New-York tribune., 1902-09-09
ESCAPE FROM HOSPITAL.
IMMIGRANTS SAID TO HAVE BRIBED
DOORKEEPER.
LONG; ISLAND COLLEGE AUTHORITIES DENY
IT. BUT ADMIT THAT FIVE GOT AWAY

LONG ISLAND COLLEGE AUTHORITIES DENY
IT, BUT ADMIT THAT FIVE GOT AWAY
Five Immigrants who had been detained by
the Ellis Island authorities because their eyes
were diseased and sent to the Long Island Col
ieeg Hospital for observation and treatment es-
caped from that institution last week. Theodslo
Hord the brother-in-law of one OF the hVe toid
one of the policemen at the Barge once yester-
day that twenty detained immigrants, in all, mad
ESCAPED from the hospital last week by brblng
a doorkeeper with 5000 to let them out. They
were helped to get away in batches of three
and four on different days. he said the hos
pitaI authorities while admitting that five got
away laugh at the bribing story, and pro-
nounce il a faIsehood too ridiculous to be worthy
of notice.
fischer Schnefer. one of the quintet who got
away who arrived here several days ago on the
steamship La Gascogne and was sent to the
Long Island College Hospital because of an af-
fecton of the eyes called trachoma, was yes
terday returned to the authorities a Ellis ISL
and He escaped from the institution last
Wednesday, and was caught yesterday in For
syth-st.
Four other detained immigrants who escaped
on last Thursday were Pasquela Talmieri and
Giuseppe LuCdo. who arrived on the Scotia;
Leo Bidona, who came on the Llgurlar and Do
n7inico I,eale who came on the Byron and want
ed to go to Pittsburg- They have not beeen
caught. According to the story told by Schneier
he escaped by climbing through window.
When captured he wore suit of clothes.'
Morace. brother-in-law of Palmieri. visited
Ellis Island yesterday to try and get the re-
lease of his wife. who is detained there as a
trachoma patient and told his bribery story.
He came over the ship with his wife and
brother-in-Iaw. He wanted to have Palmieris
baggage turned over to him, saying that Some
of his own possessions mixed up with it.
This was refused. and Palmieris effects are held
at the Barge Office until he calls in person for
them, when he will be arrested and again sent
back to the hospital. Morace declares that -
does not know where his brother -in-law is and
says he has not him since his escape
DR.. r. E. Shaw. superintendent of the hos
pital. told a Tribune reporter last evening that
most Of the story was rot" 1t true, how
ever. that five immigrants got away last week.
Three took their departure Tuesday night
and two Wednesday night. OF the five only
two were troubled with contagious eye disease.
DR.. Shaw disposed to treat their escape
lightly. He said the hospital not a prison,
and the men were sent there simply for obser
vation. 1t would be necessary to bribe
an attendant in order to escape. 1t would be
easy, the doctor said, to slip out of the hos
pital the Pacifc-st side when the watch
going his rounds and ten-year-old
child could climb over the gate.
DR.. Shaw thought the statement that brbe
of 5000 had been offered and accepted
ridiculous. He did not think there was 500 in
the whole crowd OF immigrants which had been
a the hospital recently. He had tried to asCer
tain the circumstances under which the
got away. but had made much profa ess.
He had discovered. however that James Gro
gan, who was -WatChman at the gate on Tuesday
night last. was drunk Wednesday morning,
and he promptly discharged him and appointed
another man TO his place.
DR. Shaw added that If the immigrant who
made the statement at Ellis Island that at
tendant the Long Island College Hospital
had accepted a bribe the hospital and
made a similar statement there he would in
vestigate the matter further.
But I'll guarantee he wont show his face
here the doctor remarked. in ending,