The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-14
THE wOMANS INSTITUTE.
Report OF the State Commissioners Of Public
charities-Extraordinary Rsvslations-The
Board Of tho Hospital Society of the Insti-
tuts Not Fit To Be Trusted with tho
Disbursement Of Public Money.

| Board OF tho Hospital Society Of the Insti-
tuts Not Fit To Be Trusted with tho
Disbursement Of Public Money
ALBANY. March I3 1872.
Tne following special report OF the Board OF state
Commissioners Of Public. Charities concerning the
management OF the Dispensary and Hospital So
cicty OF the Woman's Institute In New York was
presented In the Assembly to-day and ordered to be
printed:-
The, me corporation was organized IN January. 1870.
under the general law OF the state applicable to
charitable associations
Us objects as set forth 70 It's printed report are
supply for their use both q dspensarY and hospi-
tai as well as TO Train competent women rheoreti.
caiiy IN the duties OF professional NURSE
It's frst location was at $40 Sixth avenue in the
81 S ~ " Y1E since last spring 1t been
fssss sSsss
Appleton Vice Presdent Miss Ieonoia Jones'
George d. stuiweli, Mrs. NJ. +: Wiswail. Mrs. 4.
A Acxey and MIS- J. Hickey There Is also Finance
Gommittes Consisting OF three trustees. and an Au
r,I Inc funds received BY the society have been &c.
approximations. The first and only State approprl.
s e1 Sao was made IN April 1871 Its amount was
preparation was made was peculiar ana excep.
tional. ltexpressly waived compliance on the part
aures an ANNUAL report to have been filed with me
Comptroller as prerequisite to the payment Of the
appropriation chapter 419 Session Laws Of 1854.
THE STATE APPROPRIATION
was received from the Comptroller on the 9th day
Seb sun m ;oa aS Az s date Inc institution was ~
ana mad little, II any, funds N the treasury.
Win TINS general view OF the association and Its
within few weeks information was received from
responsible source that there had been great
irregularities In the management OF the sOcietys
affairs, and that the case was that required ill.,
yestgatlon; such investigation was at once set on
1901 bY the Board under the PROVISIONS OF chapter
699 OF the Laws OF 1871.
Witnesses were examined under oath, including
the trustees and the House Physician, Mrs. Dr.
Greene. The testimony disclosed
VERY SERIOUS INSTANCES OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT,
association. The result OF the testimony on these
points Is substantially Is fOlOws:-
state Miss LeonoTa Jones' the treasurer and md
Business Correspondent, visited Albany during the
society. According to her evidence she came In
from her how much she expected. She informed
them she asked for s5,Ooo while she thought she
then made to her In case these persons Should pro-
cure more than the amount from the Legislature,
4l0. as applicable to this society, that all over and
above $4,000 should be paid over to them for their
Miss Jones las well as Mrs MaiIisonl testified that
she consulted the President OF the society, Mrs. NAL
ment. She acted accordingly. Mr. Melvin JONES' jones'
brother OF Miss JONES' and son Of Mis- MaIson
his business Il was SIC our desire to examine him.
but he was reported as absent from town. Tue
sEyEN THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS INSERTED IN THE
CHARITY BILL.
One OF the persons referred to gave her slip Of
Thompson" to whose order 1t was understood that
the sum OF $4,000 was to I've paid, alter the amount
from the UOmptrOlier. Wnen Miss Jones returned
70 New York sae reported IN general terms to the
May Q, 1871, Mrs. Appleton, one OF the trustees,
voting IN The negative.
was Received The State she paid over IN cash
ct various times to messenger purDorting TO come
When asked Why THIS was done she said that
| though she considered ''Charles Thompson and
as sb As Of
ten messages from Thompson, which she subse.
her purportIng to be signed by him, which are now
| In the possession OF this Board. The most rigid
SOM is No one Of the trustees knows him. Miss
| Jones swcars that she could not Identity him.
aReao ced to the ts FACT That
| picons would naturally rest upon her own good
faith. but she persisted in her story. however I'M
probable tC may appear In all Its parts There Is
| some reason TO believe that
HER ACCOUNT CANNOT BE IMPLICITLY TRUSTED.
She swears that she only asked for $4,000 pc
sequently exhibited by her % the Commissioners,
| asked for more. There are other grounds for
| picion exhibited In the evidence herewith sub.
mlted. Mrs. Appleton thinks the amount asked Tor
count is clear. The sum Of 81. 900 has disappeared
from the treasury, with nothing TO account Tor Its
| s0n.h
The only resources Of the institution since Its or
| ganizalon consist OF the appropriation made Dy
the State and four hundred and thirty dollars l$43)
| obtained from private contributions. All or this
last sum was subscribed before tne STATE apprO.
INSTANCES Or ExrRAvAeANcE AND ILL MANAGE.
| not to say OF bad faith.
This appears from the following statemcnts:-
The entire receipts are $430 from donations and
$500 from the State. The whole amount IS $3.50.
Deductfng the amount paid TO Charles Thompson"
Of the the Hess na%
$34i4 Il, leaving balance on February l, 1872 OF
Some Of the items Of this expenditure are re.
| markable. 1t should Oe promised that this being
an institution for rendering gratuitous medical
there was every reason why 1t should be located IN
the quarter OF the city where these persons would
he found, Pr0priety would dictate that the rooms,
while suitable, should be inexpensive, and tnat the
furniture should not be costly but plain. The mum.
| Der OF patients only required few and cheap books
for Keeping accounts and making necessary entries,
| while surgical operations not OF such Char.
| acter as TO require costly Instruments
| Notwithstanding these
| OBVIOUS REMARKS,
| every one OF these rules were violated oy this
Board. Instead OF taking rooms on one " the ave.
nues, such the Sixth or NINTH In the vicinity OF
the city Where there are handsome private resi-.
| dences, and which itself IS OF KIND to which the
poorer class OF people would hardly think OF resort
| ing They might nave obtained suitable rooms on
| an avenue Tor $40 . mouth. Tney paid for al UNI
| suitable building 1900 per annum. SO III the
| matter of lurniture the managers expended
| 500 a. for carpets sofas and chairs,
| which were extravagant and inappr0-
| pirate for the purposes OF the lnsutu.
| lion. Again, for surgical instruments and applt-
| ances they expended nearly four hundred dollars.
One hundred dollars OF this sum have been laid out
| since February without the order OF the House
Pnyscian) for instruments for diseases OF the eye
| and ear They appeared to the commissioners TO
| lie sufficient lor an eye and ear innrmary. The
| most wasteful extravaganza has been exhibited IN
| the purchase OF oflcial books. They were bought
at cost OF nearly four hundred dollars The books
| were inspected by the Commissioners. Tncy fully
agreed With the House Physician IN the opinion that
| this expenditure was