The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-02-28
(Hi FITH< tT NtTIEtW ~.
Idinac, Commissioners say vhc> We're
4 on, inccd OF the Truth OF the Charges.

ALBANY. Feb - Harry X Thaw's
letter which II was announced from
Ma;teawan that Ihaw had sen TO Albany
reached Gov Din a the Executive Cham
b-r rn-nigh' The l",'er has 20 do with
Thaw'- alleged know ledge of cruelti.s,
prsctised on inmates 10y attendants al
MatteRwau The letter was turned over
to William Church Osborn. legal adviser
TO tha Gov ernor, who * conducting for
N. Governor. with Navor Van Kennen.
the int - ea'ion of state department
Members OF the state Lunacy Commis-
sion had a conference with Goy Dix to-
day aud gave him a preliminary r.pur
rs 10 their in, --'iGatluu Inlo IA" clarg"s
of alleged cruel,ies prac'ls"d on iuma eS
at Malt-awan Tn. commission will
see the Governor again Wednesday i
IL said ina, III their preliminary report
the commission -aN ,raf they had found
sufficient evidence Ia convince them of
thatruth OF IN. charges agaInst attendant
William Mcdonald of cruelt!eS and harsh
hess toward inmates lhe commits
sioners have adv ICED pr Lamb super
in'-nden, of Mat teawan, to discharge
Mcdonald forthwith Mcdonald. it Is
SAID. was not concerned III the alleged
brutality practised on John ! Nugenj,
the Matteawan patient who died a. tn.
| hospital on February
As To the Nug.nt case tn. commits
sioner- reported to the Governor that
the Investigation when they had begun
had been post poned until after the Dis
J trCt Attorney of Dutchess county shall
hav. completed his inquiry into the cir
Cufnstances surrounding IN" case.
DR. Aiber, ". Ferris. president Of the
lunacy commission, who was present
at the second autopsy on Nugent = body
! ,..l k..f Laf . h..
opinion Of the physicians that the con
dition of Nugent' heart was such that
violent exercise or struggle might have
caused death.
PorGHKEEPsIE, Feb. -. Joseph Seery.
patient al the Matteawan State Hospital
| for the Criminal Insane. IN statement
made here to-day to Assistant District
Attorney Edward A. Conger, said that
he saw George Galbraith. an attendant
strike John F.. Nugent, the patient whose
! lifeless body was found on the floor OF
! his room in the asylum on the morning
Of Friday. February 3.
! Hezekiah kowels another patient
| having said week ago that Saery saw
| Nugent killed for which Daniel Riley.
an attendant, is now out on 81 600 bail.
: charged by George Galbraith with hav-
! ing choked and -hoofed" Nugent. Seery
/ said III hI, statement:
"On Thursday evening about ten
minutes after | saw George Galbraith
| Daniel Riley and Edward Masten attend
ants, struggling with John +. Nugent.
They were taking him Upstairs. fol-
lowed behind Riley. held Nugent around
the waist and Masten held him by the
arms. Near the top Of the stairs | saw
Galbraith punch Sugent in the stomach.
Nugent granted and was all in. Then
they took him to his room.
This story is in contradiction Of the
story told by GGlbraith last Saturday
night. in which Galbraith gave testi-
lnony on which Daniel Riley was arrested
Much importance is attached to Seery &
insistence that the beating Of NuRsn'
took place On Wednesday. February /
whereas the story Of Galbraith is thar
Riley did the beating on Thursday
February .. Nugcnts lifeless body being
! Found LriIa,, ypnrpipu Eahr,,arv