The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-08
TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES
Representative Shuford OF North
Carolina Decia red 1t u Nuisance.
Edwin Dunkeriy, Resident, Says
His Family Has Been Made Ner.
vous by Cries of Sick Babies.


ahmed and Congressman shuford, OF North
Carolina, who resides Cpl osiie tie institn-
tlOn, was placed On the stand 9estei lay.
4 lac -, sla.I,> .. LIS Jest .niDny was onatlne
hospital is a nuisance. When questioned
10y the jurymen as TO whether the yaluatio
of the property surrounding IL was ailected
ne answer Ell mat AZ Vas. lac stated tI'at on
his return TO Congress next term under no
consider alton wound lie reside ia the neigh
boInood, as, ike every ole else, he wanted
his windows open during warm weather,
but the heat was preferable TO the con
iiuloGs scIeams OF Tie infants acIoss the
way.
Judge Colgrave, who lives in handsome
residence at the corner of Fifteenth and
* streets, viii be placed on the sta nd today.
MIR Edwin Donkerly, who lives ON the
alley adjoining the hospital, is the worst
sufferer, and ne and his family are on tue
verge of nervous prosuratIon.
The alley is only twenty feet wide and
the crying OF the babies is as plain as il
IL were an their own mouse.
Mr. Dunkerly bought ne piece of property
about two years ago. AT the time he in
vested the weather was cool and the
windows OF the hospital were closed, con-
sequently he did not know what an an
noyance he would be subject to.
During this heated term they have
hao % ,iosa nIn,.o, anu uoois, anu IL
naIly, Mr. Dunkerly said, they were driven
10 such straits a. to lie compelled to stuff
co .,.,t "a 'rt ears AT uieEt
After Mr.. Dunkerly fought the property,
10. a.. hta .Rf
DOWN the sioe and fnont. and rebuilt them
at considerable expense, but he says be
would be willing now To sell for less than
At cost him, for his home has been made
wretchSd by the neyer-ceaang wall OF the
unfortunate little creatures next door.
In The charges, which he preferred through
us attorney, Mr.. william NICK Clayton,
be alleges that there are not enough nurses
10 care for the children; secondly, they are
Io' fed regularly nor properly attended 90;
and, thirdly, they are beaten and otherwise
abused in a shameful manner.
He said the death rate is about 10 per
cent, and he was satisfied that if this
property were sod and q home erected
outside The city limits. the advantage
would be as great TO the infants as TO tie
rel shbc rhoo1.
He stated that when the intended visit
Df the grand jury was made krown TO the
authorities Of the hospital a gene raj spring
cleaning was gone through with, the nurses
nSng sours earlier than usual, and the
babies Were dosed, so that when the jury
men arrived quiet and cleanliness gned
supreme.
L. an interview with Mrs. r. b. Cate,
the matron OF the FonEdling Hospital:
Miss Lee Washington. the head nurse, and
Or. wellington, the attending physician,
these charges Were eInphatically denie.i.
is true, Mrs Cate said, that the chill
lr-o do CRY. bgt SO do all hahies.
The three oldest children-five, four and
three-are the only ones who are ever
rhi Tped, and these not severely, and
that the vlIastisement is known ana al
lowed ny the hoard of directors. She So ID
that they were not cogniZant Of the visit
of the crand jury until two hours pre-.
vious to the tine set, and that absolutely
nothing was done out of the usual routine
Her SIDE Of the story was that the whole
natter was the result of personal feel
ing on the part of Mr.. Dunkerly.
Two years ago" she said, Mr.. Dunker-
ly bought the adjoining property at the
very low figure of 50 400 on account OF
the proximity t. the hospital, aud was
fully aware Of the fact at the time
This statement MI Dunkerly strenuously
denies.
she further said that while the house
OF Mr Durkerly was underg going repairs
the dust flew thick and fast, choking the
babies and otherwise annoying them. but
it was bone without a murmur Of COM
plant. She said that Mr. Dunkerly has a
little giri ten years old who visited the
hospital ct unreasonable hours, and when
requested 10 call at srch times as the rules
allowed the trouble began
Across the END of the hospital runs a
long inclosed piazza. ard it is here during
the summer that the Infants are for the
most part kept. She said that repeatedly
fhn DTni1erlvS Rave even gone so far = = 10
Climb the fence OF get ont on the roof and
spy down upon them until they have been
compelled TO lower the awnings Further,
she said they have beaten on tin pans and
made hideo1s noises to counteract the
noise from the hospital. There are forty
seven babies in the hospit al and ten nurses.
a suffIcieEt number OF nurses to properly
care for the Infants, so Miss Washington
ST ates.
The hospital is open at all times for the
most rigid inspection. IL was claimed
The reporter was invited to examine any
or all portions of the building. which was
done and found to he In ex-
cellent condition.
Dr. Wellington, in conversation with the
reporter said that the statements were
malicious aud false and the investigation
would prove them TO be so.
The outcome of the matter is looked
forward to by the residents and property
owners IL that section with a great deal
II interest, as, they claim, their suffer
ing has been OF long duration, complaints
being made to The Commissioners a $ early
as 1898.
Two Small Fires.