New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-28
ATTACK DOTY'S REGIME.
Investigation Of Health Officers
Department Opens.
CONDITIONS NOT SANITARY
Witnesses Also Tell Many Stores
of Alleged Abuse and
Indignities.

The first public hearing In the invest'sa-
ton Of the State Health Ohicer's Depart
ment at Hoffman Island and Quarantine
was opened yesterday before FORMER
Judge Charles A. Bulger. Of Oswego, IN inc
county court house. Or. Avah II. Dots'
Health Officer OF the Port. was not pres
ent but many Of his friends were there
together with numerous witnesses
Last spring complaints were made 70
Governor Hughes to the effect that steer
age passengers were not receiving the
same consideration at Quarantine as inc
first cabin or more wealthy passengers
that poor immigrants children were de-
tained in the hospital at Hoffman Island
q charge OF 81 day being made for the
care Of each child and 81 80 for adults
and that women waiting there for the'r
sick children to recover were put to WORK
around the hospital or other places. Tor
which service they were paid 30 cents
day. II was also said that the Health
Officer had an income of nearly $4,000
year from his management of the depart
ment
Friends Of DR.. Doty In the courtroom
g'SA'iudy uflpiu'idly ue'idl'h th"t wv ~
come from every source did not exceed
$4,000 a year and that because OF addi-
tional appropriations and economical man
agement Or. Doty had been enabled TO re-
turn some money to the state. These
friends of Or. Doty declared that there
was some politics behind the COM
plants against the Health officer.
Frank Barlow. former superintendent OF
Hoffman Island. testified that the steam
ship companies paid 81 for each adult de-
tanned In the hospital and 80 cents for each
child. Cabin passengers. he said. were re-
quired to pay 81 each. The witness also
told OF the crowded conditions in the island
hospitals and other buildings. One building,
which had accommodated seven hundred
storage passengers. was altered into offices
and scarlet fever wards. SO that only 10
patients could be provided for, and a
kitchen and dining rooms abolished that
provided for three hundred persons.
After DR.. Doty came. said Barton. the
accommodations had been reduced TO seven
hundred steerage and no cabin passengers.
Since that time a thousand immigrants had
been detained. q per cent Of whom had TO
be crowded in, two hundred women and
children being placed in quarters intended
for 1fty-two Water. he testified was
taken from artesian wells. but could not be
pumped in sufficient quantities to supply
all the needs Of the inmates.
Buildings Not Properly Fumisated.
When asked If persons were allowed to
leave the island without being fumigated
Barlow replied that generally their cloth
Ing was fumigated but the buildings were
no, always properly fumigated.
What kind OF bedding was provided for
the steeraee passengers" asked Charles
Dushkind counsel for the compliments in
the Investigation
They were each given two blankets and
a piece of canvas. the latter being spred
over the springs OF cots and hunks In
place Of mattresses: no pillows were pro-
vded for the majority there being only
two hundred pillows available" replied
Barlow. lie added he had known of cases
where four or five sick children had been
permitted 10 battle In the same water. and
mothers detained on the island and work
ing among sick children were allowed to
return and be with their own healthy chill
dren.
In reply to further questions he said ne
did not regard the chief medical offlcer on
the island. Dr. Hudson, as being kind and
humane enough 10 patients. and added:
zone of the mothers found lying uncon-
scious on a bed; she appeared to be dying.
told the chief medical officer who was
Iving down i'm his room. that the woman
needed immediate care, and his only an
swer was. Let the - lay there.
when did this occur queried Judge
Bulger.
Some day between Christmas ard New
Years 1909 and It was in December the
following year that I left"
What became Of that woman-did she
de-" asked tho attorney
NO; she had tainted only ana was re-
vived by another physician l got.
Mrs Freda Alexanderoffski, of No. 22s
East 10Th street. declared that she had
been insulted and assaulted while her child
was detained on Hoffman Island. Through
an interpreter she said in part:
II was put TO work scrubbing twelve
floors before they would let me see my
child. II | didn't do that work, they said,
they wouldn't let me sec my girl. worked
from a m. to p. m. When | was al
lowed TO see my little girl l tried 10 give
her a glass of milk, but the nurse threw
me out OF the room and tied my little girl
TO the crib with her nightsown."
Mrs. Eva Gevno. OF No. 635 Hendricks
street. Brooklyn. testified that she was de-
tained two weeks by the immigration au-
,horities. and during that period she was
unable to get soap. towels or accommoda-
bA a. y, tI,a i'm.
migrants were not properly fed nor treated
kindly.
Men Entered Women's Dormitory.
Mrs Gevno said she had seen men-en-
rloves on the island--enter the women :
dormitory and that when the women COM
planned Of their presence the men laughed
and threw water on them. When they
complained to those in charge or the order
lies they were told to shut up or all who
protested would be deported
DR.. John W Brannan. president OF the
board Of trustees OF Bellevue and Allied
Hospitals. was an interested listener AT the
hearing and intimated that he might later
appear as a witness in behalf OF DR.. Doty.
should " he necessary.
Jacob Cedar. Of No. 336 Broome street. an
undertaken. who once had monopoly OF
the undertaking business on Hoffman Isl
and. testified that when he went there TO
bury child on certain occasion he found
the child's mother weeping. and she told
him that her dead infant had been bathei
I'm cold water by the doctors and had
caught cold and expired.
When remonstrance was made 10 the
| physician about another case. Cedar said
he was told the physician replied: I'VE
are the doctors here and know what we
arn daipr 1, Was disclosed that DR. Dot \