The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-22

ly criticised in the report.
Petition to State Journal.
| Charges made by nearly 100 inmates
| of the home and contained in a petit
gated by the board. All of these
charges were substantiated by the
! board in the investigation of condi-
/ lions.
Search for Facts.
| Many old soldiers were questioned
/ by officers of the G.. A r. during their
| investigation al the home. Stories of
dishonorable discharges without
cause were carefully investigated by
the department officers These re-
mander Meek and his staff began a
search for the facts. This is the story,
as the officers tell il in their report
following the investigations:
Seven were dishonorably dis
/ charged without a hearing on the
grounds of insubordination-a crime
kin to treason against the United
States. In this number were two COM
rades with invalid wives who were
| bedfast. The inquiry brought de-
NAL from the comrades that they had
ever Joined in any way in an effort
to oppose the rule of authority of the
commandment and the only instance
cited by the commandant in his state
ment to the committee. was that some
body had told him that one of these
discharged comrades had made the
actually made a certain statement
that he, the comrade had heard was
made, that the commandment was a
- liar.
TT further appears from the state
ment of the commandant that no
hearings were allowed these comrades,
but they were simply called in, their
discharge handed them and told to
go. 1t was disclosed, however. in this
connection, that the commandant was
under instructions in writing from the
power behind him to take this sum-
mary action in these cases. 1nstruc-
lions in letters from Topeka with eau
ton to discharge only two at a time, |
in order to avoid comment by the in |
Inandant-he giving plain evidence |
that it might be better to be con- |
trolled by the humane instincts, and |
show some leniency, at least in the |
in the cases of the comrades with |
the sick Wives
Charges sent from Dodge City and |
published by the State Journal to the |
effect Commandant Martin had placed |
his wife on the pay roll of the state.
were proven in the testimony taken
by the commission and are contained
in the report TO the governor
Started i'm July.
Trouble at Dodge city started with
the change of management in July
Many of the old soldiers who had been
employed at the home, were dis
charged and civilians were named to
fill their places. In some instances the
new board refused to pay the veterans
in full for services performed under
the former administration. All of
these facts added to the discord and /.
dissension at the home, the report re-
cites.
Several months ago petitions outlin-
ing conditions We're sent to the State
Journal from nearly 100 men and
women who were inmates of the home.
When these charges were published
they were denied by Colonel Har
rison and Governor Capper's repre-
sentatives, who were responsible for
conditions at the home. Reports of
testimony taken during the hearing
were also denied by a staff repre-
sentative who did not hear the testi-
mony of the witnesses. The report of
the official board, however, covers the
testimony in full and substantiates all
of the reports of depIorable condi-
tions and discord at the home.
The report was filed with Governor
Capper today by Commader Meek and
his official staff. including Thomas
George W. Brassfield. assistant ad-
jutant general; and Thomas H Girls
ham, judge advocate general of the
Kansas G. A. r. The investigation by
the officers of the state G.. A. r. was
made with approval and authority of I
Governor Capper and protection was t
assured all witnesses by virtue of a {
letter from the governor to the inves-
ll6AlAIlS OOdId
The Governors Statement.
Following the filing of the report
by Commander Meek and his staff,
Governor Capper issued the following
Conditions at the Fort Dodge Sol
diers' Home are undoubtedly better
than in many years. 1 presume it is
not yet ideal out there, but If any
thing is wrong it will be made right,
so far as it is in my power Immedi-
ately after coming into the governors
office I was overwhelmed with COM
plants about this institution. More
than 800 members of the home wrote
letters or signed a protest against the
mana cement. The department com
and other officers of the G.. A. !
r. and the G. A r. post at Dodge
City Joined in this protest and de- :
nanded that something be done to
put the home on more satisfactory :
basis.
Mrs. Lillian Kitchener. appointed !
by Governor Hodges official visitor
for the setate Institutions, reported to
me that she found the old soldiers
home the most unsatisfactory of all
the institutions and that moral condi-
tons were really deplorable. Investi-
cation showed that several iIlegitimate |
children had ben born in the institu-
ton during the year 1914 and that in 7
toxication was common I found that :
the intoIerabIe conditions at the home .
were largely due to the fact that the
of the institution had :
been turned to politicians who were :
1using the institution to take care of :
their political friends. 1 asked the :
legislature to change the law so that 7
the home would be under the manage l
ment of a board of members of the :
G. A. r. and this was done 1 put it 7
up to the G. A. r. departm mental Of :
ficers to name the board and the com !
mandant of the home, and it has been
under their management since July 1.
The board named by the G. A r. is
exceptionally strong and no board
ever tried more conscientiously to per- I
form its duties. e