The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-08-23
MURDER INQUIRY
DR.. Jones's Charge That
Attendants Choked
Patients to Be
Investigated.
HOSPITAL COHEITTEE MEETS
Testimony Regarding Bad
Food 10 Pe Lad Aside
for Graver Details
Especial to ..The Jersey city News.el

Especial to THE Jersey City News ]
TRENTON, Aug. %, 1s0l.--More star
Ting even than the conditions already
brought to light at the State Hospital is
a public allegation, made by DR.. William
F. Jones, Substantially charging that a
patient was killed by an attendant little
over year ago. Coming on top of the
other charges against the institution, this
statement of DR.. Jones, who for eleven
years was third assistant physician at the
hospital, has created no little sensation.
1t is the intention Of the Committee of
Managers toGay to temporarily drop the
food question and devote its attention TO
Investigating this allegation of DR.. Jones,
who has been asked to be present at this
mornings session Of the committee.
Frank Lesher,. a former attendant from
Pennsylvania, is, according to the state
rent of DR.. Jones, the man responsible
for the death of the patient, William
Funk, who was admitted to the hospital
June Is, 1900, and who died less than two
weeks later. The statement is:-
William Funk hfty-two years old, who
was admitted to the institution on June 1S,
1sOc was killed by hospital attendant.
He was a tall, strong man, physically
he was in an excited condition, and it
was necessary to place restraining straps
on him, but he soon became quiet and was
released from restraint.
''It was on June 26 of last year that an
attendant, whose home is said to be in
Pennsylvania and who had charge of
ward No. u. in the main building, to
which Funk was assigned, attempted To
give him medicine. Funk was in a surly
mood and refused to take it. When the
attendant insisted Funk struggled violent
ly and struck at the attendant.
''Then. according to the attendants own
admission to me later that night, he seized
Funk by the throat and choked him until
he became insensible. Funk failed to reA
vive and the attendant becoming alarmed,
summoned John Buggy, a night watch
man, who was on duty near the ward. To-
gether the men placed Funk in bed, after
which Buggy Immediately notified me
that the man was seemingly in a dying
condition.
'I went Immediately to Funks bedside
and there found the man almost strangled
He could scarcely breathe, around his
neck were finger marks, and there were
bruises on his chest where it was said
he had been struck by the attendant
Funk gave every indication of being near
the point of death. 1 placed ice bags
around the mans neck and rubber tube
in his throat to aid respiration. 1t was
apparent that Funk could not live very
long,
Il then notified DR.. Ward, the medical
director of the hospital, about Funk S
condition and requested him to accom-
pany me to Funk's bedside, for the pur-
pose of seeing the case. DR.. Ward did
not comply with my request. saw Funk
again at five o'clock on the morning of
June 27, having been summoned by George
Astbury, another attendant. whom I had
directed to remain constantly by Funk 3
bedside Astbury said the patient was
becoming worse and seemed to be dying.
He revived under treatment, however,
and his condition improved slightly.
"On the morning of June Is, Astbury
notified me that Funk was dying. When
I hurried to the patient I saw Funk could
only live short time. He complained of
intense pain in the throat and chest. He
died at ten o'clock.
''Dr Ward was notified that the man
was dead, but no effort was officially made
to establish the cause of death by means
of an autopsy. The cause Of death was
recorded in the hospital books as asphyxi-
alton, and the body was buried in pau
per's grave. Nothing more was done about
the matter. The attendant was dismissed
on the day following the mans DEATH
No one was more surprised than Dr.
Ward to learn that any such charge was
made by DR.. Jones or anyone else. Dr.
Ward said yesterday to reporter that
he had absolutely no knowledge of Funk's
death having been caused by, the treat
ment he received at the hands of anyone
at the institution.
There was nothing to indicate such
condition of affairs at the investigation
which resulted in the dismissal of Lesher.
DR.. Ward has asked for full investiga-
ton of the whole matter and some start
ling disclosures are promised when this
takes place.
The associate physicians of DR.. Jones,
according to their own statements, were
equally surprised at the charges, they too
being ignorant that anything of the kind
had even been limited at.
Judge yroom, on behalf of DR.. Ward,
also said
''The entry made by DR.. Jones in the
books, of Funk's death, was not made
until June 27, 1901, a year after the
mans death. The date was in DR.. Jones
handwriting. This was after DR.. Jones
was dismissed by the board of managers
at their meeting the first Thursday in
June last.
"On June 27, 1900, at noon, Funk then
being dead, DR.. Jones made no other
report than this:-Funk, badly bruised
and maltreated by attendants
"Dr. Ward says:-If DR.. Jones did
what he claims to have done-stuck a
rubber tube down the patients throat
he killed him."
'sDr Ward further aff1rms that DR..
Jones never notified him of the affair
until after the man was dead"
Regarding the statement. that he had
refused to see Funk when the man was
reported to be dying from the injuries re-
ceived from the attendant, DR.. Ward said
he hoped the record he had made during
his long career at the institution was
such as would in itself preclude credence
-, fl,a efa fauaenf which he efnpha tfcally