The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-08-24
answered the interrogatoriee with show

In response to a question by Mr.. Walk
| er, DR.. Jones told in a general way OF ms
duties while member of the stan OF
physicians at the hospital. During the
| first seven of his eleven years incumbency
| he had particular care of the incurabies
or chronic insane during that period in
| the annex.
You have through the press said Mr..
Walker, made charges that this man
Funk met his death as the result of inju-
ries received at the hands of an attendant
OF the hospital during the month of June,
l900."
eyes, sir, that is true replied DR..
Jones without hesitation.
He added that the patient was William
Funk, committed from Camden County
June IS, 19Oo and who died in the hospi-
tai nine days later. Funk, he said, was
a man about 1S0 pounds. He was fairly
strong when he came to the hospital, and
seemed to be in comparatively good
health although showing excesses ascri-
bed as the cause of his insanity.
Continuing his narrative, DIR Jones
said that Funk died from asphyxation
caxsed by strangulation. Funk's death,
DR.. Jones asserted, and he appeared to
! have no doubt in making the assertion,
was caused by Frank Lesher, an attend
ant from Pennsylvania. who afterward
admitted to him what he had done
Lesher, DR.. Jones said told him that he
had struck Funk and knocked him down
because he refused to take the medicine
which he was endeavoring to give him.
DR. Jones said he first learned of the
matter from John Buggy, a night watch
man who informed him between 10 and II
o'clock the night the affair took place.
''Did you report to DR.. Ward?' asked
Mr.. Walker.
Yes
"When?'
81 telephoned to Dr. Ward the next
morning"
Estate all you said"
'T told DR.. Ward that. a patient had
been badly injured by the attendant Lesh-
er who had strangled him."
what did he say?"
"He sat like wooden man aid would
not move"
did you go again to DR.. Ward?"
Eyes, just before the man died"
did he come then?'
mo"
'What did you say to him?'
81 told him Funk was dying and asked
him to come and see him. because L didn't
want to take all the responsibility on my
shoulders
did Mr.. Ward come at all?'
mo, he did not.''
DR.. Jones said that Funk had beer
very stubborn and that great difficulty
had been found on several occasions il
administering to him the choral or might
medicine" which had been prescribed for
him.
'.Did you frd any marks on Funk?'
asked Judge Thompson.
Eyes, his neck was swollen almost
twice its size. His neck, chest an;,
shoulders were all black and blue and he
was very badly bruised. having evidently
been jumped upon
Dr. Jones tnen stated that he found
Funk in a very bad condition, so much so
that he feared for his life from the start
He had great difficulty in breathing and
to relieve this he put a rubber tube down
the patients throat, which seemed to aid
the respiration of the patient very much,
He was also given a hypodermic injec-
ton
DR.. Jones took away Lesher's key an3
told him not to come near the patient
again. He then put George Astbury OF
No. 6i6 Mulberry street, this city, who
was then an attendant, IN charge of the
patient.
'pid you ever make any record of the
circumstances attending Funk's death?"
asked Nr. Walker
81 did," replied DR.. Jones.
"When?"
"June %, 1907
srWhy did you change the date?" in
uuired Mr.. Walker, but the question was
ruled out by Judge Thompson.
DR.. Jones then explained that he had
made an entry in the case book at the
time of the occurrence in lead pencil, but
had not filled it in until a year later.
The writing in lead pencil, he said, was
simply partial memorandum giving the
date and persons present. It was erased
when the history of the case was written
by him in ink
The record showed that in two places
the date 1901 written in ink had been
changed to 1900 by the use of a pencil.
81 ask you now," said Mr. Walker,
whether you made the lead pencil
changer
Yes" replied DR.. Jones.
.'Why did you change the date?"
81 don't know that that makes any diff
ference" said DR.. Jones.
He was pressed for an answer to
question why he did not leave the date
to speak for itself if it showed the time
the entry was made, but made no direct
reply.
swhy did you not write the history of
the case at the timer asked Mr.. Wall
ker.
For several reasons" answered Dr.
Jones. zone was that 1 thought it would
be destroyed"
~Destroyedn' calculated Mr.. Walker.
'1By whom?"
'sDr Ward" came the answer promptly.
Judge Thompson insisted on DR.. Jones
giving the other reasons to which he had
referred, to which the witness replied
that he thought the record would not
look very nice in the book.
us that all?" pursued Judge Thomp-
son.
eyes. That is sufficient
'If you refrained from writing the rec
ord at the time" asked Mr.. Walker
"why did you put it down in June,
1922
"I had no special reason" came the
answer.
.syau saw Won were fearful that DR.