Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-05
WOMAN PATIENT
GIVES NEW CLUE
IN SKELETON CASE
Elizabeth Leahy Tells Freehold
ers She Worked with Catherine
Lindner in Asylum.
COMMITTEE IMPRESSED
BY CLEAR STATEMENT
Investigation Reveals Startling
Facts Concerning IntoxicatiOn
OF Employees in Institution.

Freeholder Theodore ID. Gottlieb said
today that the story told by Elizabeth
Leahy. known as Diamond Hinckley,"
patient at Overlook, that she worked
with Catherine Lindner in the laundry
in the old South Orange avenue asylum
strengthens the theory that the skelc-
ten is that of Mrs. Lindner, despite the
positive statements Of DIR. Daniel NJ.
Dill and others at the asylum that there
is no record OF patient by the name OF
Iindner
incidentally the Freeholders heard for.
the first time the story of a fire in the
asylum ON the night Of the graduation
exercises, June 80 last. DIR. John o.
CASTOR said that during the fire sew
eral of the attendants We're drunk and
smoking about the place, although
smoking is positively prohibited.
The story of Elizabeth Leahy came
out at the hearing of the freeholders'
Investigating committee late yesterday
afternoon. The hearing had dragged
along without anything tangible or
positive being adduced, when Freehol-
der Gottlieb asked the hospital authors
ties X there was such person as "Dia-
inond Hinckley." Told that there was.
he said that he had been informed that
she was IN ward 10 in the old South Or
ange avenue building at the time of the
alleged disappearance OF the Lindner
woman, and that he would like to see
her. a committee consisting OF: Free
holders Gottlieb and Ward and DR.. Peck
were then appointed to see and have
taiH with this patient.
They returned to the committee room
after three-quarters of an hour talk
with this woman. Freeholder Gottiieb
said that he thought 1t more than likely
that there was such q woman as Lind
ner.
ASescribed aIrs. LinlDer.
,rhe memory 81 Diamond Hinckley'
Mas very clear said DIR. Peck. when
lie returned to the committee room.
She remembered the names OF all the
doctors and nurses IN ward 10 in 1904,
when it was declared Mrs. Lindnet was
an inmate. also think that this
woman is fairly rational now. She de-
t Scitbtu Allc- llIoiSi SiItitdt W iiC
description furnished by Mrs. Hinkel.
She told us that she remembered Mrs.
Lindner as one Of her old friends in the
ward. and said that she worked with
her In the laundry.
Further than This the freeholders did
hot make much progress yesterday in
Clearing up the skeleton mystery.
when the committee got together
a af
trip to Morris Plains and said that
the Institution at overbyook had much
10 learn from the State asylum. Coun-
fy Counsel Mum then declared that
Nhiie there are many matters at the
county asylum which demanded in
yestigation, all others should be subor-
dinated to clearing up the skeleton
mystery.
The hospital committee will not rest
alntils every means is exhausted to fix
the responsibility for this matter" said
County Counsel Mum.
County Supervisor Baldwin said that
lie had talked with Chandler Riker,
counsel for Dr. Dill, and that in two
weeks Riker would be able to furnish
a list of all the patients that had been
in the asylum.
Fl6WS IN &'iu thbNAs
When Dr. Dill said that ward ply
siclans are responsible for patients
who might leave their wards, and was
asked to show some of the cards now
in use at Overlook he went to the
asylum and brought forth card
which he said he selected at random.
1t was that of Hugh d. Russell, who
died December 81, 1909 The card
- "a fro
fcrred from ward at South Orange
avenue to ward 16 at Overlook. 1t
developed that Russell died in ward 80
in Overbrook, although there was no
mention anywhere on the card of
ward so.
You have been here five months
now,@ said DR.. Peck, addressing DR..
Dill. why haven't you "a better
DR.. Dill replied that the building is
vet In an unfinished state and there is
much confusion. Ward 80 is in charge
of DR.. stiles. Ward 16 is in charge of
Or. Mccormick and, Mrs. Taylor and
her husband, who are nurses.
Mrs. Marshall. who has been in tie
asylum eighteen years, was very posi-
tive that there never was patient by
the name of Catherine Lindner. She
said that before she came there a
patient by. the name of Mrs. Schemfer
had mysteriously disappeared and
never had been found.
That there was a fire in the old South
Orange avenue asylum on June 30 last
at which several of the attendants were
intoxicated was brought to the atten-
ton OF the committee by Supervisor
Baldwin. DIR. John O. Castor, who was
in charge at the time of the fire. when
called, said:
sThe fire occurred in the clothes
room OF ward 4 on the night of the
graduation exercises, June 80 last.
Twelve or fourteen attendants, some
of them on duty. had been drinking
during the entertainment. could no.
tice the effects OF the liquor on them.
They left the hospital to get their
drinks and came back again to the
dance. They We're also smoking around
the place. although 1t is prohibited.
Some of the names ] remember are
tccntinucd ON second Page.)