New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
Wards ISLAND INVADED.
.rvrvrEEN INSANE WOMEN LANDED ON
THE PIER.

THE MANAGERS OF THE siAlh AL ""A
ru.r THE COMMISSIONERS OF CHARITIES
ACTED WITHOUT AUTHORITY. AND THAT
THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE THE wo-
MEN AS PATIENTS BELLEVUE
FoRr1rIED-A MERRY WAR Be
TWEEN STATE AND CITY
dostilities between the Commissioners of Char1-
ties and the managers of the Manhattan State
uosptal were renewed with vengeance yester-
d.v when seventeen insane women were dumped
an Wards Island without permission and left
there by the authorities of Bellevue Hospital
The efforts Of the Commissioners to force the
managers Of the Manhattan State Hospital to
receive j. T. ODonohue. one Of the insane pa
,,snts at Bellevue. with old clothing on his back.
,ssulted in a drawn battle on Friday night when
the man was allowed to go at liberty. as told
fully in The Tribune of yesterday. and the send
ing Of the women to Wards Island was an in
,a,at,on TO the State authorities to set them free
also Il they dared
ON Mr. SCOTTS ADVICE.
General O'Beirne. one Of the Commissioners OF
Charities was at Bellevue Hospital on FRIDAY
night when O'Donohue was turned loose in the
street and yesterday morning he was at the
hospital again to look after the preparations for
Manhattan State Hospital. Seventeen OF the
women. all comfortably dressed in old clothing,
we're taken aboard the steamboat of the Depart
ment of Charities in charge Of Dr. F. +. Russell
and several attendants. The steamboat lelt the
nier at East Twenty -sixth-st. about a. m' put
General O. Beirne was not aboard then. Inc
General went to the office Of the Department. al
Third-ave. and Eleventh-st. to consult with the
other Commissioners and await developmeh's'
He said later that the order TO send the women
10 Wards Island had been given with the advice
OF Corporation Counsel Scott.
Tho steamboat went stragh. to the pier at
Wards Island and was made fast there. NO
oeBc,al ~ the Manhattan State Hospital was on
the pier at the time. as the move or the CoHihis-
.onars OF Charities was complete surprise
The insane women were driven hastily from 'he
steamboat TO the pier and allowed to go where
.bav chose No attempt was made by the at
.endants from Bellevue Hospital to take them 10
the Manhattan State Hospital. at distance
from the pier AS soon the women were ashore
the lines we're cast off and the steamboat re-
turned TO the city. The insane women went ih'o
payilion on the pier and waited there' ho'
knowing what else to do. They had been aoah-
doned Ike stray cats. to shift for themselves the
Bellevue Hospital people apparently taxing II
for granted that the officials Of the State HOS
pital would not allow the women to suner from
cold and hunger
THE COMMISSIONERS REPLY TO DR.. MAC
DONALD.
DR. A. E Macdonald. the superintendent OF the
Manhattan State Hospital, when he was IN
formed Of the invasion. sent message 10 'he
Commissioners Of Charities, declaring that 'he
women had been landed on the Island without
authority and would not be received In the STATE
ACkn knd n
,snd for the women Immediately. The reply wes
that the Commissioners would not allow the
women 10 be returned to Bellevue and that the
vron,sn might be set free for all they cared.
DR. Macdonald came to the city and had con-
sultation with Clarence j. Francis, the lawyer a'
No 81 P,ne-st, the Assistant Deputy Attorney
General who represents the State IN the cohtro-
yersy with the Commissioners OF Charlues' MI
Francis said that the action OF the Commission
ers in sending the women TO Wards lsiahd anu
abandoning them there was most dlsorderiy
proceeding, for which the Commissioners nheh'
be liable to indictment. He talked on the tee-
phone with ex-Judge Henry f. Howiand' the
chairman Of the Managers OF the Manhattan
State Hospital, who expressed similar views TX
Judga Rowland sent his son 10 accompany Dr'
Macdonald to Police Headquarters and ask the
police to give protection against the invasion OF
Wards Island by the mnions OF the Comihls-
sioners OF Charities Dr. Macdonald and MT
Howland had a talk with Chief Of Police Conlin,
who listened TO the story Of the invasion ana
then declined to take any hand IN the coh'ro-
yersy between the State and local authoritles'
DR. Macdonald had hoped that the police might
Interfere and remove the insane women back 10
Bellevue
BELLEVUE BARRICADED.
Meanwhile the gates Of Bellevue had been
closed and barred. and the grounds OF the hospi-
tal were patrolled by guards in anticipation 81
an attempt TO send back the women Warden
Murphy who had received strict orders from
the Commissioners Of Charities not to allow the
women to be received back At Bellevue. said that
every possible precaution would oe taken 10
prevent any Of the women being forced into the
hcsp,tal grounds as o. O'Donohue was forced In on
Friday night
Fx Tndee Howland as he leaving his
Office In the Mills Building late In the afternoon,
said TO a Tribune reporter: The police have de-
cllned TO interfere to prevent the Commissioners
Of Charities from dumping insane persons on
Wards Island, although the island Is now under
State control and such invasion Is wholly unia"-
ful II locks as II we would have TO establish
guards on the island and have scrap with
the Department Of Charities every time the
beat landed. If the fight becomes a riot, per-
haps We shall have police protection Ihe "oihe'
who were dumped on the island this morning are
still on the dock. but Of course we cannot
allow them to remain there. 1t would be IN
human to let them suffer from cold or starvation.
snd we could take them back to the city ana
turn them loose in the streets. We shall nave
to do something for them until we can arrive
at some settlement OF the difficulty
TO BE CARED FOR AT THE ISLAND.
cared Tor tonight the island but they Will not
be admitted as regular inmates OF the state
Hospital. 1 have asked for a. conference with