The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-04-13
BOARD T0GIVE
TESTIMONY IN =.
ASYLUM CASE
Record Of Evidence Will BE
Made Public, Board of
Administration Says
ANSWER ONE CHARGE
Say That Attendants Charged
With Cruelty by Ed. Steib
Were Discharged
ANSWER ONE CHARGE

The entire stenographic record OF
testimony taken by the state board
of administration in its invcstica-
tion into charges of cruelty at the
state hospital for the insane at
jamestown will be opened to the
public, Chairman II. B. Murphy o,
the board said here today. The
board concluded its meeting at
jamestown late yesterday. A. j.
Loram, court stenogranher of the
district court, will make the trans
cript Of evidence by May |.
IL also was emphasized the invcs-
tigation was not white wash af-
fair. A summary of the situation
will be made by the board within n
few days, it was stated.
Declining to discuss the details
the evidence until the whole board
could meet Chairman Murphy did
say that the investigation divulgcd
the fact. unknown previously to the
board, that the attendants whom
Ed. Steib had charged with cruelty
had been discharged the day after
his alteration with them.
Attendants Fired
The investigation resulted from u
newspaper letter of Steib, who
charged patients were beaten by at
tendants, his charges being bascu
chiefly upon q case on December
81, 1922. This incident was, reported
by Superintendent of Attendants
Norton and DR.. Guest discharged
the attendants the next day, tho
records showed, according TO the
board. Steib is said to have admit
ted knowledge of their discharge,
but withheld that from his charges.
Answering charge in the Courier
News that the board had barred
representative from that paper from
the hearing at jamestown. Chairman
Murphy said the, telegraphic request
came after the testimony of Steib,
the principal witness was completed,
and that had the request preceded
the investigation it would have been
tS
show that the motion to deny the
request of the Courier News was
made by r. r. Muir, Nonpartisan
of the board. The good
faith of the request was questioned
by the board, tits understood.
Statement on WentZ Case
The board issued at jamestown
last night the following statement
with reference to the case of Louis
Wentz, who died several weeks ago
and whose relatives in Grand Forks
said his body bore marks Of bruises
and ill-treatment:
We have today made searching in
quiry concerning the Associated
Press statement regarding the bruis- j.,
ed condition of the body of one
Louis Vent of Grand Forks, N. D.,
who died at the State Hospital for
the Insane February 26. 1923. We
have examined as witnesses the at
tendants and physicians who hat .
charge of Ward lS where Mr.. WentzI
died and have also taken the testl
mony of Mr.. Howard Smith unde, !
taker at Jamestown. who prepared
the body for shipment. The records !.
of the institution and testimons,
show that Mr.. Wentz died of Pull |
tuberculosis; that he was /
to his bed in a weakened !
for several weeks preced- |
ing his death, that due to his men
tai condition he was extremely rest :
less and at times deiirious; that on
mON than one occasion he had :
thrown himself out of bed, and that !
the bruises thus resulted. No evil !
dence was obtained which would
justify any suspicion that he had
been mistreated at any time. In /
fact, all Of the testimony points di- !
rectly to the contrary.