Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-11
WOMAN SERIOUSLY
INJURED BY CAR
SQUABBLE OVER HOSPITAL
MAY BE FATAL
EyeWltnesses Of Accident Indignant
at Action Of Attending Physician
and Call Him Tool of
Railway

Mrs. A. C. Newton, a widow 27 years
Of age, living at 794 East Eighteenth
street, was seriously injured, and it is
thought probably fatally, by being
thrown from car No. 410 on the Central
avenue line at Twenty-seventh and
Central at 9 o'clock last night. She
suffered a fractured skull, was inter-
nally injured and had a deep cash cut
in her head above the right eye.
For more than an hour and half
the woman is said to have lain in a
house q short distance from where the
accident occurred without proper med
ical attendance, although two physi-
cians-Dr. Fairchild and DIR. w. l..
Brown-were on the scene. These two
men are said to have aided her slightly
but to have refused to do anything for
her in the form of an operation until
she was removed to hospital.
Demand Private Hospital
Soon after the accident occurred a
call for the patrol wagon was put in by
Patrolman Timmons, but when the
wagon arrived to take the woman to
the receiving hospital DR.. Brown said
that he had been instructed by the rail-
way company to refuse to allow the
woman to be taken to that hospital and
that he intended to obey instructions.
Brown did not say by what right he
or Dr. Fairchild took it upon them
selves to dictate what should be done
in a case where a woman's life was
at stake but calmly requested the
driver of the patrol to carry the woman
to a private hospital. This the driver
refused to do, informing the physicians
that his wagon was used to carry pa
tents to the receiving hospital only and
not as an ambulance for a private in
stitution.
According to the physicians the
woman was in serious condition. The
patrol was the only ambulance on the
scene at the time. Physicians were in
attendance at the receiving hospital,
prepared to give the patient any assist
ance she might need on her arrival, and
would have performed the operation if
necessary. In addition to this the re-
ceiving hospital is open to any physi-
clan at any time and DR.. Brown could
have performed the operation If he de-
sired. say the police.
Passenger Tells of Case
According to a passenger on the car
who assisted in carrying the injured
woman into the house of J. II. Stone,
2610 Central avenue, and who practi-
cally took charge of the case until the
physicians arrived, DIR. Browns con-
duct in handling the case left much to
be desired.
GAS soon as we had placed the woman
on bed I asked If there was a physi-
clan near and some one offered to go
for DR.. w. L. Brown who lived nearby.
In a few minutes this messenger re-
turned and said that Dr. Brown said
I. clio y1I ,@+
case. I then sent for DIR. Fairchild,
who lived q few blocks away, and he
came in few minutes. He was giving
first aid to the injured when DR.. Brown
hurried in and brushed Dr. Fairchild
aside. He called UP the street rail-
way company and asked if an ambu-
lance had been sent and was apparent
ly told no. Whoever he was talking
to evidently told him to take charge
of the case, as far as I could under
stand from the one-sided conVersa-
ton, but DR.. Fairchild was first on
the scene and had a prior right to the
case.
"The accident happened at $50
o'clock and by 1920 the police ambu-
lance was at the door. DR.. Brown
rushed out and said:
eff you will not take us to the Good
Samaritan hospital you might as well
go back
"The driver of the ambulance an
swered that he was only authorized
to take patients to the receiving hos
pital. Dr. Hutchison, the railway sur
geon, was on the ground by that time
and sent for Pierce Bros ambulance.
1t was II 80 before this ambulance ar
rived The woman was compelled to
lie on that bed for two hours before
any effort was made to remove her
to the hospital, although she could
have been at the receiving hospital in
half that time"
Denounce Physicians
According to eyewitnesses to the ac-
cident, Mrs. Newton had requested
conductor No. 1912, who was in charge
of the car, to stop at Twenty-seventh
street. He is said to have failed to do
so and when the car had passed about
one-third way up the block Mrs. New
ton walked to the back platform. The
car was running slowly and she is said
to have stepped on the lower STEP AS
she did so the car gave jerk and she
was thrown heavily to the pavement
Residents living near the scene of the
accident at once ran to her aid and
she was carried into nearby house.
After the police patrol had left the
scene a large crowd of citizens who
had gathered about the house where
Mrs. Newton lay expressed their opin-
ions of the two physicians who had
refused to allow the woman to be
moved in no uncertain terms. DR..
Brown was roundly scored by those
who had gathered and cries of "a street