The New York herald., 1921-07-13
UNMARKED GRAVES
HOLD TWO ANDTHREE
HOSPITAL WAR DEAD
Profiteering Undertakers
Refuse Even Proper
Care of Bodies.
LEGION GETS CHARGES
Result From Investigation
of Fox Hills and Other
Institutions.
HEALTH SERVICE BLAMED
Contracts for Burial Are Given
Without Follow Up
System.
HEALTH SERVICE BLAMED

System.
Soldiers who have died in city and
Fox Hills hospitals as a result Of war
injuries have been buried two or three
at time in one grave by profiteer-
ing undertakers, Senator Schuyler NJ.
Meyer, chairman of the Legislative
City Investigating Committee, charged
yesterday in a complaint filed with
Cornelius w. Wickersham, chairman
of the American Legion committee in
vestigating the Fox Hills and other
hospitals. The United States Public
Health Service is responsible primarily
for this Shocking condition" the Sen
ator charges, but the city's Depart
meat Of Health has been indifferent
and callous."
Senator Meyer made public letter
sent to Mr.. Wickersham after the leg
isla tive committee had completed its
first public hearing, at which Edwin
J. O'Malley, Commissioner of Markets,
testified he does not carry savings
banks accounts outside of New York
and has no safe deposit box.
The Meyer committee began several
days ago an investigation of complaints
rega rding permits issued by the Depart
ment of Health for the burial of soldiers
It was found that the Federal authori-
ties and the Public Health Service were
responsible, and the committee Is turn
ing the inquiry over to the Wickersham
committee.
The inquiry showed that one under
taker obtained from the Public Health
Service a number OF contracts for the
burial Of ex-servce men whose bodies
are unclaimed. The undertaken Is re-
quired to bury each man in separate
grave. with proper Identification marker.
and to provide decent burial
Three In One Grave.
Instead of burying the soldiers in
separate graves this undertaken buried
two and three in the same grave with
out caring for the bodies and without
putting up headstones," Senator Meyers
letter asserted. AN army nurse went
to place a headstone on the grave of
by the cemetery keepers she would have
to put up three headstones.
"The city Department of Health issues
permits without any check or follow up
system and the United States Public
Health Service feels it's responsibility
ends when Il makes a contract with an
undertaken. The State Legislative Conn.,
mittee has no jurisdiction over the Fed
eral authorities, but we would like to
prevent the recurrence of this Disgrace
full condition. That phase of the dis
graceful business which touches the city
Department OF Health will receive the
further attention of this committee"
Commissioner O'Malley Is the first
witness questioned by the committee in
open hearing. Threatened with contempt
proceedings by Democratic committee
men for violating the Appellate Division
order against secret sessions, Senator
Meyer ordered the hearing be thrown
open. Leonard NJ. Wallstein. associate
counsel. conducted the examination.
Mr.. O'Malley was accompanied by Cor
poration Counsel O'Brien.
o'MaIIey'x Bank Accounts.
Submitting a statement Of his personal
banking accounts, Commissioner O'Mal-
ley said his only deposits were in the
his account for sixteen years. The de-
partment account is kept in the Public
National Bank for the purchase OF sup
plies for official use. Proceeds from
the sales of army supplies last year
were deposited in a joint account.
Papers subpoeneed by the committee
were not found in those submitted by
the Commissioner One of the missing
documents was the stand permit OBJ
tcined by Adolph Kahn. friend and
political protege of Thomas ]. ("The")
McManus and about which the COM
mittee made great rumpus several
weeks ago.
The permit should be among the
pspers," the Commissioner explained II
saw IL a few days ago, whei II was re-
turned to me from the office of the Com
missioner Of Accounts. l supposed II
was among the papers eubpnnaed.
"The Kahn permit and correspondence
we're not in the Ale sent to this office"
Mr.. wallstein said "Will you see that
IL Is produced?'
The Commissioner said he would attend
10 Il at once. Two other applications.
designated as tho Steers and Mencl5e
letters, were also missing. and Mr.
O'Malley said he would produce them at
once O'Malley was the only witness.
and his examination lasted only n few
minutes.
Maurice Connolly. Borough President
cf Queens, announced he had disnis ssed
two employees as result OF Information
obtained by the Meyer committee. One
was n messenger whose time card was
Destroyed on which he had been credited
for work done when he was out OF the
city for several days, and the other a
isbcr rer in the Highway Department, who
had gone Joy riding ard smashed city
automobile.
The messenger is Thomas Hackett
well known in Queens as a cabaret
singer. He went TO Rochester, ". ", 10
sing al n convention. and when he was
away some one marked UP his time
The card was found in waste basket
after Hackett had been summoned before
the committee. His salary was si.o44
year.