New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-12
PARENTS PAY
TO HALT WHIP
AT RANDALL'S
Attendants EXtOrt Graft
by Threats to Beat
Children, Is Charge.
ST AND So A WEEK
SAVES LITTLE ONES
More Witnesses Called in Death
Case-Defiant Nurse Gives
Testimony.

Evidence of grating from parents
and other relatives of the unfortunate
inmates OF the New York City Chill
drens Hospital ana Scnooi on Ran
de rs Island by minor employees Of the
institution Is in the hands of Commits
sIoncr KngsDury Of the Department
Of Charities. The Commissioner has
the affidavits OF the parents of several
Of the demcnted children stating that
unless they remembered" certain at
PENDANTS on their weekly calls al the
hospital their children were beaten
and otherwise maltrested.
The Commissioner was not prepared
10 give out the details Of the athdsvIts
yesterday. as he feared il might preju-
dice the investigation Of the cases in
hand. Il is understood, however. thai
the price paid by parents under threat
of matreatment of the patients ranged
from 81 20 81 week in different in
stances. Parents VINO could not afford
10 pay the price. or refused to be held
up by the attendants. are said 10 have
stated that the physical evidence Of
beatings of the helpless inmates was
seen by them.
Deputy Assistant District Attorney
Toilette and Inspector Dinwiddie, Of
the Charities Department. continued
TIL investigation yesterday into the
death of Barney Feoney, the, patient
who died last May as the alleged re
suit OF a beating at the hands Of an
orderly OF the institution. Mr.. Toilette
examined several more witnesses at the
institution yesterday.
Miss Rosanna Harrington, a nurse at
the Randall's Island institution. who
refused 10 answer the questions of the
Deputy Assistant District Attorney and
Mr.. Dinwiddie on Wednesday, was sus-
pended yesterday by Commissioner
for insubordination. Later
in the day she called at the commits
soners Office and declared she was
ready 10 talk II was said she told OF
seeing the body Of the patient. Fecney.
shortly after he died, and that Is was
covered with bruises.
Other suspensions Of employees OF the
hospital are expected to-day or TO-
morrow.
Commissioner Kingsbury granted an
yesterday OF the hearing
on the charges preferred against Mrs
Mary c. Dunphy, superintendent OF the
RandalPs Island institution, until next
Thursday. The hearing had been set
for tomorrow. The adjournment was
asked by Elihu Root, jr., and Emory X.
Buckner. counsel for Mrs. Dunphy' VINO
said she was too i'll TO appear for sew
era days. Commissioner klngsoufy
refused Yesterday TO grant the request
Of counsel that they be permitted TO
represent Mrs. Dunphy at the hearing.
Wr. Root said he had visited Mrs.
Dunphy at Randall's Island Yesterday
4
She WAS sick in bed. he said.
az am convinced that the charges
against Mrs. Dunphy are the gravest
kind of Injustice" he said. "lf you
take some Of them literally, in the mar
row sense, they may appear 10 be true,
but they do not amount TO anything
and are not true when analysed fairly
in the broad sense
Mr.. Root said that he had talked
with doctors, nurses, attendants and
the chaplains at the institution. and
that he was convinced from their state
mcnts that conditions under Mrs. Dun
ply had been as good as could be OK
pccted
~ saw a lot of the children under
said the lawyer. But such
restraint is not harmful. 1t becomes
necessary with these demented chill
dren when they experience paroXysm
or a tantrum. Even such restraint IS
not resorted to without the permission
o. the doctors. After talking with some
of the patients, ] can easily conceive
how child would tell It's parents that
it had been beaten or mistreated.
They would answer Yes at one mo-
mcnt and no at the next moment TO
tho sa". question
He SAID he was astounded a. certain
things ne learned at the institution.
81 discovered" he asserted, that the
poorly paid helpers at the institution
are obtained from the municipal lodg-
ing house, and receive about $40
month for their services. What can
YOU expect from such a class Of help
ers? In my opinion Mrs. Dunphy for
the last twenty-five years has had tne
toughest kind Of job"