgen-
son. Superintendent Hotchkiss and the
asylum bookkeeper, and the evidence
given by Mr.. Schroeder, and Archi-
tect O'Shea. they would all join US in
our prayer for q recovery Of the
money applied by the board Of control
contrary to statute.
This statement contains my sole
reasons for getting into this probe.