Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-18
ISTOLD
CITY HOSPITAL
NEGLECTS BABY
Treatment of Widely-Traveled
Infant Becomes Subject
of Investigation.
MAY GET A NEW HOME


--
Loretta Lorine Brummett. months
old, whose varied career has caused
the. police of two cities to make a
series of Investigations, is being neg
Iected at the City hospital, according
to charges made in Juvenile court
today.
Judge hahr, after hearing the charges,
ordered that Mrs. Leota TroOk, placing
agent of the board of Children's Guard
fans, and William HoltZ, police officer
and Investigator for the Board of Chill
dFen's Guardians, make an immediate in
vestlgation of the conditions in the chill
dren's ward in the City hospital. The
Judge ordered that. should the condi-
tions be as stated by witnesses in his
court. the Brummett baby should at ance
be removed from the hospital and taken
to the Children's Guardians home in
Irvington. where proper care would be
given it,.
3 BABY'S MOTHER BURIED
ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
Loretta is an orphan. The babys
mother was buried on Christmas day,
having died at the City hospital of spinal
meningitis. She was Mrs. Ada Brummett
hHu 0eF nome was at JiU East OulO
ltreet. Loretta's father, David Brummett.
mysteriousIy disappeared soon after he
vas arrested in Richmond, Ind, on the
charge Of impersonating an officer, it is
said.
The charges that the child is being
neglected at the City hospital were made
by Mrs. Anna Kinnaman, 319 East Ohio
street, who says she wants to adopt
the child, take it to her home and nurse
1t back to health. She is not related to
the baby. Similar charges Of alleged
neglect on the part of the hospital en-
pIoyes were made in court by Walker
Wright, sci East Miami street, an uncle
OF the Brummett baby's mother.
No child at the age of months has
ever had more varied career than the
Brummett baby. Three days after its
birth an advertisement appeared in
daily paper for q woman who would take
the baby into her home and care for It,
Mrs. Kinnaman answered that advertise
ment. Only a few days before Mrs.
Brummett died Mrs. Kinnaman became
Ill and was unable longer to care for
the child.
Mr. Brummett then took it to the home
of woman named Anna Clark on East
Market street. Juvenile court authorl-
ties say the Clark woman was arrested
charged with neglecting the child. Mrs.
Clark disappeared and took the child
with her, it is said.
FATHERS PURSUIT
BRINGS ARREST.
The next the Indianapolis authorities
knew of the case was when they heard
that Brummett had followed the Clark
woman to Richmond, Ind. to get the
child and in some way represented to the
Richmond police that he was a police
officer That Is said to have resulted in
his arrest. Miss Whiteman, a woman
police officer OF the indianapolis depart
nent, went TO Richmond and brought
the baby back.
The child was next taken to the home
Of a Mrs. Hoppinger, 1915 College ave
nue., but was later taken away. Mrs. Kin
naman says the child was brought back
to Mrs. Hoppinger's home the next day
and its feet were bllstered as if burned
against a hot stove. This occurred, 1t
is said, during the time it was away from
the custody of Mrs. Hoppinger.
Late the child was taken to the home
Of Mrs. Reese, 1889 Btookside avenue.
Then Mrs Kinnaman again obtain Gus
tody of baby Brummett, but she was
ordered by Officer Holtz to take it to
City hospital, as the baby was sick.
That was two weeks ago.
TELLS OF FINDING
BABY UNCARED FOR.
Mrs. Kinnaman yesterday stated in
court she had visited the hospital six
times during the last two weeks. Each
time. she said, she found the baby I'M
cared for and its clothing damp. It's
bottle, tied with a string hung on the
outside Of its crib, where il was helpless
20 reach it, she declared.
Mrs. Kinnaman said she never saw 4
nurse come near the baby, but she
changed it, clothing on the coca sions
Of her visits and found the baby covered
. with sores, which, she declared were
the result Of the lack of attention and
care. Other sores, she said, were on the
-baby's neck and head. When she asked
a nurse why the sores were on the back
Of the chiId's head and neck. she said.
the nurse told her it was from the baby
rubbing its head on the pillow.
On some of her visits she found the
baby crying, Mrs. Kinnamar stated, and
other times it was moaning in it's sleep,
with its thumb in it's mouth and the
nursing bottle out of reach.
Walker Wright told the court that the
conditions, as stated by Mrs. Kinnaman
prevailed on the occa sion of his visits
TO the city hospital He added that milk
the child had elected had dried on its
face and neck and no nurse appeared
to wash it of or care for the baby
while he was there. He said Mrs. Kin
naman arrived at the hospital few min
utes after he did and washed the baby's
face and neck.
IF these conditions are true some one
should be prosecuted" exclaimed Ira
Holmes, attorney, representing Mrs. Kin
naman In her effort to obtain the custody
OF the child.
TTVENTTE rnTTRT
OFFICERS TESTIFY.
Juvenile court officers told Judge Lair
that Mrs. Kinnaman was "a good kind
woman, who loved and cared for the
baby" They told the court that she had
one son, now 8 years old. However,
they stated that she mad been guilty
of making an unfortunate mistake a long
time ago that caused the officers to
question If she we're the proper person
to have the custody OF the child.
chat mistake has been rectihed in the
eyes of society" exclaimed Attorney
Holmes. ',She is good woman and her
reputation in her neighborhood is good"
cit is a case for the board of chill
dren's guardians" said Judge Lair
mir. Holtz and Mrs. Trook will make a
immediate investigation today and report
TO me if the charges of neglect at the