The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-20

named by the board at It's meeting
two weeks ago to carry on an in
quiry into the numerous complaints
the board had received
Report to State Board Thursday.
DR.. j. r. Mastin. secretary OF the
state board yesterday morning issued
call for a meeting OF the body at
10 o'clock Thursday morning. at
which time the subcommittee re-
port will be made. IT is understood
that this committee will make rather
startling disclosures as to the con-
duct of the Maternity hospital, and
conditions obtaining therein,
The Pinkerton agency which has
had its operatives working quietly on
the case for several weeks, and the
detective bureau of the Richmond po-
lice department watch was put TO
work on the case more recently. are
cooperating with the State Board OF
Charities and Corrections in the eff
fort to develop the real state OF at
fairs at the hospital.
Detective Sergeants wiley and
Bailey were assigned by Captain Nc
Mahon yesterday to the case in con-
nection with the inquiry being made
NV the state board, They spent some
time at the office OF Or. Mastin IN
the Library building Before the
visit to the hospital was made by the
/ federal. city and private officers con-
4 su+tation was had with Or: Mastin.
The federal officers had sufficiently
developed their end of the case to
make the seizure Of the drugs and
the conference ended with the de-
parture of the officers on their raid
So quietly had the investigation been
carried on that no difficulty was en-
countered by the officers when the
/ hospital was visited and the drugs
demanded.
Questioned AS 10 Drugs Use.
Those making the raid included
/ Special Agent s. r. Brame of the
! internal revenue bureau. and Chief
! Deputy Thomas r Meaney, of Col
/ lector r. c. l. Moncure's ONCE: gu
( perintendent !. w. Erb. OF the Pink
erton agency here. and Detective Ser
geants Wiley and Bailey. of the Rich
! mond police department.
Mrs. Bragg, superintendent of the
hospital was in a. highly nervous
condition when the officers appeared
at the institution. She was questioned
/ there, it is said, az to the methods
she Is reported to have used In the
administration of certain drugs to
babies horn in the hospital, but be-
cause OF her nervous state physician
was called to attend her and the ques-
tioning was abandoned temporarily.
similar questioning was undergone by
Mr. Bragg ut tho Federal building.
where the morphine and the hypo-
dermic instruments were held as evil
dence,
The drugs were secured from sew
eral Richmond druggists whose
names the internal revenue agents did
not announce. The inquiry now being
conducted bv the bureau is said to be
along lines that will show whether or
not the Harrison act has been vio-
lated by the hospital. which is reg
istered under the provisions Of the
act and under the registration is en-
titled to the use OF the drugs In con-
formity with the law -as
Grave Charges Probate.
With the rumors an to the condi-
tons surrounding the babies born at
the hospital and as to their physical
state the internal reventie bureau Is
not directly concerned. The bureaus
work will be to establish whether or
not tho Harrison act has been vio-
lated.
/ The state board OF charities and
! Corrections. the Richmond police and
he Pinkertons who are employed by
! private citizens are Interested In the
| probe as to the conduct OF the insti-
tuition and the welfare OF it's patients,
/ both adult and infant The several
agencies now engaged in the inquiry,
! look for early developments, and
/ grave charges may he made against
| the management of the hospital even
+, before the state board of charities
I end corrections meets Thursday
| morning 10 hear the report of it's
committee. This report will be sup
plemented ny those of the Richmond
police and the Pinkerton operatives,
! il is expected
/ Those. who made complaints against
the institution and it's conduct during
recent months prefer to remain in the
/ background, leaving the handling of
the case. with the state board and
| agencies cooperating with 1t.
! Certain OF the complaints. u was