New-York tribune., 1908-06-30
PHYSICIAN A SUICIDE
Throat Specialist Jumps from Roof
of Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Throwing himself headlong from the roof OF
Mt Sinai Hospital at Tooth street ana Maui
SON avenue. yesterday afternoon Or. Pete1 "
Burnett, well known throat specialist rVihs III
WILLIAMSBURG committed suicide. He was mentai-
ly deranged it is believed, by the excessive neat
and humidity of the day.
DR. Burnett. who had been in the institution
about one week a private patient and was
heinr treated for diabetes. according to the hos
pital authorities. The force of his fall was SUI
fcent 10 cause instant death, and almost every
bone in his body was broken
Dr. Burnett was about ffty-fve years old. un-
married. and lived with his widowed mother, Mrs
Elizabeth Burnett, at No. 1S2 Hewes erect Will
iamsburg. About month ago he was stricken
with severe attack of diabetes. and went to Mt
Sinai Hospital, where he treated by Dr.
Fluhrer. specialist.
On Sunday thinking that the patient was on
the road TO recovery the hospital authorities al
lowed the doctor to sit in the solarium, or sun
bath. on the roof six stories above the street
About three o'clock yesterday afternoon DR.. Bur
nett sitting in a chair close to the edge Of
the roof. He suddenly threw aside the paper he
reading, walked slowly to the ledge, and
gazing down into the street below for a moment.
took the fatal leap.
Information obtainabie by reporters at the hos
ptal was meagre. DR. Goldwater, the superin-
tendent. and DR.. Blum, the assistant superin-
tendent, wanted it to appear that Dr. Burnett had
not been patient at the Mount Sinai Hospital. but
that he a tramp who had found his way to
the roof from the street and then had fallen or
jumped off to his death.
He not patient here" said DIR. Godwater,
and in this he was corroborated by DIR. Blum. who
added that the dead man unknown to him.
After some deliberaton DR.. Blum told five or six
of the newspaper men present that 'he was a
tramp; he dressed like laborer. | think he
wandered in from the park
Asked as to whether ii the custom at Mount
Sinai Hospital to allow persons of that description
to roam at will through the buildings. DR.. Blum
impaired to the reporter the information that 1t
was nCne of his the reporter's) business. He then
retired to his ROOM banging the door with much
energy.
Finally, upon the arrival of Patroman Quinn, of
the East 104th street station. information to the
suicides identity obtained. 1t was at first de-
MED that his record was at hand, although Dr.
Burnett had had many patients in the institution
1t remained for Coroner hamburger to wrest the
full details from the reluctant hospital staff.
Coroner Hamburger expressed his feelings in no
quiet manner when he learned that the roof was
in charge of a attendant and that there
were no male orderlies IF there had been man
there to look for the patients this thing would
probab bly, have happened. he declared
DIR Burnett was one of best known special
lists In ear and nose diseases in Brooklyn. and
lived in d three story and basement broWnstohe
dwelling house at No. 49, Hewes street, Williams
burg He was connected with several hospitals
and was a member or several clubs. He was about
fftv-fye years old. and had lived in Williamsburg
something like sixteen years. He was associated
some years ago with Dr. Fluhrer, when both were
connected with Bellevue Hospital.
DR. Burnett d graduate of the medical de
partment OF New York University in 1876 His
birthplace in Connecticut and he was re-
porter and editor the staffs of The Hartford
Courant'' and The Danbury News.
He had built up practice in Williamsburg when
he became engaged to marry daughter of Ber-
nard Gallagher wealthy Williamsburg con-
tractor short time before the date set for the
wedding Miss Gallagher became i'll, and, although
the young doctor worked night and day to save
her, she died.
After serving several yeas in Bellevue Hospital
! he became identified with the Eastern District
HOSPITAL and was the consulting physician on all
ear and diseases About a month ago he
conceived the idea that he getting cancer on
the brain because his memory was becoming
faulty At st. GATHERINGS Hospital, where he went
for for diabetes he was relieved of this