The San Francisco call., 1910-03-02

5LanoS OF Doctor Galway johnson has
r. recovered the use Of his arm. and with
IN . short time we expect to be able
TO defray the expense OF a similar
operation upon Paulson.
These facts show why we went to
see Doctor Gassaway an dthat we did
not attempt TO dictate the conduct of
the marine hospital
Not Charity Institution
Doctor Casa ways reference to the
= maintenance Of the marine hospital
= service as a useless expenditure of
money on dirty, disease infected
thugs" indicates his attitude toward
: sesfaring men. He knows well that
= seaman who becomes sick in the service
OF a vessel is entitled 10 care and cure
att the expense Of the vessel and that
The marine hospital is maintained not
as aneinstitution of charity but because
seamen are entitled TO it.
81 regret that the matter has come
TO public notice. because the service is
good institution for seamen, and most
Of the surgeons attached TO it are as
. efficient professionally as their col
lea guess5n civil life"
Elliso nalso quoted the cases of Nils
Frandson, John Peterson and John
Kraft. @seamen. as other instances
wherein the marine hospital has been
derenct in. its duty
Discussing the Brezzinio case yester-
day. H. Huntsman. secretary of the bay
and river .steamboatmens union to
WHICH the dead man belonged declared
that the demand for an investigation
Of the most thorough character would
be' pressed.
FIRST OBTAINED FACTS
The sworn statements on which an
Investigation of@the Brezzinio episode
was demanded said Huntsman. were
They We're made in the cause of de-
cency, humanity and justice. The Brez-
zinio case is not the only one concern
ing which we have received complaints
and we intend to demand the fullest in
Testigs ton
supporting the statements of Hunts
man and throwing new light on the
eYents preceding the death of Brezzinio.
were declarations made last night by
Harry g Dell the nurse who was in
attendance when Doctor Moore is al
legged to have assaulted the dying, man.
. i was reported yesterday that Dell had
deserted from the marine hospital serv-
ice and fled from the city. On the
contrary. DELL, learning that Doctor
= Gassawav had threatened to dismiss
him, decided to. resign and left the
hospital late Monday night after writ.
ing note conveying his intention to
Pharmacist Thomas. who was in charge
Of the attendants depa rtment. Dell re-
malned in the<city yesterday at a hotel
Last night he: said :c.<-.
II have not the slightest intention
Of running away intend to stay in
81 Francisco. and tell what [ know Of
the occurrences at the hospital.
1t has been asserted fay DR.. Gass-
away that there We're no o~dfscolorations
on the body Of Mateo Brezzinio. This
is not true. ] helped TO. carry the body
"a - n I
fiVely that the face was discolored. and
that there were cuts . nd gashes on
the face Of the dead man. Not only
did 7 see these bruises and injuries. but
other men saw the same wounds. Fur
thermore there was an argument at
tie inquest held over Brezznio's body
as 20 the cause Of death
INVESTIGATION JUSTIFIED
~ was present and witnessed what
took place prior to the death of Brez-
zinio. and patients in the ward a also
saw what happened. The affidavit of
Hoist was true in substance and effect,
and an Investigate tion by the authorities
VIII disclose all the facts.
Not only are the denan nds for an
Investigation by the friends Of seamen
mistreated at the hospital jusefed by
the facts in the Brezzinio case. but also
by the facts connected with the cases
Of other patients who have been in the
hospital. =:
What I know of these matters will
he told in fun to the proper authorities
I intend TO remain in San Francisco
despite Doctor Gassaway's assertion
that deserted from*the marine hospi-
tai service and his insinuation that
had run away"
While the Brezzinio case. which
brought 10 a climax*tlTe storm of dis
approval Of the administration Of the
"a h.c
of discussion, the general attitude of
Doctor Gassaway and his treatment OF
patients will be relied upon by the sea
mems unions TO secure recognition of
their demands for an Investigation.
Discussing the attitude of the com
manding officer of the hospital yester-
day, Walter Macarthur. editor of the
Coast Seamen's Journal. to whom Doc
tor Gassaway referred in sighting
terms, said yesterday
Il DO not care to reply to DR.. Gassa-
ways offensive statements regarding
Mr.. Ellison and myself We went out
there not to investigate but to talk
with Dr. Gassaway about complaints |
which had come to us concerning the
possible TO get an understanding as
TO the future proper treatment of pa |
tients.
TOLD TO GO TO WASHINGTON
after talking over the matter at
considerable length DR.. Gassaway |
bluntly told US to carry our complaint |
to Washington, and, if that was not
sufficient TO start an agitation We
assured the doctor that if we were COM
PEELED to do so we would take the mat
ter to his superiors and start an agi- 1
tation in accordance with our own
ideas as to the best mode OF procedure |
We also told DR.. GassaWay that we
could not assure him that the agita-
fion. once started, would cease when /
ever he might think il had gone far
enough. We told him that We would |
continue the agitation until we ac-
complished the object with which we |
set out.
I understand that Doctor Gassaway |
has in effect stated that the only rea- |
son why he would not recommend the |
abolition of the marine hospital service |
was that he was drawing a salary |
therefrOm and was too old to get into |
another *line of business. This state |
ment Of itself explains the cause of the |
III treatment accorded patients, since il |
signifies an absolute lack of those quail |
. ities that are essential to the efficiency
of any official entrusted with the care |
of disabled men.