New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-23
Raid Home of Mother
Who Had Defed
Health Officers.
SHE DENIES CHILD
HAS PARALYSIS.
Infant Taken to Hospital
Despite Protests of
Angry Neighbors.

Il took three doctors Of the Queens
Health Department and six policemen
to get a baby away from his mother
and aunt yesterday. Last night Robert
Anderson, nineteen months old, slum-
bered in the infantile paralysis ward
of the greensboro Hospital for Con-
tagious Diseases. Mrs. Anton Ander-
son, of $50 New York Avenue, Jamaica,
did not sleep. Slumber does not come
easily 10 a woman whose house has
been raided by the police and whose
baby has been snatched from her arms.
The Health Department wanted Rob-
ert because, it said, he had infantile
paralysis. Three physicians Of Jamaica
had diagnosed the child's trouble as
malaria. That made no difference to
the Health Department. And, besides,
Mrs. Anderson on Thursday had
slammed the door in the face Of DR..
Joseph Cohen when he came with
policeman to take her child away. She
had threatened them with arrest for
breaking and entering if they tried to
come in.
Mother Asked to Apologize.
DR.. Cohen finally went away, ac-
knowledging defeat. Yesterday, the
mother says, DR.. Harry Schneider. a
physician living near her. came to her
home and told her that if she would
only apologize TO DR.. Simon Tannen-
baum, chief of the Health Centres in
Queens, everything would be smoothed
out, she could keep her child and moth
ing more would be said about the
matter.
But Mrs. Anderson was flushed with
her Thursdays victory.
81 told him." she said last night,
"that my baby didn't have infsntile
paralysis. Three doctors, all of them
in good standing, had told me that
Roberts trouble was malarial. | said
to DR.. Schneider that | had nothing to
apologize for"
SO DR.. Tsnnenbaum did not get hi.
apology. and he took party to the
woman's home and got her baby.
If the surgeons who directed the at
tack had not been guarded by police
rIen, they probably would have been
rcbbed. When il became known what
he'd happened, a crowd of Mrs. Ander-
sens neighbors surged about the am
bulance in which small Robert lay. pro-
testing his resentment at the top Of
his voice. For Robert had been play
irg with his mother, when he was
snatched from his crib and borne away.
He was telling all of the neIghborho bod,
not afflicted with deafness, that he did
not relish the trip.
Women Shout at Police.
The crowd. mostly women, some with
hands still damp from suds, others who
had been playing with their own babies
a moment before, milled about un-
easily and shouted uncomplimentary
things at six large and shame-faced po-
licemen.
Their work had been easy. if not
particularly pleasant. Miss Ruth john
son had been washing dishes in the
Anderson's kitchen. Above the clatter
of the crockery. the mothers voice
sounded now and again, mingling with
small Roberts ecstatic squeals. The
front door of the dwelling was still
Locked out of Difference for the police
nan who had been placed on guard
before the besieged dwelling, but the
back door was open.
Miss Johnson had opened il. She had
never thought of the danger Of this
until the shadow of a policeman fell
across her work. This is the way she
tells the story Of what followed.
when he saw | was alone, he blew
his whistle. A lot of other policemen
rushed in. DR.. Tannenbaum was with
them and two other physicians. lie
seemed very angry. | grabbed hold
of the first policeman and tried 20
push him back. He shook me off and
threatened 10 arrest me if | interfered.
Then they all rushed upstairs
Carries Child to Ambulance.
Mrs. Anderson stared at the invaders
as they entered. So did Robert, who
reached for his mothers hand and
clung tightly 10 il.
"One of them yelled at me that they
had a warrant and would take my
baby by force, if necessary" Mrs.
Anderson said last night. 81 never
saw the warrant, but Robert began 20
cry. SO just helped the nurse wrap
him up and carried him down to the
ambulance myself. | wanted to be
with him as long as I could"
She detached the grip of the baby
fingers when she laid him in the car.
Then she fed back into the house.
Robert was crying and the woman who
wouldn't apologize TO DR.. Tannenbaum
was too proud to let him see her cry.
Don't let the baby CO." some one
in the crowd screamed as the bell
changed and the ambulance started off
The women hesitated and Robert was
gone. On the steps of the raided
house Miss Johnson stood looking af-
ter the car disappearing in the dis
tance. But the mother didn't look. She
knelt by the side OF the crib. She was
crying, but the Health Department
didn't see her.