The Washington herald., 1918-03-02
Court-Martial Ordered
For Neglect of Soldier
Maj. Connolly and Lieut.. Kirkpatrick Must
Face Charges for the Conditions Ex-
isting at Camp Doniphan.

Trial by general court-martial has
been ordered by the Secretary of
War of Maj. Phillip B. Connolly,
Medical Corps, U. S. A, and First
Lieut.. Walter H. Kirkpatrick, Medi-
Il Corps, National Guard, following
:e death from spinal meningitis OF
irst Glass Private Albert Hestwood,
camp Doniphan, Okla.
Private Hestwood's tragic illness and
ne narrowing circumstances of his
-ath were told on the floor OF the
senate. January "a by Senator George
T.. Chamberlain. of Oregon. Investi-
cation was ordered Immediately.
Report Ordered.
Mai. Gen. w. NJ. Wright the COM
manding general of the division. and
( Brig. Gen. l.. G. Berry. formerly
commanding general, have been di-
rected to make a report.
Maj. Connolly was the commanding
officer of the hospital and Lieut..
kirkpatrick was the first officer to ex-
anime Private Hestwood after he was
! taken i'll. ''Deplorable conditions
were stated to exist, in a report made
by the Inspector General to the Sec
retary of War.
This is the first case of high Off
GERS being severely dealt with for con-
-ditions in the medical service.
Private HestwOod came from Lib
beral, Kan. His death when almost un-
attended and with insufficient bed
/ clothing and no fire in the stove in
his little shack was told of by Sena-
! tor Chamberlain as an illustration of
why he believed the military estab-
! lishment had fallen down"
The Senator read letter from the
father of the boy, the Rev. Mr.. Hest
wood. The communication, although
the names of the sender and the camp
had been deleted, presented the facts
without criticism or hope of obtaining
any personal redress, but the minister
said he thought that the situation
should be laid bare to prevent a re-
! currence of such tragedies in the fu-
ture.
| 1t told the helplessness of an mex
/ perienCed orderly who tried to give
! the dying boy a drink through fun
mel, how the father went back to the
! shack by himself and, as Senator
Chamberlain read:
Discovers Body.
II had my pass into the building.
did not stop and knock, but opened
the door to enter, when it struck
something that would not let it open
further.
Il looked and saw that 1t was my
sons body lying on the floor of the
hall and it was his head that I struck
with the door"
When Senator Chamberlain came to
| this point in the letter, women in the
galleries gave a gasp. Even Senators
themselves wept with the women.
Conditions DepIorabIe.
Seven days later the War Depart
ment had its investigation under way.
Yesterday a digest of the report Of
the Inspector General was made pub
lie by the Secretary-of War. 1t reads:
THE case of First Glass Private
i-Hestwood. Company H, 137th InfAn-
try, Camp DOniphan, Okla, was in
vestigated by an officer of the In
spector Generals Department during
/ the period of January 81 to February
L. At the same time comprehen-
sive and searching inspection was
made of the base hospital at this
camp and investigation made of other
oiILildI COIIlpldluIS WHICH "SEC
. brought to the attention of the in
spector.
THE investigation disclosed that
prior to the date of Private Hest
woods death December 2S) and for
a considerable period thereafter, con-
ditions in the hospital were nothing
short of ,deplorable; in fact, the con-
ditions cited by Private Hestwood' s
"a II \ t. 20
Henry ]. Allen were found to be sub
stantially correct.
During this period the hospital was
in charge of Maj. Phillip B. Connolly,
NJ. c., who is held to be responsible
for such conditions.
Untralned Employees.
''There were many causes which
produced these conditions, some OF
which cannot rightfully be charged
to the local authorities. When the
hospital was first established the med
! lcal officers were unframed in mill
tary hospital ways and organization;
the enlisted personnel was almost
wholly unframed; there were no fe-
| male nurses; there was a shortage of
supplies, due to the unusual number
OF patients which flooded the hospital;
there was long delay in complet-
ms the hospital: total lack of nearby
laundry facilities; lack of sewerage
and plumbing.
AS result of the investigation in
structions have been issued by the
war Department directing trial by
general court martial of the then COM
Inanding officer Of the hospital, Maj.
Fhilllp b. Connolly. NJ. c., u. s. A.,
ana of First Lieut.. Walter H. Kir-
patrick, M. c., N. G., who was the
hrst medical officer to examine Pri-
Sate Hestwood, and who sent him to
the hospital without making the fact
known that he suspected spinal men,
ingitis.
AS a result OF his Investigation
INTO present conditions at the hospital
the inspector reports: The present
commanding officer of the hospital.