The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-30
oroernins his knowledge Of silvers's

preceding and remained Inere Until Aloh-
day or Tuesday after the death. When I
came home l found on my table a report
made twenty-four hours after the death
of Silvers and that report stated that the
death was due to general paresis.
THE first l saw of DR.. Ward after the
death was on Tuesday. He did not call at
my house, but he came to my office for
the purpose of explaining to me why Mrs.
Silvers had not been notified of the serious
condition Of her husband. He took this
course because l was interested in the
case as Mrs. Silvers had worked for Mrs.
Vfoom n long time.
Two weeks before the death of Mr..
Silvers Mrs. Silvers asked Mrs. Vroom
to find out the condition of her husband.
Mrs. Vroom asked me to do this and l
communicated with DR.. Ward. DR.. Ward
said the patient was improving. l reported
this to Mrs. Vroom and she reported to
Mrs. Silvers.
Mrs. Silvers went to the hospital the
Wednesday before Silvers's death. and
said she was not satisfied with the con-
dition in which she found her husband.
When DIR. Ward came to me the Tuesday
after Silvers's death he wanted to ex-
plain why Mrs. Silvers was not notified.
It was in that connection that l said
the matter was deplorable, because Mrs.
Silvers was not notified.
II knew nothing of the Silvers matter
except that the man was dead. DIR. Ward
told me the bruises were such as would
have been caused by handling of the body,
because Of the peculiar condition of the
skin in cases Of persons who die of paresis.
Il knew Silvers was a troublesome pa
tent and that he constantly took off his
clothes and there was trouble in dress
ing him. This conversation is the whole
knowledge j had Of the matter"
Judge Vroom then sud he told all of
the details of the report of DR.. Ward TO
the board of managers. He said that at
that meeting, at which DR.. Ward made
his report, DR.. Ward said nothing that
would cause suspicion as to the death.
Judge Vroom also told of the Investigation
made by the medical committee Of the
board of managers as to Silvers's death.
He said the report of the committee was a
Confederation of DR.. Wards statement. anu
that the report was extremely gratifying
TO him as an officer of the State and presi-
dent of the managers.
Concerning DIR. Funkhauser's explanation
of the delay in reporting Silvers's death
to Mrs. Silvers, Judge Vroom said the
doctor said he accompanied DR.. Ward on
his rounds and was going to report after
he had finished that work. DR.. Funk
hauser was taken to task, said the wit
ness, for this delay.
In emphatic language the witness denied
DR.. Wards testimony concerning Slvers's
death In so far as the managers had
knowledge of any cause except a natural
one. He also said that at thg time of Sill
vers's death he advocated that If anything
was found to warrant suspicion the death
should be reported to the proper authori-
ties. The attendants. Singleton and Skin
ner. were dismissed because they failed to
report the death of Silvers as required by
the rules of the asylum.
Judge Vroom admitted that he had known
of the friction between DR.. Ward and
Warden Hayes for a long time and he
thought it was due to the change made
In the management of the asylum during
the administration of Governor Albeit
when the office Of warden was made dis
tinct.
When asked why DR.. Ward was not dis
missed some time ago Judge Vroom said
the managers were never able to find that
the differences between Ward and Hayes
resulted in official neglect. He considered
the difference personal rather than Of
fetal. He advocated the dual system of
administration at the asylum and expressed
his opinion that the institution can be
better administered with a medical d.
rector and warden than by a single head.
Judge Vroom also said that much of the
trouble between Ward and Hayes came
from Overstepping each others authority.
he thought that because DIR. Ward con-
fined his work strictly to the medical de-
partment several things were not done
which should have been done.
Concerning DIR. Wards testimony that
1t was not in his jurisdiction to close the
well which was contaminated Judge
vroom said he looked upon that stand as
%untenable. He was asked II he knew that
Frederick Friedman, supervisor of the
kitchens at the asylum, was hampered in
his work because of feeling between the
medical and business departments.
Judge Vroom said he made the rules
governing the service of food as the result
of the investigation several years ago.
"There have been no complaints of food
for a year and a half" he added.
Judge Vroom was asked when he first
knew of typhoid fever at the asylum. He
said DR.. Henry Mitchell first called his
attention to it in July. He knew the matt
ter was at once taken up by the proper
COMMITTEES Of the managers and vigorous
action was taken. DR.. Mitchell made sug-
gestions as to improvements of sanitary
conditions at a meeting of the board in
Mny, and his information Is that all of
the suggestions have been carried out.
Mr.. Backes asked Judge Vroom why
Warden HAYES was absent In the midst
of the typhoid epidemic, The Witness said
If he had known the condition at the hos
nital at the time Hayes left he would
not have consented to his going. He
also said that Hayes arranged to go to
Saratoga and had been given permission
to go. It was brought out that DIR. Will
lam c. Sandys left the hospital In the
midst OF the epidemic and while he had
charge Of most of the typhoid cases.
He said that on Thursday Sandys will
be called to account for the action. HE
sarot,4 n r,ax on The ~.truA ~ IaatI af hiG
mother-in-law; a remarkable excuse"
Discussing attendants Judge Vroom said
there is great difficulty in getting attend
ants because of the repulsive character
Of much of the work. They are wanderers
who go about from asylum TO asylum. He
expressed tho opinion that If more wages
were paid attendants better men could be
had.
Revefting to the typhoid-fever epidemic,
Judge Vroom was asked what he thought
Of the methods of cleaning the well by
Laundryman Clarity. and whether Gar
rity's boots contaminated the water. He
said he thought the theory that Clarity
contaminated the water was preposterous.
The witness was asked &c he knew of
violence having been done to patients of
the asylum. He replied that he never
heard OF such things. Except from Will
lam ]. Lee.
Mr.. Backes then took up the dietary,
and asked Judge Vroom whether the food
is not a little harsh for sick people. The
witness said probably SO.
al bov a. olwave understood fba naffanta