Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-04-12
HOSPITAL UNDER
ACCUSATION
Cruelty IN Maternity Ward of a
Chicago institution Openly
Charged.
MOTHERS ARE GIVEN HARD TASKS
the Care of Other
Patients.

Chicago, April 12.-From present in
dicatiOns there will be no lack of wit
nesses to show that the treatment to
which patients of the county hospital
have been subjected has been cruel
and inhuman. Persons who at first
were unwilling to air their grievances
are now very anxious to help in bring
ing the guilty persons to justice. James
l.. Burton, past master of MiZpah
lodge of Masons, by whose efforts the
investigation was started, is still re
ceiving letters from men and women
who were once inmates of the county
hospital. All of these communications
are filed with stories of brutal treat
ment; and all give evidence that VIII
he submitted to the Investigating COM
mittee that will convene next Monday.
Stories from the Maternity Wards.
The maternity ward at the county
institution has been. from all ac
counts, the scene of the most shock
ing cruelties. 1t is alleged that wom-
Ell whose children were only half a
day old and who were scarcely able
to move in bed We're forced on several
occasions TO leave their cots and per-
form services which were the duty of
nurses. Mrs. Lizzie AIangan, 5000
Dearborn street. tells a story tnat is a
very fair sample of the others.
Il have been at the county hospi-
tall she says. ION two different occa-
sions. Both times | was treated
harshrly by both doctors and nurses.
After going through severe opera
ton. and being up only half day.
they wanted me to stay up all night
and wait on the patients. / refused to
do it and they gave me my discharge.
| had worked two weeks in the kicn-
en- before my operation and | avs not
going to work again when H. had just
got out of bed. As sick as | was
they made me 90 home with my baby.
In the maternity wards the patients
lave to wash and scrub every day, in
Guiding Sundays. Iney get poor food.
too. They have to do good deal of
the nurses work.
Second Hospital Experience.
Il was there two months last sum
mer and l know how mean they are.
My husband died and left me with Il
baby s months old. and seven months
after his death another child was born
TO me. / didn't have any money, so
had TO be satisfied to stay there.
When l was in ward last May l had
TO wash 100 dishes three Il day. An
other sick woman and ! had to cook
and pass diets to all the patients. and
1 had to was'. clothes for four babies.
When my baby cried in the night they
chased me into the kitchen with it.
All the time l was in bed they forced
me to keep the baby with me-"
T. d. McClearnan. 25J6 Cottage
Grove avenue, it another witness to
the inhumanity practiced at the coun-
ty hospital. Il was in the hospital"
he says. for over six months at
stretch. and 1 never saw my attend
ing doctor. and asfar as l know he
never saw me. I am willing and
anxious to give evidence before the
committee" Others who
are willing to testify are Mrs. f. LutZ.
4531 Union avenue; Henry Silver. at
the Forty-fifth street car shops: Miss
Tressa Hunt, 96 Thirty-first street
and w. .Bagnall, 1926 LaSalle street
Alternative for Patients.
Mrs Sarah E. Fox has written
signed statement in which she tells
of neglect insult. and abuse" that |
were heaped on herself and others |
during her stay in the institution. She
says patients were frequently called |
on TO do the nurses work or leave
the hospital. and that they were con-
reminded that they were |
paupers. She declares further that the /,
patients are regarded in the light of |
so many objects of experiment and in |
TO the students and nothing |
more. 1T would make an angel weep" |
she says. "but not nurse or interne." |
She concludes her statement by assert |
ing that the county hospital is Il pest |
Of int ~