New-York tribune., 1922-09-06
Rossdale Plans
U. $. Inquiry at
Hospital No.8l
Bronx Representative Says
He Will Appeal to Con-
gress Unless Conditions
Are Explained BY Friday
Found No One i'm Charge
Beating of Samson and All.
legged Sane Patient i'm a
Ward for Insane Cited

Congressional investigation into
present conditions at United States
Hospital No. 81 may be demanded by
Representative Albert B. Rossdaie,
Bronx Republican, who on Sunday
made an inspection of the institution,
In statement yesterday he said ne
was incensed at "the deplorable state
Of the hospital and the care of it's
patients and at the militaristic fashion
in8Which the Veterans Bureau is con-
ducted.v
Mr.. Rossdale. not only would have
Congress make q thorough inquiry into
the hospital, but he would cali the
Veterans Bureau on the carpet as
we'll. The action proposed by the Rep
resentative is expected to follow the
failure, if such there be, of the hospital
authorities to satisfy his demand to
know why patients are being mis-
treated. He said he would base his re-
quest for an investigation upon the
following grounds: the case of Mich
olas b. Samson, who is alleged to have
been beaten by two ward attendants:
that of Oscar Roma, who, according
to Mr.. Rossdale, is kept, although sane,
in the ward for the insane because of
the infraction of disciplinary rules
and because the hospital, he charges,
is left at times without proper au-
thority in charge.
Commander and Aid Absent
"When I arrived at the hospital on
Sunday Representative Rossdale said,
81 found several hundred relatives of
patients clamoring for information, and
yet there was no one there to answer
4l,xx IzsA ~.
Chronquest, commanding officer of the
hospital, nor his next man, DIR. George
Brewster, was at the institution. The
physician temporarily in charge, Dir.
George Bunker, permitted me to go
through the hospital when 1 told him
that I wished to investigate the COM
plants about the maltreatment of pa
tients.
GAS we were leaving the insane
ward, man called out: Doctor, won't
you let me out? They are keeping
me in with the insane patients DR..
Bunker told him that he coald not
let him out, and to me the physician
explained that the man was second
offender He had insulted the woman
who distributes the mail among the pa
tients, the doctor said, and then had
taken some of the men to \ movie
WtLDOuI HIS HdIHS IS aOSCHT
Roma and he is suffering from q slight
neurasthenic trouble. To keep him in
the insane ward Is inexcusable.
Makes Friday Time Limit
~ left word with DIR. Bunker to Have
DR. Chronquest communicate with me
and explain conditions. As yet I have
not heard from him and if l do not
hear by Friday / shall go to Washing
ton and demand Congressional invcs-
tigation, not only of the hospital but
as to the manner in which the local
Veterans Bureau is conducted"
Dr.a Chronquest declined yesterday
to comment at length on Representa-
tive Rossdale's accusations, but under
no circumstances, he said, are patients
placed in the insane ward as punish
ment, no matter what the offense
might be. He said he was unwilling
to make any further statement until
the investigation conducted by the
Bronx authorities and M. P. McIner-
ney, chief investigator of the Veterans
bureau had heer con1rleted