The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1918-02-21
RESIGNATION MAY STOP
IMPEACHMENT PROCEED
INGS IN HOUSE.
MITCHELL Is NAMED
Pontotoc Physician Appointed
To Fill Vacancy Caused by
Resignation.
Jackson, Miss, Feb. 20.--Dr. R.

Jackson, Miss, Feb. 20.--Dr, r.
M. Butler has resigned.
With trial for impeachment star
ing him in the face for many alleged
irregularities in the conduct of the
state insane hospital, Of which he
was the superintendent, DR.. Butler
has rendered his resignation as stew
ard to Gov, Bilbo and it has been ac-
cepted.
Indications were last night that,
nasmuch as the Senate had set no
date for starting the court of i'm
peachment, the House would drop
the prosecution.
DR. Butler was charged with mis-.
management and immortality in con-
nection with his superitendency Of
the state insane hospital.
DR. C. d, Mitchell, of Pontotoc has
been offered the position. DR.. Mitch
ell is at present president Of the
state board Of health.
The situation in regard to the
staging of an impeachment trial
against the superintendent Of the
state insane hospital, which has been
practically the entire topic discussed
in legislative circles for the past two
weeks, growing out of the return OF
impeachment articles by the House
of Representatives, seems to be
somewhat clarified Tuesday night by
happenings Of the expected,
This may mean that, with the Of.
fetal transaction as reported formal
ly and constitutionally communicat-
ed to the Legislature through the
Senate, which is the official and
recognized custodian of the matter,
the committee of managers hitherto
selected. on the part of the House to
represent that body in the official trial
may be induced to withdraw its
charges and let the matter rest where
it is.
As stated by Representative Frier-
son, of Lowndes, chairman Of the
special committee Of the House and
also chairman of the committee Of
managers, that committee will want
the assurance officially and in writing
that DR.. Butler has resigned and has
eliminated himself from the horizon
altogether before they will agree to
ask the return of the impeachment
documents. Or, in other words, ''the
committee will have TO be sworn and
the majority of the House will hayeto
be shown beyond peradventure" that
Butler is out before it will consent
to a quashing of the indictment.
The developments of Tuesday af-
ternoon indicate that there was
method in the play for delay when
the matter of organizing the Senate
into an impeachment trial court was
brought up by Senator Shields on
Friday. The suggestion to defer &C
ton until Tuesday came from true
and loyal adherents of the admins
tration, and the men who had their
| ears to the ground realized that Sem
ators Franklin and Burrow but
echoed the voice in the throne room.
However, this may not mean a ces-
sation of the legal proceedings, as
it was stated by lawyer close to the
leaders on the Butler side of the
case. "We don't want to shut off q
trial simply because Dr. Butler hss
resigned On the other hand, we
want to try 1t out on the charges
laid down, and before a competent
court, and that is what will most
probably be done"
On the other hand, the proponents
Of impeachment--or some Of them
saw in the action of Dr. Butler an
opportunity to get out A long, drag
ging trial, which while it continues
will be the means Of blocking really
important legislation, and in the in
terest Of economy and time saving
they would not be averse to accept
| ing the situation as it looks.