New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-13
Alleged Profiteering by
Undertakers Charged to
Apathy of U. S. Health
Service and City Regime
3 Heroes Buried
In Single Grave
Bodies Rushed to Gene
terry; No Headstones to
Mark Resting Places

IN new York City hospitals from
wounds suffered in France, was
charged by the' joint legislative graft
investigating committee yesterday
Senator Schuyler NJ Meyer, chairman
OF the committee, called the attention
of the Federal authorities to the mat
ter III a letter to Cornelius w. Wicker
sham, chairman of the Fox Hills Hos
pital investigating committee. The Fox
Hills institution is under Federal con-
troll.
The blame for this alleged state of
affairs, which was characterized by
Senator Meyer as disgraceful and
shocking, was laid primarily on the
United States Public Health Service,
and secondly on Mayor Hylan's Depart
ment of Health
Testimony taken before the Legis-
lative Committee showed that the dead
soldiers were buried two end three in a
grave, where the Federal government
paid and contracted for a grave for
each soldier.
Three Buried ir Single Grave
One of the witnesses before the COM
mittee, an army nurse who attended
one of the returned heroes in his last
hours, tearfully told how she went to
the cemetery where the soldier was
buried to mark his grave with a simple
headstone bearing his name The ceme-
terry authorities told her that there
were three soldiers buried together by
the same undertaken, and investigation
proved this to be true, and records
were produced showing that this had
been done with the permission of the
New York City officials.
Senator Theodore Douglas Robinson,
nephew of Colonel Roosevelt, who is a
member of the committee, and who
served as a major in the A. E.. F.,
promises that he will see to it that
this species Of profteering stops.
Senator Meyer said that so far as
the New York City Health Department
was concerned, the matter would be
pushed to the limit
The letter to Mr.. Wickersham fol-
lows:
Conformation was brought to the
Joint Legislative Committee Investi-
eating the Affairs of the City of New
York concerning the issuance of burial
permits by the Department of Health
for the burial of eX-service men who
die in the city hospitals and the Fox
Hills Hospital, Staten Island.
"a brief investigation established d
the fact that while a shocking condi-
tion exists, the blame is primarily on
the United States Public Health Ser
vice. although the citv's department of
health seems to show callous indffer-
encc to the ultimate disposition of the
bodies Of these soldiers.
"The facts BRIEFLY are: An under
taker procured from the United States
Public Health Service a number of
died in the city hospitals and the Fox
Hills Hospital and whose bodies are
unclaimed. Under his contract he is
required to bury them in separate
| graves with proper markers and attend
to all the customary details Of decent
burial.
"The testimony shows that this un-
dertaker, instead of burying these SOL
diers in separate graves, buried them
two, and sometimes three. in the same
grave, and frequently buried them
without even embalmng the bodies.
can army nurse who went to q
local cemetery for the purpose of put
ting up a headstone on the grave of
one of the soldiers she had nursed was
told by the cemetery authorities that
she had better put three names on the
stone, as there were three men in the
grave.
City Health Department Named
apparently the city department of
health issues permits without any
check or follow-up system and the U.
S. Public Health Service feels that
their responsibility ends when they
make contract with an undertaken
to bury the bodies.
"Much as l would like to prevent a
recurrence of this disgraceful condi-
ton, as you can readily understand,
the legislative committee has no juris-
diction over Federal activities.
"As the contract was with an agency
OF the Federal government / thought
it was best to turn over the testi-
mony and evidence to you for such
action as you may deem advisable.
That phase Of this disgraceful bust
ness which touches the administration
of the city department of health will,
of course, receive the further atten-
tion Of this committee
The graft investigating committee
held an unexpected public hearing yes
terday, when John p O'Brien. Corpora
ton counsel, went TO the committee s
headquarters with Edwin J. O'Malley,
Commiss ioner of Markets. Mr.. O'Brien,
who brought two stenographers with
him and an Assistant Corporation
Counsel, said that O'Malley would no.
testify save publicly.
There was no objection raised by
the committee, and newspapermen at
tended along with Mr.. O'Brien and his
aids. Mr.. OMalley was asked about
certain papers connected with the
leasing of market privileges which had
been subpenaed He said that if they
were not in the possession of the com