The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-04-04
CHARGES OF GRAFT
AND NEGLECT HIT
HARLEM HOSPITAL
Secret Inquiry Made OF Al
fidavits Accusing Attaches
of TnstitatiOn.
MAYOR ORDERED PROBE
Negro Residents Specially
Say They Are Victims
OF MiStreatment.
ASK DOCTOR OF OWN RACE
Women Tell of Being Held Up
for Money and Cite In
stances of Neglect.
ASK DOCTOR OF OWN RACE

III was learned yesterday that Com
missioner of Accounts David Hirshfeld
and Assistant District Attorney Ferdi
nand @. Morton are conducting an in
Quiry into charges of graft. i'll treat
ment and neglect which have been made
IN affidavit form against internes.
nurses and orderlies attached to Har-
lem Hospital, Lenox avenues and 136th
street.
The inquiry, which Commissioner
Hirshfie,5 began a few Gays ago by
holding a secret hearing in the hos
pital and questioning members of the
ssah. has been ordered by the Mayor as
a result of protests from residents Of
the negro settlement in Harlem, who
charge they have been victimized or
mistreated in the hospital and are urg-
ing appointment OF physicians OF their
own race to the medical and surgical
boards OF the institution.
It was learned yesterday that some
OF the affidavits submitted to Commits
.sioner Hirshfield and to the District At
Io.ncy by a committee including Alder
man George w. Harris of 135 West
135th street and Dr. Allen Z. Graves OF
zoe West 137th street. president of the
Manhattan Medical, Dental and Phar-
maceutical Association, are OF a start
ling nature.
One made by Miss Helen Heidi Of 1s5
West 140th street charges that Miss
Heidi called at the hospital on Deem
Der ). 1920, and asked that an ambu-
lance be sent TO her address for a Mrs
Edith Robinson. An inferno is alleged
to have replied that the ambulance
could not be sent out because it was
Sunday.
Paid $40 for AmbuIance.
The affldavit charges that on payment
OF $40 to the inferno he caused an am
bulance to be sent for Mrs. Robinson,
who later appealed to Miss Heidi for
money to give to nurses. and obtained
$1o for this purpose. saying she could
not get proper attention otherwise. Mrs.
Robinson died December 0 In the hos
pital.
In another affidavit Bernard Dual
of 1S5 West 140th street charges that
while undergoing treatment for rupture
he was forced to pay SEQ. 1t is alleged
that $40 went to an inferno, who ar
ranged for his operation, SIS to order
lies and $40 to nurses
When a reporter for THE NEW YORK
HERALD made inquiries in the hospital
yesterday he was referred to the super
fntendent OF nurses, who said she was
not at liberty to discuss the case. Or.
George O'Hanlon. general medical su-
perintendent OF Bellevue and Allied Hos
pitfalls, told the reporter that complaints
had been lodged with the board OF
trustees about six weeks ago, but that
in most instances they had failed to
name persons accused. In one case
where a member OF the hospital staff
was specifically referred to as having
taken graft. he said, the hospital off,
Gals had endeavored without success to
get the complainant TO visit the hospital
and make an identification.
Alderman Harris told the reporter
that the hearing held by Commissioner
IIirshfield dealt principally with The
case of Allen Russell OF sos Lenox ave-
nue.. who charged that when he took
bis wife to the hospital in critical con-
dillon on February 10 she was at first
refused admttance BY some one who
stated that the maternity ward was
quarantined. In the midst of row in
which policeman was called in and
threatened Russell and hts wife. IL is
asserted that doctor made his APP
pearance. and on learning OF the
womans condition directed that she
be admitted to the maternity ward,
which was not Guaranteed.
Mfstreatment Charged.
rnent are signed by Sarah Benson OF
cS West 136th street. Hazel Pindcr OF
liz West 18th street and Hayward j.
Payne OF West 1920 street Mr.. Payne
accuses persons connected with the hos
pital Of having neglected his eleven
year-old niece, who IL suffering from
the effects OF hypodermic needle which
broke off and remained in her flesh.
Hazel Pinder charges that one inferno
directed that her eighteen months old
godchild be x-rayed because OF an in
jury to her shoulder. but that when she
presented the slip for tho X-ray she
Was told the apparatus was brokeo. and
that besides. no one could take X-rays
on a Monday" She says the inferno
sfterward tore up the slip.
Alderman Harris said the appoint
u1ent az negro doctors to the staff of
the hospital would give the negroes
confidence In the institution. which they
have not got AZ the present time. "ft
IS not a color question" he said. ut is
municipal problem. The coiored peo-
pie now 20 70 the hospital as a last
resort, because they anticipate discrimi-
nation. BY postponing going TO the
hospital they often impcril other per-
sons OF the community TO whom they
may communicate their disease"