Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-12
APARTMENT OWNER
FREED OF CHARGE.
Evidence Of DisorderIy Conduct
In Penn Area Mostly 'Hearsay,'
Declares Magistrate
DOCTOR DEFENDS POSITION

Dr. Edward T.. Brntton. owner an
manager Of four apartment houses nca
the Cniver'i,v of Pennsylvania. wh
was accused ~ keeping and maintaining
q diSOrderly house. was discharged TO-
day.
The physician. who does no, practice
was arraigncd before Magistrate Dugar
at 1928 Market street on warran
obtained by two district dpto"tivrs net.
Ing on n complaint madc hl GHn"g
NietzS'he. recorder Of thc University
OF Pennsylvania.
Most Of the testimony was cbarncter
lied by the magistrate ns "hcarsay.'
Only one witness testified about cordi
tions she said she had sacn This was
Miss Anna CONWAY who lives at 42S
South Forticth street. ndioiuing one o.
the physician a properties at $50 South
Fortieth street.
Miss Conway testified thnt from a
window Of her apartment she saw into
an apartment in the house owned by
Doctor Bratton where, she declared
people were acting improperly Mr.
Ntctzsche said later he understood two
OF the men were dental students.
Ordered Out Objectionable Tenants
Or. Bratton. testifyiDg in his own
defense. said he had about 900 tenants
in his apartment houses and that :.
gave the places his personal supervi.
sion. He recalled several complaints
made against tenants and said he had
asked those involved to move.
The physician pointed out that his
tenants had leases and that they hao
rights under those leases, If a tenant
admitted wrong doing he said. the ten =
ant could be ousted. bNt IL the truth
OF a complaint was denied by a tenant
then concrete evidence had to be OBJ
tained.
Eugene CASTILLO, 972S Locust street
testified he knew a young woman who
had left the South Fortieth street
apartment house because If conditions
she said existed there. His statement
was ruled ont, but DR.. Bratton inter.
Jected that the young woman could not
BAY her rent.
DR.. Seneca Egbert. 4S14 Springfield
avenue. head Of the department Of san
itation of the University and former
president of Medico -Chirurgical Col
lege. said he visited students board
ing houses for iusoectiOn He added
that of his own knowledge he could
not say anything regarding conditions
In DIR. Brntton's house
Nietzsche Issues Statement
After DR., Bratton had been discharged
Mr.. Netzschc issued a statement.
Il know nothing about these houses
personally he said, except from the
many complaints received from neigh
bors and tenants and by information
given to me by some OF the student
tenants and others. Neither the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania nor I brought
this action against DR.. Bratton.
simply furnished the police authorities
with some of the information received
by me from various sources. and only
after | had acquainted Pr. Rratton
with the various charges and repeatedly
appealing 70 him TO conduct his apart.
ments in such a way as TO be beyond
suspicion.
Tho University. through its com.
mitteo on students residences. reserves
the right to refuse permission to stu.
dent. o. reside in any house not np-
proved by the committee. 1t does not
arrr"re "f any house Offering accom-
inoda'IonS to both sexes II annually
irspocts and investigates almost 1000
of which about 700 were an.
proved and put on the printed list fur
nl"h"d TO Students looking for accom-
mOdations.
Need Of Care Pointed Out
''Wo have more than II 900 students
registered at the University and have
recommendations for not quite 1000 In
our dOrmitOry system. II is apparpnt.
therefore. how greatly good boarding and
rooming houses in the vicinity Of the
I niversity are needed. Evrrvthing,
therefore, is done by my committee 10
encourage people TO keep good sanitary
and moral boarding houses in the vicin
ty of the University campus."
District Detective Baker, Of the
Thirty second street and Woodland
nvenue station. was the first witness.
He snid he got a complaint on May 10
from Mr.. Nietzscho who told him of al
Ieged loose conditions" in apartment
houses owned by the physician.
Baker said he had no knowledge,
from personal observation, Of the con.
titions alleged, He added that DR.. !
bratton always had ordered out ten
ants about whom complaints wore made.
The detective objected strongly to
Jatcmcnt by Mr. N.ct2schc to the effect
Or: Bratton had said he had hired
bake - keep the apartment houses
''clean."
Baker testified that he had never
accepted anything, either rs wages or
from Dr. Bratton The re-
order 4 statement, he declared. had
lurt his police record and be wanted 10
clear il up.
Action Not by Penn
When Ny Netzschc wa. called he
said the action against the ana-twpnt.
1orsc owner had not been taken bv the
University of Pennsylvania or by him
self narsnnally A cha .rr.or ~ ,Lo