Evening star., 1915-12-28
EARLY DECISION +
|NSANAT0R|UMCASE
Revocation of Chevy Chase In
stitution License May Be
Settled Friday.
Mr.. BR0WNL0W PREPARING
COMMISSIONERS OPINION
Special Master Stephens Report Said
to Hold That Place Is Not
a Nuisance. 3

After a nne-month investigation Of
the matter the District Commissioners
are preparing to render a decision on
the petition of Pinehurst and Chevy
Chase residents for revocation of the
license of the Chevy Chase Sanatorium,
at 32d and Emerson streets northwest,
on the ground that the institution has
been conducted in such a manner as
to constitute it a nuisance.
Action by the District heads prob
ably will be taken at Fridays board
session. Commissioner Brownlow is
understood to be writing the opinion.
which will be submitted to his coll
leagues at that time.
The anxiety of the protestants
against the sanitorium for a decision
favorab bic to them, in revocation of the
ncense. has been whetted within a few
days by a tragedy at Baton Rouge, La.
where young man who had been con-
fined for time at the Chevy Chase in
stltution and was released as in no
longer in need of restraint shot two
men dead. evidently while insane. They
are now pointing to this case as illus
trative of the perils which, they de-
clare, are attendant upon the conduct
In their suburb of an institution where
mentally deranged persons are kept
and where the ordinary safeguards
against escape are lacking
Attitude of Mr.. Stephens.
Francis II. Stephens, assistant corpo.
ration counsel, who was appointed by
the commissioners to take testimony
in the case, is understood to have sub
mltted conclusions to the effect that
the institution is not nuisance either
In law or in fact, and that the Com
hlissioners would not be justified in re-
voking the license
On reliable authority it also is learned
that Corporation Counsel Syme, who
reviewed the testimony and made an
independent investigation, has con-
Cured in Mr.. Stephens conclusions.
Commissioner Brownlow today would
give no intimation as to what recon-
mendation he will make to the board
Mr.. Stephens officiated as a sort of
master in chancery in the proceedings
The giving of testimony was COM
menced March 16 last, and a total of
twenty-three sessions was held. Many
witnesses were examined and volum-
inous amount of testimony taken.
Mr. stephens submitted to the Conn
missioners' review of the testimony.
with his conclusions last summer The
District heads, on account of having
the annual estimates to prepare and
other important work to do, were un-
able to give the testimony at that time
the careful consideration which il re-
quired Since then all three Commits
sloners have gone over the evidence
and are prepared to act on the con-
crete recommendation to be submitted
by Commissioner Brownlow,
Principal Charge Made.
The principal charge made by the
complainants was that patients in the
institution have been permitted to wan
der about without attendants beyond
the boundaries of the institution, which
is not surrounded by a wall. Com
plants also were made of noises and
other features which, it was asserted
tended to make the institution a nuis-
ance to people living in that vicinity.
In the course of the hearings on the
case testimony was given by the prot
estants that indicated that patients of
the institution at times came into close
contact with the dwellers in the neigh
borhood, and that SO apprehensive were
the latter of possible danger to the
women and children through the sud
den alteration of patients that the men
or the families were afraid to go to
their places of business daily lest some
terrible happening might occur during
their absence.
A point adduced by the protestants
against the sanatorium was that the
original permit was for the care of
only nine patients, which limit had
been exceeded as a result of the con-
struction of an additional building for
which no supplementary license had
been issued.
Says Realty Is Affected.
The petitioners. who included practi-
cally all residents within the radius of
half-a mile or more from the institu-
tion, asserted in the course of the hear
ing that the esta ablshment of the sana-
torium by virtue of a license issued
without adequate notice to those pros
pectively affected, had seriously affect
ed the value of their properties and had
even caused losses to some. They urged
that they had bought homes in the i'm
mediate neighborhood of the tract later
sold to the sanatorium company in the
belief that they were secure from bust
paSs and DuiSances and they urged the