South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-10-19
Letters Of the People
WITWER GIVES HIS
SIDE OF DAVIS CASE.
South Bend. Ind. oct. is, 1915.

south Ienu, lnu.s OCl. 10 1SAe-
Editor -wimes:-Referring to
your editorial of Sunday, and previ-
Gus news articles, in reference 10 the
DIR. II. l.. Cooper-Floyd Davis. tetanus
case, an explanation is due from the
side of the township trustee that the
public may not be misinfOrmed> Your
conclusions were correct had the facts
as stated been true but you were mis-
informed as TO the facts.
DIR. II. l.. Cooper came to my Of
flee accompanied by two men and in
formed me that he had a case of tet-
onus. Floyd Davis being the victim.
l asked him how far the case had de-
veloped and he told me it was 2
hours along, in response TO which /
urged that it should have immediate
attention, aud suggested that we call
up Dr. Frank J. Powers. township
physician, and have him make an in
Vestigation. To this Dr. Cooper agreed
and Dr. Powers was called to my Of
flee arriving within a few minutes,
upon which ii was suggested that if
the family was an INDECENT one, the
case should be turned over TO the
township physician, and that he would
30 ahead and handle ii.
Dr. Cooper refused TO let DR.. Pow
ers have charge of the case. and the
two men with him, when asked about
their interest in the matter. stated
that they were To pay DR.. Cooper for
his services. After that it no longer
looked to me like the case of an in
digent as indigency implies that a
person is without other means of sup
port. These two men seemed to con-
stitute another means of support, at
least in case of sickness, which might
apply TO the purchase of anti-tetanus
serum as we'll as to other medicines.
But this is not all of it. We do
not keep those serums on hand, and
Or. Cooper must have understood it
So l know of but one place in South
Bend where it might possibly have
been secured, and he was as free TO go
there as | am. We have never had a
call for anti-tetanus serum before and
was totally unprepared for it, yet had
the case been turned over to the trus-
tee as that of an INDECENT, l would
have done the best that 1 could with
it, getting the serum soon as possible,
even though II hours OF develop
ment had passed.
Dr. Cooper said himself that he
really thought it would do no good
at that stage-thanks for that honest
remark but he said il was the only
thing that could be done. Now if DIR.
Cooper will explain what he was do
/ i
before coming to the trustees office;
why he did not get it himself, when
the two men with him said they agreed
to pay him; why he did not turn the
case over to Or. Powers when L sug-
gested *; why he hung to the case,
went TO the city health board, and
then to the reporters with an enron
eOus statement / think the public
will understand the situation quite
thoroughly.
Let me say for the benefit Of all
that the trustee as overseer of the
poor should be notified by the indi-
gent family themselves, or If by any
one else, it must still go through the
trustees office. If in need of a doc
tor, or If destitute, or in distress, il is
the duty of the trustee to render as
sistance, but you must remember. that
I DR.. Powers is the township doctor.
and the only one TO be called by the
trustee, if he is to be had. or if he be
not available, then another doctor may
be called, but still it must be done
/ by the trustee. We realize that an
emergency case requires an emergen-
/ cy effort, and in this particular case
/ did just what law and justice re-
/ quires, DR.. Powers being available,
and DR.. Cooper having two men al
\ his side ready TO pay him for his ser
vices.
/ I realize the Importance of the du-
/ ties of trustee in a city like South
/ Bend and a township like Portage,
/ but there are lengths TO which / can
not go. You are right that an emer-
| GenCy case requires and emergen-
/ cy Effort but you will observe
that 1 acted pretty we'll within the re-
quirements. l am human and may
| make mistakes. but l try to do the
right as L see ii, and thus far / look
with pride upon the work that has
\ been done. and ask the cooperation
/ of everyone in an honest effort TO
4 help the honest poor. In the Davis
/ case / did as much as the Davis fam
/ lily physician, Dr. Cooper. would let
me do. Respectfully
| j. Il. WITWER,
Portage township trustee
INDIVIDUAL, IMPROVEMENT