New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-16
THE HAMMONrON SCANDAL.

A STATEMENT BY 5. V. WHITE CONCERNING THE
DEATHS AT MISS NIvIsoN's HOME FOR YOUNG
CHILDREN.
To the EDITOR or The TrtbEnG
SIR: have expected from day TO day to find
in the public prints. statement from either Miss
Niyison or her friends giving refutaton OF the many
sensational phrases OF the sad mortality occurring at her
home TOR young children in southern NewJersey but 50
far none has appeared at least the Metropolitan press
In Justice Miss Niyson upon whom cyclone seems
Ia have burst with unexamped fury desire to say,
through your columns what think it would DO unchiy
arous to leave longer unsaid by The state
ments as presented grossly unfair anc unjust that
as a whole they become monster falsehOod.
l. It's unfortunately true that twenty-One children
have died there; but the whole number was twenty
seven not twentythree BY this misstteinen the death
rate was changed from less than 70 per cent Cd 0yer9
ner cent 2 The law Of Hew-Jersey prescribing rules
for the registry OF vital statistics not complied with
and penalty was thereby incurred for failure to re-
port the deaths at the county seat bue children were
not secretly buried any effort made 10 Keep the
fact of the deaths 3. The children were buried IN
plot upon the HammOntOn estate set apart As burial
plot not in the backyard. stated In the SENSATIONAL
dispatches to the public press AS Tor all the rest the
evidence will cOnclusiYey show that the charges are SUD
stantially false IN every particular
An abundance of milk supplied from COWS, which
were bought and kept the estate for the express pur
nose of securing pure and fresh milk Medical attend
anee WAS physicians outside OF the nome Tor
con suItation as to the treatment Of the little
Trained nurses obtained from New-YOrk to assist
nv their skill In the management OF the children. How
then shall fearful mortality be accounted fort am
not skilled in hygiene diseases but think can
In the facts WITHIN my knowledge reasons which would
enable a medical man To explain the fatality. Let the
public bear Ia mind that Miss NyisOn was not receiving
cent directly indirectly, from any source Tor caring
for these children 10 at least an attempted DcneN-
oence To alleviate suffering the world. The children
we're gathered from alnshOuses and wherever msfor-
tune stranded them Most OF them were only Few
days few weeks old when received; others VINO were
older taken from hospitals and were suffering from
marasmus Narasmus Is the technical term Dy when
physicians designate a wasting away OF life rom gen
er debility II il essy 10 see that at the best, the odds
were earfny against these Othegless homeless wais
but added TO all, evil hour the measles broke 0ut
among the children and swept the household a. VIII 'e
sirOccOs breath. . -. n, -.
Though keenly sensitive the results attending her
IL II had not been for the Ous
son comply with the law requiring the recoru or tse
deaths Miss Niyson could no more nave been lsse ior
these than could the surgeons Ia charge OF belle
yue Hospital be assaed for the. deaths resulting from
gun shot wounds But IN most rural precincts ule law
is pot even known the common people. neIShDof
dies friends gather TO his funeral and he
IA buried In rustic raEeyard without burial permit or
other public record There children were buried In the
same way. Finally one raised hue and cry, ana
the storm burst upon woman OF unbounded leal as
humanitarian OF great skill and fidelity a. physician
vino had won for herself a deserYedy high position
among many OF the citizens of the city and OF the
land n burst with such fury that 10 this tme abe
has seemed overborne by her veeess woe But 10 my
mind tmea more sadly out foint outside OF the