Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-21
SCAPEGOATFOR
BLUNDER At THE
CITY HOSPITAL
Michael Gougerty, Night Su-
perintendent. Blamed for Mrs.
O'DonneII's Hurried Burial.

The City Hospital committee of the
Board of Health found scapegoat in
its investigation yesterday of the
burial OF Mrs. Mary O'Donnell. aged
forty-one years. of 1877 Plane street,
City Hospital patient. in Potter's field.
without notification of her relatives
The burial occurred December 3. two
days after Mrs. O'DonnelI's death.
Before interment, an autopsy was per-
formed. without knowledge or consent
of relatives. The incident became
known December Is, through the
newspapers. The City Hospital COM
mittee gathering yesterday was spe-
ciai meeting. called by DR.. C. f. Web
ner. chairman, to attempt to fix the
responsibility.
+ The scapegoat is Michael Gougerty,
the night superintendent. a middle
aged employee, who has an excellent
record for diligence and efficiency All
efforts to discover the identity of the
person who failed to attempt to locate
relatives at any other address, when
there proved to be none at the one the
1urse understood Mrs. O'Donnell to
give when she entered the hospital,
We're fruitless. After questioning
number of witnesses, the committee
found it had nothing but denials or
.evasions of responsibility, and was up
against a blank wall. A seventeen
year-old office boy, Abraham LeflSo-
witz, who played one of the leading
roles. was no longer in the hospitals
employ, it developed. He appeared as
lu witness and both he and Superin-
tendent Charles T. Talbot said he had
been discharged December is. six days
after Mr.. Talbot learned Of the de
plorable mistake" and the day that
fhe papers published the story of Mrs.
O'Donnelfs burial.
When nearly two hours OF ques-
tioning had brought little information
not already printed in the press, the
committee decided on three actions:
"a DIR. Webner was instructed to rep
rimand Gougerty and Superintendent
Talbot, i2) Superintendent Talbot was
instructed to write a letter of apology
to Mrs. O'Donnell's son, John O'Don-
nell. of 2O7 Plane street, for the board
and for himself, (3) the issuance of
several orders calculated to eliminate
laxity from the hospital system.
Aside from that, the committee pinned
its faith to the investigation of the
institution, now being conducted by
Allen & McQuade. and ordered before
the O'Donnell incident developed.
The members believed the new system
to be installed by the accountants will
put the hospital on an efficient basis:
Mr.. Talbot got the first instalment of
his rebuke in the course of the meet
ing.
DR.. webner Calls" supt. Talbot.
"Despite that all the other records
have the right address, the inyestiga-
Ition was dropped when she proved
unknown at one address," DR.. Web
Iner asked him.
well, that boy" began Mr.. Talbot,
but he was cut off by Dr.. Webneri
who demanded sharply. Just mo-
ment, Mr. Talbot, is that boy respon-
sible for this City Hospital, or are
YOU? There's a laxity here, and it's
in your office"
The bare facts in the case are that
the receiving room nurse, Miss Lois
Zurich. got Mrs. O'Donnelfs address
at 10 Plane street, from the patient,
she said. on November %, the day
Mrs. O'Donneli entered the insutu-
tion. Mrs O'Donne1i was taken from
the home of her sister, Mrs. Anna
King, 1877 Plane sstreet, and the am
bulance slip said so.
Gougherty. who keeps the record
book of the institution, said he had
detected the discrepancy between the
two addresses and had crossed 79 off
the admission slip and written 1877
above it. He said he neglected to
make the correction on the record
book. which he had filled out before
discovering the error After the pa
tient, a sufferer from cancer of the
face. had died, Abraham Lefkowitz.
the office boy, took the record book
address. 70 Plane street. filled out
form telegram and sent it by Western
Union. Western Union reported back
that the person was unknown at the
address given and from then son the
body's progress to potter's field was
expeditions. :,
So the hospital committee, when all
this had been pieced together from
the testimony of a dozen witnesses,
decided there were two culprits on
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