The San Francisco call., 1901-11-01
.LUNACY BOARD
TAKES A HAND.
Troubles at ST. Elmo
Hospital Subject of
Inquiry.
DR.. Hatch Is Prepared to
Make Necessary In
vestigations.


DR.. A. T. Hatch, president Of the State
Board Of Lunacy will be in the city to-
day to commence an investigation into
the affairs of the ST. Elmo Hospital.
Af1davits explaining the condition OF az
fairs are being prepared Tor SUBMISSION
to the Grand Jury. The nurses who were
discharged wish to tell their story DeIore
All inquisitorial body.
Alexander Murdock, the superintendent,
was asked on Wednesday to tell who
were the directors of the institution, Dut
said he could not recall them all at the
time. Yesterday he gave the following
written statement to Call reporter:
AS per your request, st. Elmo Hospital
e. Collins Joseph Duffy, one share each; Alex
Murdock, 1900 shares Total of shares, 25Oo
we rent from Maclean Hospital with a pros
ALEX MURDOCH,
Superintendent st. Elmo Hospital
What superintendent Says.
When Murdock was interviewed on
Wednesday afternoon he denied that 8.
P. Blumenberg, erstwhile managing direc-
tor of the Hotel Nymphia, had anything
to do with the management Of the st.
Elmo Hospital Before Murdock assumed
control of the hospital he was bookkeeper
for the Gordon Sanitarium and collected
the rents from inmates Of the Hotel Nym-
phia-
How Blumenberg got control Of st.
Elmo Hospital is best told in suit No.
76.047, filed in the Superior Court a few
days ago. This is an action wherein w.
P. Reed appears as plaintiff against the
Maclean Hospital corporation, and It's
directors. A large number of reputable
physicians are made defendants. The
story in brief is as follows:
In n n.
menced by E. j. Malmgren and D. j.
Lawrence against ]. T.. Harris and DR..
M. II. Logan. DR.. Logan, one one OF the de.
the capital stock and indorsed note for
one Harris. During the absence in the
East of DR.. Logan Judgment was obtained
Judgment was obtained and one L. Nath-
an bought in DR.. Logan's stock for $2.
This was later transferred to Blumenberg.
The physicians who were associated with
DR.. Logan in the enterprise claim they
were not advised of the proceedings. Soon
thereafter Blumenberg assumed full con-
troll, and elected number OF serYiceable
tenderloin habitues as trustees. one OF
the directors is the husband of Elizabeth
Dunn, who owns considerable property In
the disreputable quarter of the city and
who has frequently figured in the Police
courts. Of another director of the st.
Elmo Hospital but little is known, save
from the Police Court record. Murdoch
formerly collected the nightly rentals
apartments in the Hotel Nymphia. He
has held a number of positions in cor
pcrations organized by Blumenberg for
controlling the money to be derived from
the habitueS of the quarter in which
Blumenberg operates.
Question About Certificate.
\Blumenberg has a certificate emitting
him to practice medicine, but how he got
it is a question. that the examiners of the
institution say they are unable to explain
Under the guse of this diploma Blumen-
berg has been working.
When DIR. Frfzell was selected as resi-
dent physician of st. Elmo Hospital he
was told that If he worked the first two
weeks for nothing he would be paid $500
a month thereafter. His first month was
up the night he was discharged. and he is
still looking for his money.
q a number of the physicians who were
interested in the Maclean Hospital are
considering ways and means to expose
the Blumenberg method. An appeal to
the Grand Jury has been prepared and
will be placed in the hands of the COM
mittee in the next few days.
Another matter the directors are inves-
tigating is the alleged sale of the furni-
ture and fixtures of the asylum. 1t is
said that DR.. FriZell was requested to
read off the list of articles in the asylum
when Blumenberg obtained control. A
few of the attaches were present, and as
each lot of articles was read off Murdoch
said I'll take this or 'Pll take that"
of the stock.
DR.. Frizell and some of the former di-
rectors have addressed a letter to the
foreman of the Grand Jury, asking a full
Investigation of. the management of the
hospital.