The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-03
TROUBLES IN A STATE ASYLUM
HEADS FALLING FAST IN THE
HOSPITAL AT KINGS PARK.
An investigation Into the Supply OF
diseased Meat to the Inmates, and
It's Fruits to Men Who Furnished
testimony Against Guilty Oniciai.

Edward y. Aldridge, the head farmer at
the State Hospital for the Insane at Kings
Park, l. /, was discharged by the then
cunt Or q VI Dewing last March, after an
exhaustive investigation, upon the charge
=, furnishing diseased meat to the inmates
and employees Of the institution. Aldridge
is lifelong friend OF William L. Park
hurst, a member Of the State Lunacy Com
mission. They were boys together at
Csnandaigia and their friendship dates
from their early school days A sister OF
Aldridge married Druggist Spears OF Smith
town, l. l., and Parkhurst married sister
Of Spears.
less than three months after Aldridge
was discharged DR.. Dewing was trans
ferred at his own request to the State
Hospital at Flatbush, branch Of the Kings
Park institution. More recently Herdsman
Frederick Mastin and Barn Boss Thomas,
on whose testimony Aldridge was dismissed,
we're notified by DR.. William Austin Macy,
the new superintendent, that 'in order to
reduce expenses" their places had been
abolished and that their services would not
be required after Sept. 1. Similar notices
we're also served on Chief Supervisor j. E.
Johnson Night Supervisor John O'Reilly
and Night Clerk sydney Jones.
When it became known at the hospital
that Dr. Dewing was about to be transferred
the last three named got up petition to
the State Lunacy Board and Gov. Odell
for his retention. Jones circulated it
among the employees and all but two signed
it johnson and O'Reilly took copies of 1t
to ex-senator Mckinney at Northport and
Assemblyman Hubbs at Islip and asked
them to use their influence to keep DR..
Dewing in his old place.
No attention whatever was paid to the
petition by either the Governor or the
State Lunacy Commission, as far as the
employees could learn. johnson, Jones
and O'Reilly attribute the loss OF their job
to their zeal in the cause Of DIR. Dewing.
All the men whose places have been abolished
we're old employees, their terms Of service
ranging from four to fourteen years, and
all held their places under the rules Of the
classified service. They could not have
been discharged except on charges and
after hearing had been granted to them
As the case stands, they have no redress
except in the courts.
Another employee, Earol Atkins in
charge of the night attendants in the new
group Of buildings. has resigned to head
of dismissal. Several others are said to
be slated for decapitation There is, in
fact, a we'll defined belief among the en-
ployees that all the friends Of DR., Dewing
will eventually get their walking papers,
simply because he dared to discharge a
man so close to Commissioner Parkhurst
as Aldridge. The latter has been back at
Kings Park recently in company with his
horn rh o1c lia-
charged There is persistent report about
the asylum, which could not be confirmed.
that Aldridge is still seeking "vindication'
and that he is to be reinstated In the service
of the hospital. either In the steward Q
department or in a new post to be created
especially Tor him.
When Herdsman Mastin made a COM
plant last winter about the condition OF
some OF the pigs Aldridge had ordered him
to kill for food for the inmates and en-
ployees, Dr. Dewing suspended the head
farmer and ordered formal inves-
tigation. At this investigation Mastin tes-
tilted under oath that hundreds OF
the pigs at the hospital had died Of
cholera and that many others we're killed
while suffering from the disease and their
carcasses sent to the butcher to be cut up
and served at the asylum. He said that he
had only killed those pigs which Aldridge
pointed out. Several Of them, he swore,
were 80 i'll that they could scarcely stand.
Occasionally, he said. when a pig was in
the last stages of cholera he was ordered
to knock it on the head to put it out Of
misery, but the carcass was not sent to
the butchers. Usually. however, the sick
pigs were sent to the meat market to be
butchered after he had killed them. In
describing how serious the epidemic was
he said that thirty pigs had died Of cholera
in July. 1903, thirty-nine in August and
ten In September. He also gave the figures
for other months. These pigs did not in
cude those he had killed for the butcher.
Barn Boss Thomas also gave damaging
testimony against Aldridge, He Ia a veteri-
nary surgeon and was able to throw much
light on the condition Of affairs In the pig
pens.
The investigation lasted several months,
and l,5oo typewriter pages Of testimony
we're taken. While 1t was going on Aldridge
reported to the steward one evening that
Thomas was drunk on duty and unfit to
do his work The steward ordered Night
Supervisor OReily to investigate Thomass
condition.
O'Reilly took with him Farol Atkins.
After a thorough examination they re-
ported that the man was perfectly sober.
In the mean time a jealous defender Of
Aldridge sprang up in the person OF
George l.. Thompson, Republican boss
OF Kings Park and the local mem
Der OF the board OF visitation OF the
State hospital there. Thompson is fond
Of hoasting OF his intimacy with Gov. odell.
He frequently refers to him as uncle Ben, >
and from his talk it would be judged that he
often confers with him, both at the Execu-
tive chamber at Albany and at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel in this city.
Thompson was once barn boss at the
asylum himself. For the past nine years he
has run little country store at Kings Park.
Most Of his trade comes from employees Of
the hospital
Once, a short time before the local
boards Of management for State charitable
Institutions were abolished upon the
"overnors order, DR. Dewing decided
70 institute a sort OF cooperative store
lot the benefit Of the asylum's employees.
mere had been talk among them that
,hey were paying too much for supplies.