The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-01-29
FASTER GIVES
AID IN FEEDING
Physicians Say Mrs. Byrne
Assisted i'm Inserting
Stomach Tube.
BUT SISTER DENIES 1T
Asserts Convict Was Strapped
to Bed and Was Fed Through
the Nose.
BUT SISTER DENIES 1T

Mrs. Ethel Byrne, a prisoner in the
workhouse for disseminating birth con-
troll information, was fed through tube
at noon yesterday and again last night.
and according to the physicians in
charge. DR.. w. Travers GLIB and DR..
James p. Hunt, her condition is satlsfac- |
tory after two days OF forcible feeding
following six days Of fasting.
I'VE fed Mrs Byrne at noon." said DR..
Hunt. I'VE placed q tube in her mouth
and she assisted US in manipulating 1t
TO the stomach. We did not feed her
through the nose although we are quite
prepared to use the nasal method IL that
should become necessary. II presents
10 more difficulty than the other method.
and neither is at all harmful There is
lot Of rot talked about forcible feeding,
anyway. Lots Of people have to take
nourishment through tube every day
and many clean their stomachs by the
tube method every day.
1--WE gave Mrs. Byrne a small quantity
OF eggs beaten into milk. We did not
give her brandy or strychnine to-day.
She has never been in coma. I should
utsCTlDt neT COUultiOn as eNCtltnl. Cue
lies upon the bed in her cell most OF the
time, but she gets UP often, walks about
and talks to the nurses and attendants.
She does not have much to say to me for
the reason, suppose. that she associates
my coming with the feeding process.
"No Cause for worry"
This afternoon her pulse. blood
pressure and respiration were normal
and her temperature was only slightly
eubnormal find her condition per-
. fectiy satisfactory. II may be neces-
sary to feed her again late tonight, but
! II so IL will be merely a matter Of rou-
| tine. l see no cause for anybody to
! worry over Mrs. Byrne's condition
On the other hand. Mrs Margaret San
ger. Mrs. Byrne's sister. who IL to be
! tried to-day in the Court Of Special Ses-
sions In Brooklyn on a charge Identical
| with that which put Mrs. Byrne In the
workhouse. asserts that her private re-
ports from Blackwelrs Island prison
| prove that Mrs. Byrne Is in a dangerous
, condition after being fed through the
nose and that instead Of assisting the
| physicians. she continues to resist and
must be strapped to the bed whenever food
bulletin issued by Correction Commits
| sioner Lewis, n bulletin which agreed
: with DIR. Hunts statement, Mrs. San
/ gers anger exploded.
How happy that person lone inferred
I that she alluded to Mr.. Lewisl would
| have been in the Middle Ages as warder
! OF a prison where torture was the chief
, recreation of officials. she flashed.
The man has a genius for falsehood az
well a. for cruelty. Listen to this.
Nrs g.n~er.s Alarming Report.
She darted to her desk, snatched from
! it a sheet Of paper and read the bulletin
she said she had received from person
In the workhouse who Is devoted to Mrs.
Byrne and to the birth control move
ment One gathered from Mrs.. Sanger's $
' apparent success in obtaining almus.
hourly news from the inside OF the
island prison that the Commissioner =
embargo has sprung leak.
Listen to this" said Mrs. Sanger
1T was my p. NJ. report and 1t is as
follows: Mrs. Byrne spent restless
! night. She suffers from pains in the
back and from shooting pains in the
eyes She is unable to speak. She re-
fused water by shake OF the head
Her temperature IL a7.2, pulse lO4 and
respiration 80. She breathes with diffi'
Guilty. At noon to-day she was splitting
blood. At midnight last night. A. NJ
to-day and at noon to-day she was
stra pped to her bed and food consisting
OF one ounce OF milk. egg and brand!
was forced through her rose into hel
stomach. Ihe physicians are yer! ap
. prehensve.'
lust pause n moment and think wha
is implied In that" said Mrs. Sanger
. who was weeping despite her anger
AS much as i love my sister l woult
almost rather she died than be com
, PEELED to undergo that torture Ant
! this is America. home of the free Thi
Is New York, where freedom OF speecl
. Ia supposed to be our dearest possession
Why. all the devils in hell would no
; treat a weak woman the way thos
creatures are treating my sister!
She Compares the Bulletins.
1T sickens me to read the unctuou
bulletins given out by this persol
Lewis Compare his +. NJ. statemen
. Of my sisters condition with mine"-an'
she read Commissioner Lewis's lates
bulletin:
".Mrs. Ethel Byrne was fed at l p. NJ
She voluntarily swallowed the stomac
' tube and was given one pint OF milh
/, two beaten eggs and a small quantit
i of brandy Her attitude was one o
5 general passivity. Her condition wa
4 as follows: Temperature. 81; pulse
sS; respiration, 10 blood pressure. 1922
, general physical condition. good gen
eral mental condition, good.
!. "I am not liar" continued Mr.:
: Sanger. land ! know how accurate IN
5 private reports are from the hospita
J. l leave II to the public to guess tn
truth"
4 Jonah CoIdstein. counsel for Mr.
. Byrne and Mrs. Sanger wrote a lette
TO Mayor Mitchell last night demand!n
tho right to see Mrs. Byrne or the righ
At least, OF Mrs. Sanger to see her. TIL
y lawyer says Mr.. Lewis "is hiding som,
thing"
says He Fears the Truth.
n ''He told me-" said Mr. Goldstei,
u that visitors must be barred from Mr.
o Byrne until her condition permits. Wei
10 n she 10 In . condition as satisfactor
y a. Lswiss Bulletins state II must /
safe BY this time to let her see her sist,
y N nobody else. No, the fact is that Mr.
|. Byrns's appearance would shock an,
,- body and lewis knows It. He doesn
lrl dare let anybody from the outside q.
4, hAr. He doesn't dare admit one new
v pa per man to Mrs. Byrnes cell becau,
a that newspaper man would write Il
y truth. They have that habit In tn
n town. If the Mayor wants to do Il
y right thiag lst him ordsr that reporter
4 CsstsHssS s~ ststA Pssa
T.