New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-03
Decision of Appellate
Division Victory for
Mayor.
LATTER REVIEWS
IT'S SIGNIFICANCE
Father Farrell Says lie Is Not
Interested in Her
Discharge.

Mayor Mitchell won a decisive vic
tory yesterday when the Appellate Di-
vision of the Supreme Court decided
for the city in the case of Mrs. Mary
c. Dunphy. This woman's discharge
from the superintendency Of the Chill
dren's Hospital at Randal's Island
began the strife which eventually re-
suited in the overlapping investiga-
tion and the Mayors charge that GER
tain Catholics were trying to interfere
with the government Of the city.
The Appellate Division reversed the
order of Justice Erlanger in which he
granted an alternative writ of manda-
mus on the application Of Mrs. Dunphy
for reinstatement. This ends Mrs.
Dunphy's fight, in which she is said to
have been supported by powerful re
ligious and political interests. unless
her attorneys find way TO take the
case before the Court of Appeals.
Emory r. Buckner, who represented
her before the Appellate Division. de-
clared that such move was improb-
able.
Mayor Reviews Decisions Significance.
The Mayor issued a statement yes
terday afternoon commenting on the
decision and disclosing several inter
esting incidents in the fight by GER
tain interests to force the city TO re-
tain Mrs. Dunphy He particularly
named Father Farrell, the Rev. Mr..
Potter and Robert w. Hebberd, all of
whom he attacked before the Thompson
committee several days ago.
The decision of the Appellate Dr.
vision, just rendered, sustaining the
Commissioner of Charities in his dis
missal Of Mrs Dunphy as superin-
tendent of Randsll's Island, confirms
and emphasizes one of the points
made in my testimony before the
Thompson committee in describing the
conspiracy which has existed TO OBJ
struct the proper administration of the
Department of Charities" he said.
This case has an important bearing
upon the attempt 10 introduce an I'M
proper religious influence into the ad-
ministration of the Department of
Public Charities.
Children Will Be Benefited.
"This decision Of the Appellate Di-
vision will now make it possible for US
to proceed to improve the conditions
affecting the welfare of the two thou
sand helpless children on Randall's ISL
and-conditions which had been per
mitted to grow up through twenty-five
years of neglect. indifference and sd-
ministrative inefficiency."
Father William b. Farrell refused
last night to answer the Mayors state
ment in detail, but concerning the as
sertions relating to himself he said:
"They are so utterly untrue that |
wish to take them up one by one to
brand them as false. The entire recital
il untrue.
81 never met Mrs. Dunphy in my life,
was not interested in her case and am
not interested in its outcome. |
wouldn't know the woman if were to
meet her. Besides, she was in charge
of public, not a private, institution"
Mrs. Dunphy's removal was ordered
by Commissioner John A. Kingsbury on
May %, 1915, on charges of mismanage-
ment and neglect. She had been in the
department for forty-seven years, and
had for nearly half that time success
fully resisted numerous efforts to have
her dismissed. She was head Of the
Randall's Island institutions for
twenty-five years, her hold on the place
being attributed TO her strong political
and religious affiliations.