New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-01
warren, Franz Pfoh New-York; Representatives to
Wb,tIonSn MdahH Lodge Jacob Differ, Buffalo; Edgar
PHYSICIAN AND NURSE At ODDS.
INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AvEREI.I

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AvEREL1.-
LGHTFooT BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.
Recent developments in the suit for damages for
"loooO for breach OF promise OF marriage, which has
pceii brought by Isabel Averell. OF No. 80 West one
Enndred-and -frsts NewYork. against DIR. George Il.
Ligh'foot. OF Arlington. at Newark arc Of rather Il
unusual nature. The declaration OF the sui, filed
In the supreme Court at Trenton last Tuesday.
DR.. Lghrfoot at time house physician at
the Flower surgical Hospital Ncw-York Miss Avercll.
who Is trained nurse was engaged at the hospital at
the time, and II Is admitted by the do tors friends that
the coupl; were on friendly terms but it l. denied
that any promise Of marriage made.
According Miss Averc. she Is twenty eight years
old. and DR.. Ligitfoot proposed marriage her on
June . $500, and the offer accepted To prove
ills. she says. she has number Of letters which will
amply sustain her assertion.
Last spring she went TO MOntcalr to nurse the
children OF J. l.. Hartley, sculptor. The children
Ill with scarlet fever, and the nurse suggested
tina, Dr. Lghtfoot be called them. Mr.. Hart
ley adopted her suggestion and the young ply
was sent for. lie went to Moniclar. and it was not
long before the children Were on the road TO
recovery. DR.. Lightfoot continued to call. but WIS
surprised 10 find that instead Of improving his patients
remained in about the sama condition lie n thai
at visit he found among the medicines prescrip
ton which he had not prescribed. ana which, instead
OF helping the patients. would retard their con
valcSccnCe. His friends that he suspected
the nurse OF administering the compound TO the sick
children In order 10 keep her place for longer
time than would ordinarily be the case. He com
mulicated his suspicious 10 Mr.. Hartley and the
nurse wa, discharged. At that time. II is said all
friendly relations between the physician and the nurse
were broken OIL and suit for breach of promise was
Instituted. These proceedings were discontinued last
August and DR.. Lghtfoot says that he received from
Mis-, Avercll', lawyers release from all obligations
real or fanced which Miss Avercl might have against
him. The doctor admits that he used cnd'aring terms
10 Miss Averel but says that the peculiar relations
which exist between physicians and trained nurses are
such as TO permit of these without any Improperly
When the first suit was begun Miss Averen charged
the physician with having done her personal
wrong and exhibited a small vial OF medicine In sup
port OF the allegation. DIR. Lightoot asserts 'a' III
the drug store where his prescriptions for the Hartley
children were compounded found among his other
prescriptions four which, although they bore his name"
had not been written by him. and that they wcr" III hc
handwriting of Miss Averel one Of these presrrp
,,ons was for the mixture which he alleges MIS-
Averc offered In order TO subs'anate her charge one
WAS for harmless mixture and the other TWO LOT ule
comuound which was found In the sick room.
DR.. Lightfoot SAYS that about lnon'h ago J" re-
ceivcd a telegram irlm Miss Avcrell announcing NAV
he WAS sick and asking that he would call ul"h h'r.
HIS friends prevailed upon him not TO go: u, VIZ VIZ
feared that II WAS Il ruSe 10 get ann ih'o -, 49,,
state and then serve papers upon MN. t'olh t",
lime until the papers were fled NJ lrch'oh ho'"'"b
moro was heard OF the cas-"