The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-03-02
GRAND JURY
INDICTS TWO
PHYSICIANS
FOR FRAUDS
Drs. Mendenhall and Huff
man Charged With Collect
ing Illegal Fees Health
Department Scored for
Conditions.
DR.. SMELSER RAPED

Indictments charging fraud were re-
turned Saturday by grand jury
against Drs. E. H. Mendenhall and W.
G. Huffman, former city physicians, In
the smallpox fee cases.
The indictments charge the two
physicians with fraudulently assessing
the city with fees for attending small
pox and diphtheria cases, during the
| recent epidemic, which extended over
the last three months of 1917.
DR.. Mendenhall is accused of charg-
ing the city for visits made to patients
whom he was bound to serve through
their connection with the Moose lodge,
of which he was lodge physician. The
indictment charges that DR.. Menden-
hall made large number of trips
to such patients, for which he assessed
the city at the rate of So a trip for
smallpox and $3.50 for diphtheria. His
bill, which was paid by the board of
works at the behest of the health de-
partment was s350.50.
Charged for 81 Too Many.
DR.. Huffman is accused of having
charged the city with 81 more calls on
smallpox patients than he made. at the
rate of So a call. His statement to the
city, which was for $51S. included pay
for 161 visits at So visit. The in
dictment says he made only "a of these
calls. The remainder Of his bill was
for vaccinations at so cents each.
Neither physician was in the court
room when the report of the grand
jury was read shortly before noon.
The grand jury's report scores the
former city health department and DR..
Isl G. Smelser. health officer, for
gross misconduct in the manner in
which he expended the city's money
The report says further, "but although
DR.. Smelser was very lax in his meth
DDS, the jury cannot find that he was
criminal in the same"
Raps Works Board.
1t also criticizes the former board OF
works, which went out of office the
first of the year. in this paragraph:
THE jury can not conceive how doctor
bills out of all proportion to the serv-
ices rendered, and this SO apparent by
glance at the bills themselves, could
have been approved by the board OF
health and allowed by the board OF
works"
Glaring defects in the administrat ton
of the city pest house are also laid
bare in the grand jury's report 1T
seems almost crime to subject fell
low beings to such surroundings" it
reads.
DR.. Huffman some time ago admit
ted his guilt and refunded the city $249
in ovepcharges.
. DR.. Mendenhall intends to conduct a
defense. it is understood The penalty
if conviction results will be for two to
fourteen years imprisonment.
Prosecutor Strayer was assisted in
the investigation by Attorney W. W.
Keller, who had been retained by the
state board of accounts. The text OF
the jury's report follows:
Report Of Grand Jury.
To the Honorable Judge Of the Wayne
Circuit Court:
We, the Grand Jury for the January
Term, 1918, Of the Wayne Circuit
Court, submit this our partial report.
Said Grand Jury convened. and af-
ter being duly sworn was instructed
by the court on the 18th day Of Febru-
airy, 1918, and has continued in session
for nine days, during which time we
,interrogated total of one hundred
thirty-four (134) witnesses as follows:
February 18th five, February 18th
nineteen, February Goth fourteen, Feb
ruary 21st fifteen, February 22nd six
teen, February 23rd fourteen. February
25th seventeen, February 26th nine
teen, February 9th fifteen.
Our investigation thus far has re-
suited in the return Of five indict-
ments. one for embezzlement and four
for willful misconduct of public Off
cials in office. Practically all Of our
time was spent in enauiring into the
management of the Health Depart
ment of the City of Richmond during
the last three months of the year
1917, which was the period of the
small pox and diphtheria epidemics In
the city of Richmond.
Two Against Each.
We have returned two indictments
each against Doctors Edwin H. Men
denhall and William G. Huffman, city
physicians of the City OF Richmond.
during the epidemic; the two indict-
ments against Dr. Mendenhall being
for his fraudulent conduct in charging
the City of Richmond for many trips
to sick people. when he was being paid
for such services by the Moose Lodge
of the City of Richmond, and the in
d1ctmentS against DR.. thurman being
for his fraudulent conduct in submit
ing to the city claims for trips to sick
people which he never made.
DR.. Solomon G. Smelser, the city
health officer. was guilty OF gross
misconduct in the manner in which he
expended the city's money and ap-
proved the bills submitted by his city
physicians. and other expenses Of the
health department. But although DR..
Smelser was very lax in his methods,
the jury can not find that he was GRIM
inal in the same.
Although it is the purpose Of the
health laws to prevent the spread of
disease, and to protect the public
health, this proper purpose in no wise
justifies needless and extravagant ex-
penditure of public funds. The Jury