New-York tribune., 1915-03-30
ILL AND ABSENT,
MRS. DUNPHY IS
ON TRIAL TO-DAY
Doctors Certificate Fails
to Halt Hearing Against
RandaII's Island Head.
HAS NO APPEAL,
COUNSEL ADMIT
Lawyers Plead Woman BE Per-
mitted to Retire After Life
Given to City.

Mrs. Mary c. Dunphy. superintendent
Of Randall's Island, against whom COM
missioner OF Charities Kingsbury as
n eferred charges, will not be present
,vhen Mr.. Kingsbury calls her case LOT
rial this morning. Instead Emory X.
Luckner. representing the accused su-
nerintendent, will present certllcate
f.om two physicians sitting that her
pbvgical condition make her appear
ance impossible, and ask a postpone
ment. .c.
Hero ia the physicians ccrtlllcate;
To Whom II May Concern:
This cortifies that at the request oil
h, phyaician. DR.. Michael {. O'brlen,
we nave. or March %, 1919, examined
,'rs. Mary {. Dunphy.
That We found her suffering; ah9ns
other things, from chronic Brlghts dls-
case. with marked high vascular Ten
sion and threatened cardiac failure (de-
compensatlon). .,, Ga,
enza, bronchitis. etc. is mainly respon-
sible for the eXacerbation OF ner con-
dition.
That her condition is such that she IS
rrfttod for work of any kind, and
mental and physical strain at present
would seriously jeopardlzc ter chances
Of recovery. =, .,..,,
rcs, for period Of at least four weeks.
Respectfully.
i. BNGNE, u. y.
MICHAEL c. O'BRltN, VI. d.
Narch %. 1918.
Then. according 70 the programme as
at present arranged, commissioner
Kings5ury viii go through the lormaI
motions OF presenting TO himself the
case he has prepared against the super
/ intenGent. She will not be permitted tc
examine witnesses through counsel nol
| TO present witnesses. he may, II sht
wishes. present any afidavits she may
| have. Commissioner Kingsbury at the
end Of the hearing, will be at liberty &c
dismiss her That he will do so is the
expectation o. Elihu Root. ir., her coun
sci. From that decision there is no ap'
peal in law.
Health Prevents Stay.
No question OF Mrs. Dunphy remain
ing in the employ OF the city is involved
; in the attempt being made to prevent
! Commissioner Kingsbury from remoy
| ing her from office. Her physical cohdl
/ tion is such that she would not be able
to continue much longe- If she wished
"The only question" said Mr. Buck
ner YESTERDAY. "is whether this woman
who has given fifty years of her life
New York City, shall be permitted tt
retire with her good name and the pen.
sion for which she has been paying. 10.
these ten years. or be kicked out with +
stain upon her name and tnat pension
which she thought she was providing
for in her old age denied her.
"Her only appeal is TO the bar Of
public opinion said Elihu Root, lr.
who has charge of Mrs. Dunphy's de-
fence. "Mr. kingsbury will be quite
within his rights ard the Law. The Law
cannot provide for every contingency
.'Tf a committee OF newspaper men
or other citizens. would be permitted
to visit Randal's Island, talk to the
children and the doctors and investl-
gate conditions for themselves they
would report that the charges are un-
founded"
No such committee will. however, he
permitted on the island. Secretary
Howe. speaking for MIR. Kingsbury, yes
terday afternoon declared that abso-
lUtely no passes have been issued "a
Randall's Island since the Dunphy case
arose, and none will be issued until 1t
IS disposed of.
This" said Howe, "is a precaution
taken to keep newspaper men off the
island.
Newspaper Men Barred.
Commissioner Kingsbury later re-
peated that he would not allow " 0''''-