Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-20
MATERNITY HOME
RA|DED BY POLICE
Federal Agents Accuse A. B.
Bragg Of Violating Anti
drug Law.
QUANTITY OF COCAINE SEIZED
DR.. Mastin Says State License
OF Institution Will Be
Revoked.

Frequent de"ths % babies. 'ha n.
legged mysterious DISPOSAL of troir
hodic#. tho fact that ;hc prorrictrcss
is a drug addict and at times helpless
from the, usf Of opiatcs. t',c nl,hv con-
ditiom Of Ihc place. aud eonstant
rumors to tho manner :n which II
was conducted. led Federal author
ities and city police officials Xcstcr-
d:,y to raid the maternity hospital at
400 East Clay stree; and to arrest
a u. Bragg. manager on u charge of
violating the Harrison antiuarcotic
act
This exposure of conditions in the
long -sus pected maternity hospital Will
lead immcdiately. it was stated by
Dr. J. T.. Mastin. secretary Of the
state Board OF Charities ana ,nrrcc-
tons. TO revocation ot tho license
under which the hospital was opcr-
ated Licenses to hospitals are issued
by the State Board OF Health upon
recommendation OF the state Board OF
Charities and Corrections rh. latter
body will Withdraw its rocommcuda-
! ton and revocation Of the license
viii automatically follow
The Federal authorities and police
officers who took part in the raid
hcsitatcd to describe the conditions
they found. The place. all agreed Was
fairy reckinG in filth, and sanitary
conreniences were anything but that
which the name implies. Mrs. BESSIE
Nandcrgrift Bragg. proprietress of the
place. was practically in a helpless
condition when the police arrived and
became hysterical. The officers had
her nh,
called in to attend her. She was not
detained. but her husband was taken
into custody by United states Revenue
Agent :. II. Branc. lie was bailcd i'm
the sum Of $500 for his appearance on
February 20 before United States Com
missioner Melvin Flcgcnhcimcr
OFFICERS STARTLED AZ
CONDITIONS UNCOVERED
The officers were startled at the
condition Of things and at what they
uncovered. They found and con.iscaicd
more than Il dozen hypodermic needles, |
3.0J0 tablets of morphine" some cor, ~
tanning quarter-srain and soniSa tfF,f
half-Grain: Il quantity of cocaine sew |
cral bottles and tubes Of strychninc |
metal caSc containing tubes of NOR
phlne and stryChninc aud three tubes
OF hyoscnc. One bottle. about a (
quarter full. bore the label For physi-
clans Use" MIR. Branc did not know !
what the bottle contained Mrs. Bragg
was also literally supplied with rev
euue order blanks. by which she could !
legally obtain opiates. as the law per
mits all hospitals to have opiatcs in !
their possession. though they may be /
legally administered only upon IA physi-
clans prescription.
~
a Federal officer. Thomas r. Mcany. OF |
the department OF the collector of in |
tcrnal revenue. who Was detailed on |
the case under instructions from col |
.cct"r Il. {. l.. Moncurc. Mr. Mean,
declined 10 discuss the case. but stated
that the investigation showed that tho
physicians who attended patients at |
tic hospital were beyond all criticism |
The maternity hospital had been un-
der surveillance during two months.
complaint having been lodged against /
it by several charity organizations in
tcrcstcd in social welfare and hv cit
i%cnS. The matter was taken up with I.
the state Board Of Charities and Cor
rections. and, with all the interests
pooled, the Pinkcrton National De-
tectivc Agency Was called in to obtain !
evidence against the hospital six |
weeks ago tho detective agency
brought woman operative from the
North and detailed her on the ease.
with instructions TO make daily re-
ports Of her observations and Of all
She heard hearing on the matter
WOMAN DETECTIVE WAS
EMPLOYED AS NURSE
For some time she lived in the neigh
b"rhood. failing III her first attempt Ia
gam employment in tic hospital
tinaliy she was engaged as an as
sistant on her statement that sho
wanted to study nursing. As a mat
ter of fact. though. none Of the i've
nurses IN the hospital is Il graduate
Most Of them are recovered patients.
working TO pay off their Indebtedness
on the allowance of $40 Il month.
one OF the patients. IA young com
Try girl. was required. it is said 10
nurse four children 10 work out her
obligations. large revenue. il ts
stated. has been derived from the sale
OF healthy children to fostcr-parcn,s.
who have paid rs high as $3.50 for Il
baby. Mrs. bragg has two houses on
Clay street and two on Fourth street.
on which she has made recently a pay
mcni of $4,000. the total COS, being
$21.30O.
The i'inkerton operatives reports arc
hlled with disgusting details of condi-
tons alleged actually to have been OBJ
served During her engagement. twelve
babies died. When a baby became It'll.
Mrs. RraGg. it is alleged, ordered that
medicine he administered Almost in
variably. it is stated. the baby died.
Dead infants. ii is stated were placed
in the drying room and in cupboards
and closets. sometimes remaining scv-
eral days. and were then taken away
III suit cases Tho operative did not
know what disposal was made Of the
bodies. On one occasion. when ono OF
the nurses Of the Instructive Visiting
Nurses Association paid - visit to the
hospital. dead child was sccrctcd in
a cupboard until after she had gone.
In this connection. il Viii be- recalled
that the authorities in Ashland found
the body OF a baby hidden under the
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