The evening world., 1892-09-27
WA|TEWASHED HIM.
Dr. Donovan Exonerated on the
Charge Of E1tortion
He Didn't Know II Was Against the
Rules to Accept Money.
Barnet Rosenthal Says He Paid the
Doctor %, Too.

The Medical Board OF Examiners Of Gouver-
neur Hospital. acting upon the request of
President Porter Of the Board OF Charities
and Correction to investigate the charges OF
alleged cxtortion brought against House
Physician Donovan OF the GOuverneur Hos
pital submitted the report at noon to-day.
The examiners exonerate DR.. Donovan on
the ground that he was ignorant OF the VIOLA
tion OF any law or rule in accepting money
from patients or friends Of patients
Following Ia the report:
" Ths Honorable, he CommtssioHsrs Of Charities
and Correction.
"GENrLEMEs: am directed by the Medi-
cal Board Of Gouverneur Hospital TO report
to you that they held q special meeting this
afternoon pursuant to your order OF the gath
inst. and investigated the charge against
House Surgeon Donovan for having received
money from patient. and that SAID charge
was sustained, Dr. Donovan himself admit
ting having received the sum OF % from
Joseph Friedman, son Of the patient In
question.
But no stated, and was corroborated by
MIR. wilson, who was present at the inter-
view, that Friedman prese nted this amount
as gift and without solicitation;
and. furthermore, that ho accepted the gift
not knowing Of the existence OF any rule Of
the Department restraining him from so do
ing.
"Dr. Donovan was also questioned in re-
gard to the statements OF one Borsuk, as
published IN one OF the newspapers to-day,
and In reply he denounced them as utterly
false. Very respectfully,
"LAuRENCE JOHNSON, NJ. D., Secretary.
New York, Sept. 20, 1892"
The Commissioners did not seem wholly
satisfied with this and sent 1t hack to the
Boa.d OF Examiners with these words written
aLross its face:
"Returned to Medical Board for their
recommendation ns to our action In this case.
snd rs to some rule TO be enacted to prevent
recurrence OF the complaint.
"H. II. PORTER,
"CHARLEs L. SIMMONS,
"EDwARD c. SHEEHy."
Asked by an EVENING WORLD reporter
whether he did not consider the action OF the
Examining Board unusual in citing only DR..
Donovan and another employee OF Gouver-
neur Hospital before 1t and ignoring the evi.
dence OF the Friedman boys and Borsuk, who
made the charges against the doctor, Presi-
dent Porter replied:
1.-THE Board is composed Of wise men who
know what they are about, and l must de-
cline to criticize their action"
Commissioner Sheehy, who was present,
said:
~ made up my mind to investigate this
whole business personally. did not
want to rest until had fathomed 1t in all its
bearings. With that view went TO Gouver-
neur Hospital last sunday and
Here the Commissioner made long pause
% II to collect and combine hundred scat
tered skeins Of thought, and then he con-
tinued:
"And I found that Mrs. Friedman, the
mother OF the men who made the charge of
extortion, was excellently attended to and
expressed herself as perfectly contented."
"Wel, but how about the alleged extor.
tionf"
"Oh, she didn't seem to know anything
about that Dr. Donovan probably thought 1t
might injure her to let her know"
That was all Commissioner sheeny had to
say about his searching investigation.
Barnet Rosenthal, OF 25 Essex street, told
an EVENING WORLD reporter this morning
that he Is a son-in.law OF Mrs Annie Cohen.
who died at Gouverneur Hospital Sunday
from injuries received during the panic OF
last friday at the synagogue, 81 Ludlow
street.
"I visited Mrs Cohen the day Of the acct.
dent" he said. "Dr. Donovan did not de-
mand any money from me, put gave him s5,
because thought 1t was right to give him
something for his trouble
"Mrs. Cohen had two pocketbooRs with
a3O.l0 in them. These were given to me by
Dr. Donovan. Some 1ewelry was missing, but
that probably was torn from Mrs. Cohen in
the stampede.
"However, she always carried a pouch OF
money beneath ner skirts This was also
missing. know 1t to have contained con-
siderable money. 1t could not have been
torn on like the 1ewelry during the panic"
"By the bye," said Rosenthal, "do you
think can get back those s5f"
"f you made q gift Of them why would you
wish them returned ?"
swell, that's 30. only asked"
EnW1 Ed IN TnMrE n DIT