New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-09
One I.sayrnlal, ON
Inquiry Board
AT Hospital 81
RossIa.e Threatened to Drop
Charges Unless Commits
sion of 8 Included Man
Outside Veterans Bnreau
Feared y ssWhitewasla' y
Asks Assurance Tesiifyirag
Employees BE Not Pun-
ished; Hearing Monday

The Investigation into conditions az
Veterans Hospital, No. 81. promised on
Thursday by the central Office of the
United States Veterans Bureau in
Washington, will begun Monday morn
ing, according to an announcement yes
terday by Major W. F. Lent, district
manager of the Veterans Bureau in
New York. The investigation commits
sion will be composed of three mem
bers, one of whom will be layulan.
Major William +. Deegan, state corr
mander Of the American Legion, or his
representative, Will be permitted to be
present at all hearings, as will mem
bers of the press.
The chairInan Of the commission will
be DR. Guy O. Ireland, neuro .psychiatric
inspector of the Veterans Bureau. The
other two members will be announced
by Major Lent this morning. The de-
cision to have a commission of three,
and particularly to have one lay mem
Der, was arrived at only after protests
from Major Deegan and the threatened
withdrawal from the matter of Rep
resentative Albert 3. Rossdale, who had
brought the charges against the
hospital.
Expected One-Man Inquiry
When DR.. Ireland arrived yesterday
morning from Washington, with the
apparent intention of conducting the
investigation alone, Major Deegan
again asserted that q one-rnan conduct
Of the case would utterly fail to sat-
lsfy him. As result Dir. Ireland con-
ferred with Major Lent, who then took
up the matter with Colonel Charles r.
Forbes, director of the Veterans Blu
reau in Washington.
Consequently Colonel Forbes gave
Major Lent the authority to take
charge OF the investigation and en-
powered him to name commission OF
three men to hear the charges. At this
stage it was understood that one Of
the members would be layman.
Later in the afternoon Major Lent
called DR.. ireland and Representative
Rossdale to his Office to talk over the
matter and to discuss the naming Of
the two other members of the commits
sion. While this was going on Colonel
Forbes telephoned Major Lent from
Washington and said that all three OF
the members should be from the Vet
erans' Bureau When Mr.. Rossdale
heard this he Immediately said that he
would have nothing more to do with
an affair conducted along such lines.
Feared Whitewasl
IF that's the case then I'm through"
said MIR. Rossdale. 81 have seen TOO
mary Investigations in my life, and /
challenge any one TO show me 8 depart
mental investigation which has done
any good. ! don't want this affair to
be whitewash, and if that's the kind
Of investigation they are going to give
us I'll take the matter up on the floor
CT the House"
Major Lent Immediately got in touch
with Colonel Forbes again and eN-
planned the situation, recommending
that in view of the circumstances one
of the members of the commission be
from outside the bureau. Colonel
Forbes agreed to this, and suggested
several prominent men as possibilities.
The men named were agreeable to Mr..
Rossdale, and Major Lent said that
he would get in touch with them at
once and would probably announce the
name this morning.
NJ. P. McInerney, chief investigator
OF the Veterans Bureau in Washing
ton, who was responsible for the arrest
of Timothy Lucci and Harry Morgan
last Saturday on a charge Of suspicion
Of assault upon Nicholas Samson, an
inmate Of the institution, will also be
on hand for the investigation, and
while he will not be member of the
committee he will act in an advisory
capacity TO DR.. Ireland.
Preparing Five Complaints
Major Deegan submitted to Major
Lent yesterday in writing the FIVE com
plants against the hospital which had
come to his attention and which no
made public several days ago. The
charges brought against the institution
| by Mr.. Rossdale were being prepared
by him yesterday and they will be sub
mitted to Major Lent this morning
81 am not 50 much interested in a
| punitive investigation said MIR. Ross.
dale. eve can get all the facts if the
employees are assured that they won't