The sun., 1904-08-29
HOSPITAL CHAIRMAN SUED.
DISMISSED SYDENHAM DOCTOR
WANTS $4,000.
Alleges Ext0rtion as the Motive Of the
Charges Against Him. and Says $500
Would Have Kept Him In the Job He
Paid For-MOre Sea- in the Place.

Pah FOf-MOfe Sc1nOuI III tHo EIuce.
DR.. A. L. Goldwater, who was recently
dismissed from the staff OF the Sydenham
Hospital In East 1l8th street. and who
Joined DR.. Salo Cohn, DR.. Louis Lichtschein
and DR.. b. M. Feldman, also dismissed.
in petition to the State Board Of Charities
to revoke the charter OF the institution.
has instructed his lawyer. Eugene Cohen
OF the firm OF Cohen & Levy to bring suit
against DR.. Robert Kunitzer chairman
Of the medical board, for $4,000 damages
,, for malicious prosecution. DR.. Goldwater
had talk with Mr.. Cohen last night. After
ward the lawyer said:
I'VE shall base the suit on the fact that
DR.. Kunitzer instituted the proceedings
against DR.. Goldwater, looking 10 his re-
moval from the hospital staff, withou
just cause and for the purpose OF extorting
money from him."
DR.. Goldwater said last night that Dr.
Herman Jarecky, secretary Of the medical
board, came to his office on July and said
he had in his possession the charge made
against Dr. Goldwater by DR.. Kunitzer.
He asked me-" continued DR.. Goldwater.
"if the matter could not be arranged ami
cably 80 that the charges could be with
drawn. He wanted me to 60 with him to
| DR.. Kunitzers Office to see II we could not
settle At first refused to 60. but finally
consented. When We arrived at DR.. Kun
| itzer's we found DR.. Marx there.
"Dr. Kunitzer accused me Of making some
| sighting remarks about Mr.. Spiegelberg
| which never made. He finally offered to
withdraw the charges against me il would
give him check for 500 dated at future
| time to suit my own convenience. refused
and left him, after telling him that the
| institution was grossly mismanaged.
DR.. Goldwater says that when he paid
| to join the staff he was allowed to under
stand that DR.. John Erdmsnn, well known
surgeon, would also come In and that he.
DR.. Goldwater, would be DR.. Erdmann's 9
associate. Dr. Erdmann was to be allowed
to join the staff without payment. He had
learned afterward that DR.. Isaac Levin
had refused to consent to the appointment
Of DR.. Erdmann, and insisted on the ad-
mission of DR.. lie Boutillier in his place,
After W. T. spiegeberg. who married a
granddaughter OF Meyer Guggenheim. and
wealthy himself. was elected president OF
the board of directors last spring, DR.. Gold
water says, DR.. Marx and DR.. Kunitzer told
him that the places of the medical men
we're absolutely guaranteed, and that
| thereafter no more assessments would be
| levied on them. Nevertheless, he says.
contributions were demanded and paid
under protest up to June 1.
At a meeting last June, he says, DR..
Kunitzer announced that there was an
indebtedness Of So, 200, and that the medica
men who were not members OF the board
OF directors would have to pay half OF It.
II they did not do this they would have to
continue paying 40 month indehnitely
or, as further alternative, they would
be dismissed, as Mr.. Spiegelberg had e1-
When he saw Mr.. spiegelberg, pr;
Goldwater says. that gentleman denied
any knowledge o. 1920 hnr.ad det,e,t and nr nT-
Kunitzer to make any such proposition Tor
Mr. Spiegelberg said last evening, at his
summer home At a. EHeron hs1 ne sainsi mac
the mana cement Of the hospital by Drss
Cohn, Lichtscheim, Goldwater and Field
man, until he saw them in THE SUN yester-
day morning. He said that 4 they were
happened when the physicians who now
bring the charges, were themselves actively
connected with the management. More
over, he said they were among those upon
whose solicitation he had consented TO
take the presidency Of the board Of direc-
tors, with view to building up the institu-
ton and increasing its usefulness as a
charitable institution.
Mr.. Spiegelberg said that his motive in
joining the board was entirely pnilanthroplc
and that he was satisfied with the conduct
OF the hospital as well as with the progress
IL had made since he became connected with
it, He said that II the abuses complained
of existed It was strange they we're we're
Board of Charities, whose authorized rep
resentatives regularly inspected the place
"ls il the intention Of Meyer Guggenheim
to endow the institution and change It's name
to the Guggenheim Memorial Hospital?'
he was asked.
Not to my knowledge, was the reply. j,
From his conversation 1t was gathered
that Mr. Spiegelberg himself may endow
the hospital, but he evaded direct reply
when the subject was broached.
as far as he Knew nothing definite had been
done about endowing the hospital, The
members OF the Guggenhelm family had
made small contributions to it-something
like 500 each.
Dr.. Salo Cohn told Sun reporter last
evening that there had long been friction
in the medical board over the manner IN
which the institution was being conducted
He said that he and Or. Iichtschein had
demonstrated against certain abuses, and
that these remonstranoes were not taken In
good part by the other members OF the
board
The first notification he had that there
was trouble brewing for him, DR.: Cohn
said, was July when Or. Michailowsky
called him up on the telephone and
informed him that the board wanted his
resignation. He refused either to tender
his resignation or to receive any CON-
munication on the subject unless it was
put in writing The formal charges fol-
lowed He said they were received on 9
Friday evening and that he was cited tc
appear on the following Monday. In the
mean time the other three physicians who
were removed had also been served with
charges and ordered to appear at the same
time to answer them.
The next morning they consulted a law
yer and upon his advice demanded NOR
time in which to formulate their answer'
and also that the charges be made more
specific As DR.. Cohn remembered II
the main charge against him was acting
toward the hospital in a way that was no
for its best interests. He said he did no
know what this meant unless 1t was that h,
had demanded that the institution shoult
be conducted in an intelligent. orderly ant
lawful manner.
The charges against him were brough
by DR.. Miohailowsky against DR.. Gold
water by DR.. Isaac Levin, against DR..
| Iichtschein by DR.. Marx and against DR.