The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-11-20
Bones Found in Asylum
Believed to Be Those
Of big Tina
WOMAN MYSTERIOUSLY
DISAPPEARED in 1891
Refusal of Superintendent Dill
to Produce Records Makes
Identification Incomplete.

That the skeleton found in the South
Orange avenue insane asylum may be
that of big Tina" patient who
.mysteriously disappeared many years
ago. and who, so far as can be learned.
never was found, was disclosed by In
vestigatioH made today. AS DR.. Daniel
M. Dill has refused to show the asy-
lum records until they are produced in
the grand jury room, a record of the
case of this woman cannot be he'd
until that time.
big Tina" who was considered a
harmless patient, In February, 1891,
was working in the laundry OF the
asylum. At night, when Miss Harvey,
who had charge of the ward in which
big Tina was confined, Went. to
look for her charge she was nowhere
to be found. After every section Of
the building had been searched to no
avail a general police alarm was sent
out for the missing patient. So far as
can be learned she never was found.
An effort was made to reach Miss
Harvey at the Overbrook asylum to-
day. 1t was said at the asylum that 1t
was "her day out" DIR. L. S. Hinclley,
who was superintendent of the asylum
at the time it is said that big Tina"
disappeared, when seen at his office
today said:
ut seems to me 1 do recall the case
of big Tina At the same time will
not be sure. The only way that /
could be positive !. uid be- py. reference
to ray records. Those 4 cannot get at
this time. They are in charge OF Dr..
Dill at the asylum
would it be possible for woman
patient to get into the attic in your
timer" DR.. Hinckley was asked.
ut might have been possible" said
he. "Women working in the laundry
would find 1t an easy matter to get
from the laundry to the main hall, and
in that manner gain access to the attic
1t would be easy to get from the attic
to where the body was found.
zone thing that I would like to
know continued DR.. Hinclley, "and
that is whether or not blue parlor
match was found alongside the body
If this be true, / think you will find
that there were no blue parlor matches
until 1902. When l was in charge Of
the asylum the card system was in
vogue. in addition to the other records
and it was impossible for a patient TO
be missed without a record being kept
All of these records I have turned over
TO DR.. Dill He can give them up II
he likes"
It is said that in the days OF Dr.
sainckley the patients, particularly the
mild ones, had great deal more ND
Artv than they have today. 1t also IS
told that 1t was frequent occurrence
for some of the patients to hide from
the nurses when the time came for
flights out" in the grim building.
1t is said that frequently the nurses
would have to organize seaching
parties through the different floors to
get some patient, not necessarily re-
fractory, but who seemed to love TO
play .hide. and seek" with the nurses.
Invariably the missing patient would
be found in some out f-the-way nook
or Granny of the old building. The
night that big Tina" disappeared,
so the story goes, every part of the
building was searched, in vain. And
after the search had been continued the
following day and no trace of the pa
tient found. the police were notified and
a general alarm sent out.
It is now believed that while the
skeleton will never be positively identi-
fed. an idea may be had of whose II
might be While Dr. Dill has refused
TO allow newspaper men to inspect the
records of the insane asylum, Prose-
cutor WILDER A Mott has got busy on
the case and has ordered grand jury
investigation.
Or. Dill will be compelled to show
the records of his predecessors. mas
much as DIR. Hinckley has declared
that he kept double record of all the
cases in his time, the record OF miss
ing" women patients will be laid bare,
and 1t Is hoped from these records to
get the first real clue as to the identity
OF the woman whose skeleton was
found.
DR.. Dill is reported as having de-
clared that in the last four or five
years he had personally begun a record
OF "disappearances' or escapes" but
that prior to that time no record was
kept. Dr. Hinckley vehemently pro-
claims that he kept a record which
would clearly show any missing
patients and that these records now
are or should be in the possession Of
DR. Dill
While Dr.. Dill appears anxious that
the impression go broadcast that the
skeleton is that of woman who died
twenty years ago medical men and
others who have interested themselves
in the case declare that it might be
that OF woman who met her death as
recent as two years ago. This would
bring It within the time of DR.. Dill's
management of the institution.
Prosecutor Mott said today that the
hospital authorities will be compelled