The times., 1900-12-26
INVESTIGATION AT BELLEVUE.
Patients Alleged to Have Been Rob-
bed by Nurses.

Patients Alleged to Have Been Rob.
bed by Nurses.
NEW YORK, Dec. 25.-The State Lunacy
Commission has sent communication tt
John w. Keller, Commissioner of Chari-
ties. adding the charge of larceny to the
allegations of cruelty and brutality al
ready made against certain employees in
the insane pavilion of Bellevue Hospital
The name of the person who processes
J to have been robbed is withheld for the
| present; likewise the identity of the per-
son or persons alleged to have taken his
property. 1t is understood. however. that
| a person committed to the insane pavilion
early in the present month who had sum
of money when admitted was later sent
away without a penny. Thomas j. Min
! mock who testified to the assault on Louis
Hilliard, has made a similar charge Of
larceny
When l entered the insane pavilion"
he says Il had pair of gold-plated
sleeve links. l bought then; second hand
for $3.50. While 1 was in the insane pa
vilion one of the nurses whose name am
willing to furnish took a look at the but
tons.
II think I'll take those he said.
They're pretty NICE and he deliberately
took them from my cuffs and put them In
his pocket, which was the last l saw OF
them. When / was first taken in at the
insane pavilion one of the nurses exam
ined my shoes. He said they were good
looking shoes. and he thought they would
fit him, but he cast them aside when he
noticed that one of the soles was pretty
well worn through
When patients were sent from the in
sane pavilion to Wards Island Asylum it
was customary to put them in the asylum
uniform. The clothes they wore on ad-
mission were rolled UP in a bundle and
given to them to take with them. l saw
one nurse take ou. of such bundle sew
eral articles, including a fancy shirt and
necktie that was almost new" Com
missioner Keller said last night that he
had formerly received complaints of
stealing. and he had at that time estab-
lished checking system designed to pre-
vent it.
Many fresh complaints of abuses were
received by Commissioner Keller yester-
day. Some of the complainants appeared
in person. and others sent their stories
by mail. All complaints will be investi-
gated.
1t becomes apparent as the evidence ac-
cumulates that violence to patients was
not confined to the insane pavilion and
the alcoholic ward, but that it has been
practiced in nearly all the general wards
throughout the hospital, and that the
women nurses have been brutal at times
as well as the males.
One of Commissioner Keller's witnesses
yesterday told how a nurse had pounded
her for trivial offence when she was too
ill to defend herself. From the evidence
received the beating of inmates after they
were bound hand and foot to their cots in
the alcoholic ward was of common occur
renee of long standing.
Many tell of paying tips to nurses in
order to get proper care, and others say
they were neglected because they had no
money Tips ranged from 25 cents to s..
Sometimes the nurses limited that small
sum OF money would be acceptable.
A universal complaint in the hospital is
that nurses turn over the care of patients |
to convalescent inmates or ward helpers. |
who do nothing when they are not being |
The ward helpers. it is alleged. |
are more insistert in their demands for |
tips than the nurses. 1t is also alleged |
that there is great deal of drunkenness |
among them and that they are generally |
reinstated soon after their dismissal for |
drunkenness.
Commissioner Keller is confronted with |
nm alleged f"insanity trust" at Bellevue. |
DR.. Allen MeLane Hamilton. the insani- |
ty expert, sis responsible for the state I
ment that such combination exists.
DIR. Hamilton told ME, - said Commits +
sioner Keller, 'that in cases where pa
tents, not paupers, were sent to the in
sane pavilion fer examination a fee of
ss5 was often charged by men who are
under salary for the city. 1t was also
alleged that a combination existed be-
tween certain doctors whereby wealthy |
patients coming to the insane pavilion
we're turned over to a private practice.
1T has been further intimated that cne
1f the doctors was interested in cer-
ain private insane asylums and that he
used his position at Bellevue to send |
1atients with money to them.
LAS to the s25 fees charged ] have
snown of them for some time. When l
FIRST heard of it l decided to shut down
Dn it until it was called to my attention |
hat the charge of fec to persons able
to pay was a good way of keeping that
lass Of patients away and leaving more
accommodations for the INDECENT poor
'or which the insane pavilion was intend
d.
''I have thought Of having the fee made
Gayable to the city, but in view of the
complaint that has been made | am in
lined to believe that | will abolish 1t al
together and let it he understood that
lone but the indigent poor shall be ex-
imined as TO their sanity in Bellevue"