The New York herald., 1879-12-30
Unauthorized Dissection Of a Corpse at
Bellevue Hospital.
EXHUMED FROM THE POTrER'S FIELD.
The Patients Family Kept in Ignorance
of His Death.
A CHASTITY CHRISTMAS GIFT.

brosuway lawyer called upon the commission
ers of Charities and Correction Saturday morn
ing last and stated that the body Of newsdealer
named Charles Thomson, of No. &C Clinton street.
who had died In Bellevue Hospital had been dis
sected. After great difficulty in tracing it to the
Morgue Potters Field and other places, part of tho
remains the lawyer sad had been sent to the widow
and Ave children in horrible condition o Christ
mas gift. Tho Commissioners listened to the cir
cumstantia recital and ut its conclusion Mr. Bren-
nan requested the attorney who represented the
friends of Mr.. Thomson to make formal charges in
writing. and he promised to cause an investigation.
While HERALD reporter was ut the Eleventh street
office of the Commissioners yesterday the lawyer
appeared and was for some time closeted with the
Commissioners. Later in the day he was found at
his Office and was requested to give tho reporter
copy Of the document he had In the morning served
upon the Board. The attorney ut first refused. but
when informed that the reporter had Mrs.
Thomson in Clinton street and knew the main
charges he consented to supply copy, which is as
follows:-
The complaint Of w,lhelmina Thomson against divers
Of Charities and Correction the city of Now York
/. That on or about tho 7th day of November, 1877
Charles Thomsen the late husband of complainant, was
Of certain physical and mental ailments with which he
p: That about the oath day of November. 1870,
said was informed by the physician having
Thomson had recovered from his physical troubles. bat
to place him sad Charles Thomson) in unac
That complainant being unable to pay for the cure
e % her said ND late % duly made 9y
tho Lunatic Asylum on Wards Island: was informed by
Of ns this sss ats s n hs ss D
bO forthwith Lunstic Asylum and treated
S ss So
me ssa Ghares was never sent or taken to
That ding s compi namo and res
dence were well known TO the officials in charge at said
no longer lived the 18th day Of Deee%.
=: a,s IN
n s Ga 3 as s sE
That her said late hasSand had boon T. Potter:
n fact the '' body A sns
e up ns
90 e s s ss % Il
body sont to Hars Island on the 10th day of Decsm
That shsreafter Notwithstanding since the said
OF %'Ss s ai d.
for s % the
% o IN s ag % Si g .
That ssaS cody n horribly mans,ea eondl-
zion d a. dssi had said body
/. rins which had eompiainant's maioon name
Bssyus TIes
been rspesssaly aemsndSd by her 'A' same mas
s a % %
carelessness and ina'tention Of the persons hav-
Tie of
and Of gross crimna negligence part Of tho
persons having immediats control charge Of tho
Wherefore complainant pray. for full, thorough and
for such and relief n Of
by Samuel Greenbaum, Attorney, No. 17O Broadway.
THE LAWYERS STORY.
Mr.. Greenbaum gave the following history Of the
case. from memoranda taken Sunday Of the testi-
mony of Mrs. Thomson. her sister. Mrs Petersen.
and her brothers. william Riedell. newsdoalsr, of
No. 3s7 Second avenue; Arnold Riedel. newsdealer,
corner Of Ninth street and Third avenue. and An
drew Riedell, newsdealer. on tho corner of Nine
teenth street and Broadway. Charles Thomson, who
resided for two with his wife and ve children
at No. &C Clinton street. was wounded in the army
while private in the Twenty-ninth tn Massachusett
regiment. He shot in the head. but re-
covered. Ten years ago he lost an arm
while working In o sugar refinery in this
city, and of late years has kept . news
stand at the OF Stanton and Clinton streets.
He had suffered from dropsy but up to election day
was. with the aid Of his wife and children, enabled
to keep the wolf from the door. On the night of
November he was taken Ill, and for two days was
attended by DR.. Kramer. of Second avenue. near
Seventh street. who advised his removal to Bellevue
Hospital for mental treatment. On the eth he was
taken there by his wife and Arnold Rie3el and was
frequently visited by members Of the family, whose
address registered in the wardens Office and the
various wards through which he passed.. On November
"a. it is charged DR.. Swift informed Mrs. Petersen
sister-in-law OF Thomson. that the patient must 60
to lunatic asylum. and on that day the wife re-
ceived postal card from the hospital asking her to
buy some shoes for her husband On Monday,
November "a. tho wife gave her husband some
clothing In Ward "a. DR.. Swift then represented
that the patient improving, but would
require asylum At the hospital sho was given
card to Mr. Blake. Superintendent OF Outdoor
Poor. who November 20, after taking her applca-
tion promised to have her husband sent to the
Wards Island Lunatic Asylum. On the 30th. with
her brother Arnold she called again at the hospital
and found the patient locked up in separate cell
In tho insane ward. There he conversed quito
tionally with her and Arnold for about an hour.
Supposng that he would be sent ut to the asy-
lum, as promised, and inasmuch as Superin tendcnt
Blake had. alleged, told her the 30th that sho
could not see him for two weeks the wife ceased her
visits She claims that the residence of his friends
and family was y matter of record
THE NEws or HIS DEATH.
Ono may Judge OF her surprise thon tho two weeks
having elapsed and tho anxious wife being her way
to Eleventh street on December 10 to get pass to visit
him, whom she met neighbor who informed her
that she had read in German newspaper notice
OF the death Of her husband. The poor woman hur-
ricdiy went to her brother william. and together
they repaired to tho hospital only to learn that the
husband she had cared for tcndery In his sickness
had died in Ward on the night of December ..
Leaving tho lawyers notes, which cover many
fooscap pages the sequel is better told in the words
OF the bercavcd woman, as given to HERALD re.
porter In her humble room in tho basement OF No.
81 Clinton street yesterday.
brother William and T." tho widow said, ''after
leaving tho hospital went to tho Morgue, The
keeper (white) said was notified Of Charles DEATH
and that he was buried on tho 18th. I asked where.
He answered, In Potters Field. OF course A man
standing by added. You can't get tho body any
more We came away Mrs. Petersen and then
went to Superintendent Blake and asked why no no.
tico had been sent of the death. lie asked us to
wait until the hospital messenger came. When no
arrived the messenger said. Mrs. Thomson, Il is
tho neglect Of tho hospital people. got paper
for you."
The widow among her little children, hesitated,
and for few minutes unable to proceed with tho
rnar.ii Lar hliShap hlar has