The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-14
GYPS|ES STRAIN
EMERCENCY'S
RULES
Incident Is Typical of Service
Hospitals in Drive Are ;
Giving Capital.

It's part of the job of officials,
: doctors and nurses of Emergency
and Casualty hospitals to be sympa-
thetic with the patients in the two
institutions. Also, it is there duty
TO extend every courtesy and con-
Sideration to the patients and guests.
But there are, OF course, some
rules which must be enforced, and
when guests come to the hospitals
and show utter disregard of all
rules and regulations, what Is to
be done? Take, for instance, a
happening the other day. It's
typical Of daily occurrences, except
that the principals in this case are
gypsies.
A few days ago one of the pic
turesque nomads. with the disap.
pointing name of Steve Evans, came
to Emergency because of a feeling
Of severe illness. 1t was found
TO be appendicitis, and he was told
an operation would be necessary.
Returns With Friends.
That was a terrifying thought,
and he went home to think it over,
but returned soon after, complain
ing that he felt worse. With him
came whole troop of his friends.
He was sent up to the operating
room almost Immediately, the case
having become dangerously acute,
and the whole bodyguard followed
after him, his wife among them.
More than two dozen of his ex.
cited comrades tried to force their
way into the operating room to
see that he was well taken care of.
FINALLY nurse was put continu-
ously on guard to keep them out.
The operation was carried out sue
cessfully and he was put into one
OF the quiet rooms" which are
simply very small private rooms
used for patients who are danger.
ously i'll or who might disturb other
patients if put into ward.
Followers Would Remain.
Nine of his followers wanted to
spend the night with him to see
that he was all right. It took a
great deal of emphatic explaining
on the part of hospital officials to
induce six of them to go-the re-
naming three would not bulge.
They were his wife, Mary, his step
mother and his brother, and all
three of them made themselves
comfortable for the night in the
one small room with the patient.
VI course this was fragrant vio-
!at1on of the rules of the institu-
ton, but it was felt necessary as a
means OF preventing a near riot.
The day after the operation more
gypsles trooped in, some coming
from as far away as PHILADELPHIA.
The operation on one of their
number was evidently an event out
ranking Teapot Dome in importance.
That day Mary went home to her
winter abode on D street to get
their four-month-old baby, who had
been left alone to shift for him.
self while everyone else was away
seeing father through the greatest
adventure of his life. That night
brother and stepmother consented
to leave, and since then the room
has had but three occupants at
nfght-Steve and the baby and his
wife, who snatches what sleep she
can in chair by the bedside. BY
day the room is thronged with in
curing relatives and friends.
Willing To Be Snapped.
When the photographer had
elbowed his way far enough into
the room to ask permission to take
a picture, the answer of both Steve
and his wife was You want to
take our pictures? And why not?
And will you give us one Of the