Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-08
Relatives of Woman Patient De,
clare They Were Notified
She Was Dead.
UNDERTAKEN CALLS TO
FIND MISTAKE WAS MADE
Freeholders Express Amazement
at Latest Revelation of
Lax Methods.

Va enei eViucncc lnat the reports OF |
the Overlook Asylum for the Insane
are in bad condition is furnished by
Edward L. Brown, of 1873 Dodd street,
East Orange, in an affidavit sent to
County Supervisor Fred L. Baldwin and
turned over by him to the hospital COM
mittee of the Board of Freeholders att
their meeting yesterday
Following so closely on the heels of
the Skeleton" mystery and the Bauer
case, the latest Developments have. to
use the expression made by men,
Der of the hospital committee, put US
entirely UP in the air.
Briefly stated, the latest hospital mix
up is as follows: On July 20 relatives Of
Mrs. Virginia E. Hogan, 63 years of
age, an inmate of the asylum since
May %, this year, received telegram
saying she was dead. Later the same
day another telegram, this one signed
by DIR. d. M. DILL reached the relatives
saying that mistake had been made
and that Mrs. Hogan was not dead
Between the time of the two kilograms
the relatives had made ARRANGEMENTS
for the funeral and had sent an under
taker to the asylum to claim the body
The facts in the case as related by
Mr.. Brown to the STAR today, and
which are embodied in the affidavit
presented to the Board of F-reehoiiers
hospital committee are as follows:
My sister, Mrs. Virginia E. Hogan,
was sent to the old South Orange ave-
nue. asylum on May %, this year. She
was sent there by request of her son,
Russell Hogan. who lives in Living
stone. and myself and brother knew
nothing of the matter until she was in
the asylum.
MY first visit to the asylum was
three weeks after she had been placed
there, and also visited her three times
prior to July 4. On July 4, in company
with my brother, I again visited the
hospital, but was refused admission.
asked DR.. Stiles why we could not
see her and he informed us that Mrs.
Hogan was worse.
"On July 20 when an unsigned tele-
gram was sent saying Mrs. Hogan
died at Overlook Asylum this morn
ing. at once made arrangements
with Charles A. Keyler. of Bloomfield,
to look after the body. He sent his
wagon tosthe hospital, but on reaching
there was Informed there was no body
there for, him. He remained there an
hour and half. but could not locate
any body, so returned Later in the
day a telegram was received by me
signed by DIR. Daniel M. Dill, informing
a.. ots,4r L. L.. a
that Mrs. Hogan was not dead"
1t was a son of Charles A. Keyler.
the Bloomfield undertaken, who went
to Overbrook to get the body on July
30 He said today: "On July 2s l was
sent to Overlook to get the body of
Mrs. Hogan. On reaching there could
not find out anything about the body,
and after hunting around for long
while and asking a lot of people for
l finally found body in
the basement of the building with the
name Hogan. Caldwell on 1t.
when asked about that body was
told it was not the one was after and
that a mistake had been made in notify |
ing the relatives of Mrs. Hogan that she |
was dead"
Edward Brown also told of a mix up |
III tilc Pttii6 oil ahSO0 w hihi lOl tilC
Of his sister from South Or
ange avenue to Overlook during the
latter part of July
''I did not want my sister to have to
make the trip in the van with a lot of
other patients. I visited the asylum on
the Saturday before the removal was
made and asked DIR. Mccormick II
could remove my sister in an automo-
bile He said he would pe glad to have
me do so, and I made arrangements to
call him up on the following Wednes-
day and find out just when the removal
would. take place.
when called him up on Wednesday
] was informed that Mrs. Hogan had
beei moved to Overbrook the day be-
fore. DIR. Mccormick said he had for
gotten about my request to be allowed
TO move my sister"