Evening star., 1926-04-24

ton and sought to read into the
| record an anonymous letter which
| he said had a bearing on the case.
| Chairman Johnson vigorously opposed
| the admission of any communication
without the signature Of responsible
| person.
Mr.. Rankin announced he would
| present the letter at a later date. He
then asked the chairman to explain
| the presence in the committee room at
| various times during the past week
of the sergeant-at-arms or assistant
sergeant at arms Of the House. Mr..
Johnson said no one had made a re-
quest for their presence, but thought
the answer would lie in the fact that
| five insane veterans have been kept
| out Of the building, one of whom
| threatened TO do violence to o. member
of the Veterans Bureau three weeks
ago. At least two of the veterans
must be kept out Of the building, the
chairman added.
Objection Is OverruIed.
When the two patients took the
stand before the subcommittee of the
House District committee, DIR. Moves,
in objecting to what he termed 'the
unfairness Of exploiting before the
public the cases OF these two men"
urged that the subcommittee with
draw from the caucus room, which was
partly filled with curious men and
women. and seek the privacy Of an
executive session.
When DIR. Noyes started to back up
his protest with an apparent attempt
to explain the nature of their all
ments. Mr.. Blanton jumped to his feet
and cut him short with a demand
that the committee make its own
diagnosis.
I'm case one Of these men" DR..
Noyes began, only to be met with a
withering arraignment by the Texan
for his suggestion that the hearing be
conducted in private, after Supt.
White of st. Elizabeth's Hospital and
Commissioner F'enning, the principal
figures in this investigation, had per-
sonally demanded public hearings"
Upon the announcement of Chair
man Gibson of Vermont that he was
powerless to close the hearing to the
public after the committee had voted
otherwise, the patients, in turn, laid
bare their grievances and joined in
denying that they were insane.
Diagnoses Not Made Public.
Due to the objection made by Mr..
Blanton, the clinical diagnoses of the
men were not made public, but were
given to the subcommittee for perusal.
One of the witnesses, Wagner, told
the committee, however that he was
supposed" to be afflicted with de-
mentia praecox.
During the questioning of both wit
nesses Mr.. Blanton sought to bring
out that Commissioner Fenning had
been appointed their guardian without
their knowledge and in the case of
Allen, Mr.. Blanton secured the declar-
alton of the witness that Mr.. Fenning
had taken unauthorized" legal action
in certain real estate matters.
Allen. man of about So years,
answered the questions put to him so
volubly that Mr.. Blanton had to in
terrupt him frequently. Allen assert
ed that he was 'tricked' into being
declared insane while on a casual
visit to this city to collect money
owed him by a naval officer stationed
at the Naval Hospital here. He said
that while talking with this officer
at the hospital he was approached by
"Dr. McDaniel' and asked to spbmit
himself for IAN examination"
Thought Nothing of it,"
Since he had been retired for dis
ability some time before. he explain
ed, he thought nothing of it" and
agreed to the examination. The next
day, he asserted. he was placed un-
der arrest and transferred to ST. |
Eizabeth's. He said he was un-
aware of the nature of his surround |
ings at first, and inquired of other |
patients as to his whereabouts
Allen alleged that he had been as |
saulted, choked, thrown down and |
otherwise abused by attendants at the |
hospital.
Allen said he was adjudged insane |
by jury composed of men who were |
unfit for that duty.
Wagner. who next took the stand |
is Of short and stocky build.
Sent to Chicago.
He told of being sent to the
ward of the Cook County |
Hospital in Chicago for observation"
after he had applied for dental treat |
ment at the United States Marine |
Hospital there. He declared he was |
adjudged insane by incompetent |
persons.
"One of them asked me-" Wagner |
pointed out, what l thought about |
the case of a girl who fell from the |
twelfth story of a building and got |
up and walked away when she saw a |
believe it. although I had heard that |
fremen sometimes use nets to catch |
persons that way. So he said I was
crazy"
What would happen if a girl fell |
u stories and hit the ground" Mr.. |
Blanton asked.
why. she would break every bone |
in her body" Wagner replied.
Wagner said he had to smuggle out |
Of the hospital a letter which he wrote |
to Mr.. Blanton on April 2, begging his |
aid in proving that he was sane.
You're not crazy. are you?" Mr.. |
Blanton asked in conclusion.
Certainly not. I want to get out |
Of there and become useful citizen" !
Wagner asserted earnestly.
The hearing then adjourned.
Whites Grilling Ends.
The subcommittee, at it's fourth |
meeting last night, concluded the |
cross-examination of DR.. White, who |
was first called at the executive ses-
sion Tuesday night. On motion of |
Representative Gilbert, Democrat, |
Kentucky, subpoenas were issued |
for Chief Justice Walter I. Mccoy
of the District Supreme Court, |
Herbert L. Davis, the auditor of
the court, and his assistant. This
action was taken after Mr.. Gill
bert declared negligence on the
part of some officers of the court
prevents the Veterans Bureau from
prohibiting things they know to be