Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1909-12-31
GRAND JURY CALLS
FREEHOLDERS IN
SKELETON PROBE
Conference, Held Behind Closed
Doors, Indicates Thorough In
vestigatiOn Is Going On.

That the current grand jury will thor
oughly probe the mystery of the skeIe-
ton found in the South Orange avenue
insane asylum and that it will con-
tinue where its predecessors left off
was shown today, when the county Off
cials connected with the Board of Free
holders spent some time with the busi-
ness committee of the jury.
Benjamin Haskell, of Bloomfield,
chairman of the hospital committee;
Wallace Ougheltree, director Of the
board. and Frederick L. Baldwin,
county supervisor, conferred with the
committee. None of them would say
what had been done behind the closed
doors and refused point-blank to dis
cuss the matter.
The hospital committee of the board.
which Is conducting an investigation
into the records at Overlook, will meet
at Overbrook on next Tuesday.
Freeholder Haskell, Freeholder Theo-
dore Gottlieb and Dr. Daniel NJ Dill
| the hospital superintendent, journeyed
| to Morris Plains yesterday and inspect
ed the record system at the State Hos
pital. The trip resulted in the adoption
by the county authorities of many sys-
/ tciilS III use dl lie oldfG lHStilulloll, VI
which DR. Britton d. Evans. the super
intendent. is the originator.
| DR.. Dill and the freeholders agreed
that the business and medical records
of the Morris Plains asylum are kept
! in n far superior condition to those
| at Overlook Dr. Dill was favorably
impressed with the daily census plan,
as we'll as the ward blackboard
/ yad "a
/, with either of these in practise a con-
dition like the skeleton mystery could
never have arisen. The daily census
plan will be instituted by DR.. Dill at
| the Overbrook institution tomorrow
with the beginning of the new year.
There are 1850 patients and $50 en-
ployees at the State institution and
daily account of each individual is
kept in the records
The card system not only gives de-
tailed history of each case, but also
shows the date of transferring from one
ward to another. The record shows the
names Of the attendants as well as the
patients. and DR. Evans boasts that a
skeleton mystery would be impos-
| sible in his hospital. DR.. Evans is one
of The foremost alienists in the country
|
the circumstances surrounding the find
| ing of the charred skeleton in the
abandoned South Orange avenue hos
pital, and he expressed the opinion that
there was nothing to indicate murder,
and declared that he believed that the
patient had wandered in the attic
rafters and was burned TO death.
! Another observation that will be
adopted at Overlook will be the in
stallation of a punch clock" such as is
used at Morris Plains The clock costs
about $500. 1t registers data for the
night help and is considered of vital
Importance. The cross reference sys-
tenn at the State hospital is an elab-
crate and perfect one. 1t Will be copied
by the Overbrook officials as far as pos
sible. DIR. Evans explained the good
results he has accomplished with his
| two inspection nurses. one male and
one female These inspectors make un-
expected calls in the various wards and
detect many things that would other
wise be hidden.
/ An investigation into the entertain
ment fund in connection with the Es-
sex County Hospital for the Insane is
the latest Of the apparently never end
| ing series of sensations that have de-
veloped at Overlook. DR.. Daniel NJ.
Dill, the superintendent of the institu-
tion, is absolved from personal blame,
but it is charged that his subordinates
have mismanaged the fund.
The alleged discovery that the
moneys were being mismanaged was
made by Freeholder Christopher Ahner.
who claims to have evidence for the
grand jury as well as for the hospital
committee.
The hospital committee at its meet
! ing next Tuesday will consider the ad-
visibility of appointing a dietician.
The dietician at the State hospital is
given salary of $1,4oo a year, and
DR.. Evans says that he saves more than
ten times his salary in the eiimina-
tion of waste in the food. The free
holders and DR.. Dill admitted that the
food waste at Overlook was consid-
cradle.