New-York tribune., 1919-06-26
DannemOra Chief
Not Worried Over
Greenspan Charges
Answer to Charges Found
in Institution Records.
He Says; Denied Release
to Dangerous Inmates
Staff Correspondence

CtdJJ correspondence
DANNEMORA, N. Y, June 25-Dr.
John r. Ross, superintendent of the
Dannemora State Hospital for the
Crlmlnally Insane, said today he had
no fear of the investigation which be-
gins in New York City tomorrow be-
fore the Committee on Prison Survey,
Of which Adolph Lewisohn is chairman.
The hearings will be held at II Broad
way, and will begin at 10 a. NJ.
he best answer to any charges of
mlsmanagement or anything else which
may be brought against me by Louis
Greenspan or any one else is this in
stitutlon and its records" said DR..
Ross.
II have no apologies to make for re-
fusing to discharge Greenspan's
brother, Larphy, as cured" he added.
SO far have not received a COPY of
the charges | understand Greensnan
has filed I presume that | Will and
that the committee to which they have
been referred will come here to take
evidence. The best evidence will be
the hospital and its records.
DR.. Ross says that the only question
involved in the Greenspan charges re-
gardlng discharging patients when the
terms for which they are sentenced
expires is the safety Of the public. He
says he will continue to take the posi-
ton that no man should be set free
If he is to be a menace to the COM
munitv.
That is the position I took in the
case OF Greenspan's brother La1phy,
! time, | am sure. will vindicate my
Judgment in that case" he said.
DR.. Ross says he helped Greenspan
by telling him how to could get his
for
County Hospital, from which he was
freed without the six months proba-
tlon usual in similar cases He SAYS
he has no doubt that Grenspan was
enjoying remission of symptoms
when he was examined and believes
that time will prove it.
Regarding the case of James Belden.
Dr.. Ross says he himself agreed to
Beldens' discharge, and that the mans
release was not secured through
Greenspan. Belden, he says, is moron
with the mentality of an eleven-year-
Old boy, but is incapable of committing
murder or any other serious crime.
DR.. Ross also declares that Phillips
Bishop, whom GreensDan cites as being
detained illegally, is the second most
dangerous man at Dannemora, and that
he would be glad to be rid of him if it
were compatible with public safety.
"Bishop has been in prisons and in
stltuioons. since childhood, when he
served six years in the House of Ref
urge" he said. "He mas been convicted
repeatedly. He has dishonorable dis
charge from the army and is q former
user of cocaine. His last offence for
which he was given four years in 1912,
was violation of the Sullivan law"
Bishops record at the hospital shows
he has been unruly most Of the time
and has been bully among the feebler
patients. In 1915, the record shows. he
stabbed patient three times with a
stiletto made from a ten-penny nail
DR.. Ross declares him constitutional
psychopath with a paranoid trend
Any move to free William Morley,
who is also mentioned by Greenspian,
would be opposed to the interest of
public safety, on the ground that he is
suffering from paranoia, said Dr. Ross.
Morley was refused writ of habeas
corpus when his eligibility for parole
came up, according to DR.. Ross.