New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-19
DEMENTED GIRL
BLAMES BEDFORD
Flung on Bed by Six and
Dragged When Crying
in Fear, She Says.
DRENCHED IN WATER;
SENT TO MATTEAWAN
Florence Greenfield, Who Was
Prisoner Ten Years, Tells
Story at Inquiry.

Ten years ago Florence Greenfield
disappeared from her mothers nome
"A naughty cirl." her mother termed
her. Last November the mother found
her in Central Islip Hospital. supposed
10 he domentcd and so changed "a hard
~ TO be recognizable.
The girl. who married man named
Frcsco when she left home, and yet
had lived for a decade as FLORENCE
Hart" in the Tombs. RandalPs Island,
Bedford Reformatory, Matteawan ana
Central Islip Hospital, blamed her as
ability or the treatment received ~
Bedford, when she appeared ye~terdaL
before the investigating committee o.
the state Board e CharitIer. She was
brought in by her mother, Mrs. Millic
Greenfield.
lngainly m appearance, the Glrl
stood before Secretary Hebbard. took
the oath and wrote on pad the an
.wcrs 30 .hc que. tons he put to her.
II was IN a room in tho disciplinary
cottage when the water was thrown
over me-" she wrote. when ! was put
in the other room | was not sleeping
all that night. and somehow ! got ner-
vous aud ! asked the day matron 10
please change my room, as there is no
come out of a hospital. and ! would
like some air. She told me that she
cannot do II. as the other mitron that
has charge of the girls went away for
;hrce weeks.
Fights Six Matrons.
Then. about o'clock at night, the
door was locked up 20 go to sleep. got
nervous again and ! broke out crying.
When the night nurse came around !
beg her 20 come in the room, that
want TO talk to her. She said she nave
no time TO talk with the likes OF me
and she went away. That made me tee
worse and | gave out loud CRIES Sne
came to the door again and told me II
| don't stop my foolshness she VIII hN
me up in two minutes.
81 could not stop crying. Il was
about Q o'clock at night, and she sald
that she will not put up with me any
longer: that she will forst me TO stop.
About five minutes later the door
opens and I jumped out Of bed. ! see
sin matrons. They grab me and threw
me on the bed Then they stuck the
hyperdermic needle. Then they waited
for a few minutes TO see how 1t would
work on me. II got me more upset ana
CRYING out still louder. Then they got
at me again and threw about -FOUR or
five pals OF cold water on my head.
That was the end of me. ! did not
know where was until ! woke up al
Matteawau.'
The investigating committee devoted
most of the afternoon TO her charges,
taking the testimony of Mrs. Greenfield
and two inspectors sent TO find the rec
ords of the girls conduct
Take the Knife Away"
The inspectors. Miss Wade and Miss
Kautz. learned that the girl, under the
name Of Florence Hart, had been at
Bedford from March IL, 1908. 70 April
II, of the same year. and that she had
been sent to Matteawan as insane, with
no outward sign of phy.ical disability
except that she spoke incoherently. The
records at Matteawan show that she
was brought there in limp condition,
shouting: "Now, take the knife away.
Don't kill me, ] see the knife" Later
she was transferred to Central lslip.
Dr.. Moore. assistant superintendent
of Matteawan. said the girl should
never have been let out Of lslip. A
newspaper clipping, produced 20 prove
that the girl was violent in court when
sentenced to Bedford. showed that once
she could be described as looking
young and pretty"
The inspectors declared that hypo-
dermics were never resorted 10 at Bed
ford to quiet disciplinary cases; that
girls were never handcutfed TO the sides
of their beds except when likely to do
themselves physical harm. The hand
cuffs, they said, were soon 10 be re-
placed by straitjackets, and that
guards never handled the girls except
when their assistance was necessary.
One girl in the institution was said
TO have saved Sl3S 81.
James Wood, president of the re-
formatory. said:
This investigation has spent great
deal of time over twelve or fifteen of
the worst and most difficult cases Lit
tie attention has been given to the four
hundred or more well-behaved, happy,
contented, industrious girls, full o.
health and vigor. who give promise OF
making good when again they go out
into the world
The hearing will be continued at Bed
ford at 10 a. m. Saturday.