The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-07
HOSPITAL BRUTALITY.
Mrs, Pennington substa initiating her Accuse
uops-Patients Dragged Throuah the Halls
By the Hair-Look Mt This, Kings Countyt

tioBs-Patients Dragged Throush the Halls
By the Hair-Look ut This. Kings Coupt
Mrs Maria Pennington, of 30 Gold street,
BROOKLYN, who suffered from cruel treatment In
the Fiatbush Hospital, testified yesterday, be-
fore the Charity Commissioners, that sue was
admitted into the hospital about the 1lth OF
June, while she was suffering partial paral, ais.
She was In Ward %, under Mrs.:Hndy, a nurse,
who used her very roughly and assailod her with
violent language. She was unable TO asslst her
SELF and the nurso cursed and swore because
she had TO help her. One day the nurse slapped
her In the face, and on the witness's threatening
to report her to the doctor the nurse struck her
in the mouth ana knocked Der front teeth out.
The teeth had beeu looseued by medicine which
she took, The nurse struck her With acup aud
cnoked her to prevent her crying out. The
nurse In Ward "a DIR geed little child In Ward
~ along the floor to the bath room. she had
her hand tight about the childs neck, and later
she heard the child cry out, "Oh, my hands,"
and the witness heard sounds wntoh seemed TO
indicate that the nurse was pounding the cnild's
hands 10 force her to let looso Of the bath tub.
The witness had not said that she had left her
false teeth at home. She was afraid 70 tell the
maze revenReful thre It's, and said III 1t took ten
years she woulu have her life II she told OF her
treatment. She wasn't able to eat for ten DAYS
after being assaulted. Her lips were very mucn
swollen the teeth oame'out, roots and ali. the
nurse absent twice while witness
patient, and once she returned home aoout two
o'clock In the morning, very muoh Intoxicated,
and her clothing covered with mud. As
she passed through the ward she was Obliged to
keep hold Of the beds to keep from falling.
" hen she took on her skirts she took bottle
out OF her pocket which seemed to he Nil, d
with liquor. Mrs n rdy had beaten her black
aud blue, and once, In the pros ence OF the ma
tron, the nurse said that she had to beat Mrs.
Pennington. rhe food was very poor, aud rhe
had to beg her friends 10 bring ner good food.
DR. Herbert Williams examined Mrs. Penning-
tons gums, and testified that In his opinion she
had lost no teeth recently. The only SUSPICIOUS
mark was on the upper lip, over The first mUlar
tooth, hut II was not frcsb.
Miss Eliza Jane Graham, n domestic In Deteo-
| tive Frosts family, VINO uad spent three weeks
| In the hospit from pulmonary al sctiOn, cor
| roborated Mrs PenDlnxtons story - TO the
nurses profanity. che h. d also seen her strike
| patients In the ward, and when one pa lent said
that sne could not walk Mrs. Hardy called ner a
damned liar. She had seen another nurse dr. q
par lyzod Child from one ward to the next,
along the floor, anu lift her hy ine neck to dash
| her IN the bath tut. 1he child thoLght she was
going TO drown her, and chung TO the sides OF the
| tub with her hands. The nurse beat her un tll
| she lOosened her grasp. fhe child screamed, h,
Don't kill me don't drown me. I'll never do
| IL again" Miss Granam complained Of the food.
| and tue noise and drunkenness OF the nurses,
| nuu repeated Mrs. PenuingtoD'e story Of ner In
lures.