The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-06
.ROWD|ES MENACE
HOSPITAL WARDS
Patient Declares He Was Sub
jected to Indignities and Calls
for Protection.
CRITICISM FOR THE POLICE.
What Chief Werner and Miss
Van Wort Have to Say
About 1t.
CRITICISM FOR THE POLICE

Mr. Charles II. Jennings. now i'll in
the Memorial Hospital. stated last
night that he and others of the pa
GENTS had been subjected to indigni-
es on Friday night at the hands of
drunken rowdics, and that one of the
10 the window Of one of the rooms of
the ground floor and start 10 strike a
s.ok man in bed.
Nothing but luck. said Mr.. Jen-
nlngs, prevented 1t. 1t so happened
that the father of the young man was
II, the ROOM and was able TO protect
him"
Furthermore. Mr.. Jennings states
that these parties, four or FIVE in num-
her. terrorized the hospital for nearly
lolf an hour.
Il am Informed" he declared, that
this thing occurs frequently.
This statement was later confirmed
by another person in the hospital.
Not Serious, They Declare.
Both Chief of Police Werner and
Miss Van Wort. Superintendent of the
hospital. were communicated with. and
both declared that though there was
some rowdvism. the situation was not
as serious as Mr.. Jennings supposed.
Miss Van Wort stated that the police,
whom Mr.. Jennings was disposed to crit
icize. had been communicated with Inn
mediately after the occurrence and that
they promptly responded. From what
she says, II seems that a patient, hear
ing a drunken remark by one of the al
legged rowdies outside. replied. OF course.
10 1rinSan nll1a "a rpnly In
Then the nurse In charge became alarmed
and tecphoRed for the police. When the
latter arrived the drunken jewellers Were
gone. However, Mr. Jennings complained
OF the tardy arrivalo of the police. Not
withstnnding this, Miss Van Wort states
that the officers arrived very soon after
they were called. and she said further
that the hospital has never suffered from
lack of police protection.
Chief Werner, who was asked for a
statement, declared that five policemen
responded to the alarm, and that they
were very quick in arriving at the scene
of the disturbance.
What Mr.. Jennings Says.
In letter addressed to The Times
Dispatch, Mr.. Jennings says:
Memorial Hospital, May 4, 1907.
Editor OF The Times-Dlspntch,
Dear Sir,-What has become OF
the police force of the city. This
hospital fs being visited almost
every night by gang of toughS,
drinking. carousing, using the most
vile language possible, and this
morning ut $50 some rascal of one
of these nightly paradcs actually
came up to one of the windows on
the ground floor and started to
strike n patient In bed. Nothing
prevented this scOundrel from COM
hitting his dnstnrtily act. but, ns
good luck would have 1t, the faith
CIR of the young man sick Unopened
to be In the room and prevented it.
The police were finally gotten by
phone and came after the disturb
nncc was all over. 1 am sure II IA
policeman had been within II block,
or even two blocks of the hospital.
he cOuli have heard this trouble.
These parties last night, four or
five in number, terrOrizcd the en-
tire hospital force for nearly half
an hour. 1 am Informed by the
head chief nurse that this thing oc-
ours frequently, only the perform-
ancc this morning was the worst
SHE had ever experienced. The man
| actually trying to force entrance
through the doors and windows.
Surely IA place like this hospital,
with over 100 patients, with every
Kind and description of complaint,
ought to be protected by the police
force of the city. Wake them up,
Mr.. Editor. They need 1t badly.
Yours very truly.
CHARLES II. JENNINGS,
| Room No.