New-York tribune., 1917-07-25
Haiselden Letting
More Detectives
Die Without Aid
Two Chicago Babies Are
Awaiting Fate of the
Meter Child
fBy Telegraph to The rrtbunel

Chicago, July 24.-Baby Meter, sem
fenced to death by DR.. Harry ]. Haiscl-
den because Of physical and mental in
frmities, died this afternoon, just
twenty-four hours after it was born.
An investigation was started at once
by the Health Commissioner. despite
an announcement by States Attorney
Hoyne that there was nothing criminal
in DR.. Haiselden's action.
Certainly, from all | can learn of
the case, there is no basis for prosecu-
tion," Hoyne said.
In the afternoon before the baby's
death DR.. John Dill Robertson, Health
Commissioner, sent detectives to the
German American Hospital. They met
DR.. Haiselden and were assured every
thing possible was being done for the
Meter baby.
1t was learned two other babies were
being permitted to die. The informa-
tion came from DR.. Haiselden himself.
There are two other hopeless babins
under my treatment, ard they, too, are
being permitted to die. suppose the
authorities would raise a great dis
turbance If they knew | had three
cases in all.
Baby Didn't Suffer
"But, as with the Meter baby, there
is no suffering. The Meter baby was
brought to me from West Pullman yes
terday, few hours after it was born.
It's father is a mechanic, less than
twenty-one years old. Its mother is
twenty years old. It's grandmother
who, by the way, became mother just
eleven days ago-is the mother Of
twelve children, only one of whom is
dead.
when l saw the baby / knew it had
lived too long already.
THE brain was extremely small and
there was no normal skull formation.
The head rested on the shoulders aud
there was practically no neck. There
were other deformities.
"The case was absolutely hopeless.
The life could have been saved-but
what a life it would have been! The
child would have grown into a hopeless
idiot. 1t would have been a burden to
its parents and the state.
81 performed a slight operation TO
stop certain bleeding. Then called in
a committee of doctors. All but one
agreed with me. The parents already
had given me permission to do what /
thought best.
80 | simply went over the slight
operation had performed and the baby
was as she was brought to me. Its
death was only matter of few hours
and there was no suffering.
Mother Suffered Fright
incidentally, it is interesting to
know the baby's condition may have
been the result of fright suffered by
the mother before the baby was born.
Half year before the little one came
into the world the mother witnessed a
frightful accident, in which a man was
mutilated.
"But this is incidental. II may in
terest those physicians who have held
this sort of thing impossible.
"The first of the other babies is five
months old. IL was brought here a.
month ago, paralyzed and with the head
ircurably affected.
"By operating could have prolonged
life for a year or So anyway, for a
lumber of months. But such things
are a strain on the family and eventual
ly would be a strain on the state. So
did not operate. explained TO the par
ents, and they are willing to wait for
death.
"The third baby is three months old
The head is misshapen and defective
and there is malady that makes
breathing an agony. | am prescribing
enough paragoric to keep It drugged
until death ends its suffering.
"ln doing this | feel am doing the
greatest service to humanity. II is
better than experimenting with a knif,
for my own satisfaction"
These cases recall the nationwide
controversy aroused more than a year
ago, When Or. Hsiselden permitted the
Bollinger baby to die. though n slight
and not unusual operation would have
saved its life. DR.. Haiselden informed
its parents, however, that the infant
would be a hopeless mental defective
if it lived, and they consented TO let
it 60.