New Britain herald., 1917-11-02
RED TAPE IS FATAL TO AGED s MAN BREATHINGLA IN TAXI
Charity Department Head Said to Have Declined to Order S0lek Taken to Hos pital. - ~.
HOUR WASTED MAY
 HAVE COST A LIFE

M. F. sullivan Unable to Prevail on
 Any of Public Odlcials Appealed to
 to Order Dying Nlan Taken to Place i; for Treatuaent-Was Taken Sick i'm
 P1ainviIle and Hurried to This City -"Not My Patient" Says Doctor.
 Although Medical Examiner Harry A. Elcock has not determined the cause of death of Thomas solek. aged SO, who died late yesterday afternoon at the New Britain General hospital, the verdict of those familiar with the facts is that the fatal disease was Red Tape. If some of New Britain's public officials had had sufacienl gumption to take action In Solek's case 1t is possible that he would be alive today.
 Solek was taken Ill in a house in Plainville near the 6outhington line. The people with whom he was stop UAHK kn0W AStl0 CVAO0EA4O8 AA0 PACSp his friends or relatives or his per- manent home. If he had one. They telephoned to Michael F. Sullivan. operator of taxicab service in this city, and requested him to take Solek to Dudjack'S saloon, at the corner of North and Sexton streets as they Pe- lieved he had friends there who would care for him. Sullivan saw his pas- n1~p Nv1Rn o3 the PlAinvillo parties he would take him to the New Britain hospital. To this they acQuiesced and Sullivan started on, his trip.
 Visifs 'aC11AEity' Department.
 Sullivan has frequently taken sick people to the hospital and he says that while no pAtaont hA6 ever been refused adminsion, 1t is the rule that ali entering tho instltution must have someone to ye,ach or stand sponsor for them. With this in lnin4 he frst stDnn1A n AC All ON lAGAlHU glia ChnT4tT 6OpaTt1n1mt. He says he ex- nl1SAn1 hosnoN4ouo condition of his un1Iran V 1 hAM 0n1rad that the authori- ta6s WR him suelnt to the hospital. Accordine to euiIfvan. Supt. A. J. Hart of the Charity department re- fused to do this, saying that the man xnS not known. Sullivan next sought asnastAnce in the oface of the board of health but says Chairman Bodloy also declined to have any connection with tho case. Tho taxicab owner then went to police Headquarters. he says. but was unable to gain any assistAnce there, although he was advised to try to reach Dr. George w. Dunn. city physician. Dr. Dunn could not be located by telephone.
 Physician Refuses to See solek.
 During this time. Solek was lying in the taxicab. dying. and Sullivan s says his body was becoming rigid. In spite of this fact he could gain no aid any place. as red tape prevented all to whom he appealed from be- coming connected with the case. Sul- livan claims to have stopped phy- sician on the street. asking him to \ examine 9olek. The physician is re- ported to have replied. ''FIhe isn't my .s patient'' Sullivan will not reveal the 2 name of the doctor who made this statement, otherwise 1t would be printed. -..
 Finally. after his appeals had fallen on deaf ears, Sullivan met pr. Joseph Walsh, who told hlm to tAko SOCK to the hospital. According to rumor. the hospital authorities declined to permit 9olek to enter but this Is emphatically denied by Sullivan and by Miss DeJardins, head nurse. Both agree that there was no question about Solek's admission. Sullivan ex- plained u at his passenger was dying and says he was given immediate at- tention. This Is corroborated by Miss DeJardins, who says every possible aesistAnce was given in an attempt to save Solek's life. He died short time after being taken into the hos pital.
 It is generally believed that solek's life could have been saved if an en tire hour had not been lost by Sulli van in visiting different public de partments where he found all official bound tightly with red tape. It i the concensus that some of the puoii servants should have had sumcien initiative to cut the tape and oroe Solek sent to the hospital.