Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-02
TO TRY DOCTOR
FOR NARROWING
DEATH INCAMP
Baker Court-Martials Two in
Expose Made TO
Senate

Washington, March 2.-Trial by
general court-martial has been or
dered by the Secretary OF War of
Major Philip Z. Connolly, medical
corps. National Guard, following the
death from spinal meningitis of First
Class Private Albert Hestwood, of
Camp Doniphan, Okla.
Private Hestwood's illness and the
narrowing circumstances of his
death were told on thS floor of the
Senate January "a by Senator Cham
berlain, of Oregon. Investigation
was ordered Immediately.
Major General W. NJ. Wright, the
commanding general of the division,
and Brigadier General L. s. Berry.
formerly commanding general. have
been directed to make a report as
10 how such conditions as even found
in tie camp came to exist.
Major Connolly was the command
ing officer of the hospital and Lieu
tenant Kirkpatrick was the first of
iicer to examine Private Hestwood
after he was taken i'll. "Deplora BILE
conditions" were stated to exist in a
report made by the inspector general
10 the Secretary of War.
This is the first case of high Of
ficers being severely dealt with for
conditions in the medical service.
Father Reported Distressing Story
Private Hestwood came from Lii
herll, Kan. His death, when almost
unattended and with insufficient bed
clothing and no fire in the stove in
his little shack, was told of by Sem
Utor Chamberlain as an illustration
..f hn hn1i f,n at.N-
tahlishment had fallen down.
The Senator read n letter from the
father of the boy. the Rev. Mr.. Hest
wood. The communication, although
tie 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
the situation should be laid bare TO
prevent a recurrence of such trag-
edies in the future.
1t told the helplessness of an in
experienced orderly, who tried to
give the dying boy a drink through
q funnel; how the father went back
u the shack by himself, and, as Sem
;.tcr Chamberlain read:
Il had my pass into the building.
! did not stop and knock, but opened
omething that would not let it open
further.
Il looked and saw that it was my
sons body lying on the floor of the
hall and il was his head that struck
with the door,"
When Senator Chamberlain came
10 This point in the letter, women in
the galleries gave a gasp. Even Sem
;tors themselves wept. Senator Till
man was SO moved that he, With
,uivering voice. arose and demanded
- know who was the author of the
letter so an immediate inquiry could
Z . held.
seven days later the War Depart
ment had its investigation under
way. Yesterday a digest of the re-
port of the inspector general was
.Gde public by the Secretary OF
\ ar. 1t read:
.The case of Private (ffrst CLASSY
Eastwood, Company II. Thirteenth
iufntry, Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma,
Nyas investigated by an officer of the
Inspector generals department dur
.o,: the period of January 81 to Feb
ruary II. At the same time a COM
rreaensive and searching inspection
was made of the base hospital at
this ramp and investigation made of
other similar complaints which were
lrought to the attention OF the in
apector.
The investigation disclosed that
pJ ior to the date of Private Hest
woods death December 25) and
Tor q considerable period thereafter
conditions in the hospital were moth
ing short of deplorable; in fact, the
conditions cited by Private Hest
woods father in his letter Of jan
uary Il were found to be substan-
tally correct.
During this period the hospital
was in charge of Major Philip &
Connolly, NJ. c., who is held to be
responsible for such conditions.
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
medical officers were unframed in
military hospital ways and organiza.
ton: the enlisted personnel was al
most wholly unframed; there were
no female nurses; there was a short.
age of supplies. due to the unusual
number of patients which flooded the
hospital; there was a long delay ir
completing the hospital: total lacL
of nearby laundry facilities; lack oi
sewerage and plumbing"