The San Francisco call., 1910-04-14
SAILOR GIVEN
BRUTAL BLOWS
BY DIR. D. MOORE
Henry c. Dell, Nurse at Marine
Hospital, Testifies Against
Surgeon at His Trial
Other Witnesses Swear That
Body Had Abrasion Over Eye
and Lips Wounded


surgeon at the United States marine
hospital, who is said to have beaten
in an extremely brutal manner Mateo
Brezzinio, dying sailor under his
care, during the trial before United
States Commissioner Heacock yester-
day, when Henry C. Dell, the nurse on
duty, testified of the physician slap
ping and beating the face of the pa
tient as the latter was expiring.
Dell made numerous efforts to avoid
testifying in the case until the govern
ment ultimately found it necessary to
detain him as a witness and held him
in Alameda jail. The common expecta-
tion was that his testimony would
favor the accused physician, and there
was a distinct surprise when the de-
velopments were to the contrary, his
story being the strongest of any of the
witnesses against Moore.
BLOWS AROUSED NURSES
By the questioning of Attorney
Campbell, who represents Moore, it was
made evident that no denial would be
made of DR.. Moore slapping the dying
sailors face; but the defense will at
tempt to show that the slap was a
gentle one and for the purpose of
arousing Brezzinio out of a delirium
and bringing him to a normal mental
condition.
Dell testified that he went on duty
at midnight and that shortly after
ward DR.. Moore, wearing his slippers
and apparently just out of bed. en-
tered the ward where the dying sailor
was raving.
'Dr Moore was suffering from a
toothache" said Dell, "and asked me
to get him some ether. I went out of
the ward and when 1 returned 1 saw
him bending over Brezzinio's bed, slap
ping him. 1 saw him deliver one open
| handed blow with the full force of his
arm. DIR. Moore was trembling vio-
lently I have seen men in anger be-
fore, but never man in a greater rage
than Dr. Moore. His face was white
with passion. The noise of the blows
woke up the other nurses and some of
| the patients.
PATIENT SLAPPED AND CURSED
DIR. Moore then left the ward and
about three quarters of an hour later
| BreZzinio called for a drink of water
and asked for DR.. Moore. 1 called the
doctor up, as 1 could do nothing with
| the patient. When DR.. Moore entered
the ward he walked to the mans cot
and said:
You scoundrel what do you
mean by keeping me up all night?'
Then he slapped him, at the same
time telling the patient to answer his
| question. Brezzinio tried to do so, but
DIR. Moore would not let him, slapping
him about the face repeatedly. He
then ordered me to strap the patient
down.
Il put my fingers on the patients
pulse, but could not detect it's beating.
DR.. Moore, seeing the patients low
condition, called for stimulants and l
brought him some whisky. He tried
to pour some down Brezzinios throat
and told him to open his mouth. Brez-
| zinios mouth did not open, and DR..
Moore slapped him across the face
again, cursing him.
ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT DELL
Attorney Campbell made little effort
| to tear down De1ls testimony, but de-
voted his efforts to discrediting him as
| witness. He discovered that Dell
was born in New York city, while on
| his application papers to the hospital
| he said he was born in Buffalo. Dell
! explained this by declaring that
| though born in New York he was re-
| moved to Buffalo when baby and that
| in answering the question in his appli-
| cation he had made a careless mistake.
! At the conclusion of Dells testimony
| Campbell expressed wish to have him
retained in jail, saying that he would
| require him further,
II am seriously considering placing
criminal charges against DELL he said.
That does not warrant holding him
| in Jail until you make up your mind
answered United States Assistant At
torney Black, who represented the
prosecution. Dell was discharged.
BRUIsE ON DEAD MANS EYE
Scott A Ray, another nurse at the
hospital, testified to seeing abrasion
| over the dead mans right eye, and c.
! A Anderson. an undertaken, said that
when the body was placed in his care
| there was an abrasion over the right
! eye and that the lips were swollen and
wounded
J. II Nancy, nurse, testified to
Doctor Moore slapping Brezzinio the
night before the death, but described
| the blows as love taps and gentle
John Anderson, seaman patient de-
| clared that from his bed, not far from
where Brezzinio lay, he heard Doctor
! Moore call to the dying man to be
silent and saw him slap his face two
or three times. Following this. he
said, a screen was put around the bed
and he once again heard the sound of
| blows and the doctors voice telling
Brezzinio to keep quiet.
HEAVY BLOWS ON PATIENT
Axel Nynan. another patient. gave
/
! awakened by the noise of blows and
saw Doctor Moore slapping the diving
man. Nynan declared that Doctor
Moore used great force in delivering
! the. blows.
! Edward Williams, a hospital worker.
| testified that he was present at the
| autopsy made by Doctor Moore and
| that the dead mans face was bruised
and wounded.
Dr. NJ. j. Hoey, a fellow surgeon to
Doctor Moore at the hospital was put
on the stand by the government. hut
| proved to be a strong Witness for the
defense. He said that he was present
when the autopsy was made and no.
| ticed that the dead mans face was
bruised Regarding the discoloration
| of the lips, he attributed this to natu-
raj causes, saying that it was a com
mon occurrence in cases of long and
wasting illness.
The government rested its case in
the afternoon and the defense will he
gin putting in it's side next Mondav
until which time the trial was pnt
over.
RYINGTON EXONEPATEn