Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-18
Inquiry Is Asked Into
Hospital Cruelty Case

10 the Editor Of The Star:
IN the Capital City am simply an
onlooker from the hinterland, and
get from the local newspapers my inn
pressions of law and order as main
tanned at this the fountain head of the
Nations laws. In lurid headlines I
have read Of crimes within the city's
acknowledgement tnstitutions--po-
lice stations and Gallinger Hospital.
The Wickersham Commissions report
dashed, with singing words of no I'M
certain meaning, the third degree"
practices OF police and named Wash
ington. Claims and counterclaims
followed, as Is usual In all cases Of gen.
eralities But the washington newspa-
Of alleged fisndish atrocities, committed,
not in dark alleys by gangland's grow
ing cohorts, but under roofs of city in
situations.
A. World war veteran while a pa
tient at Gallinger Hospital is beaten,
Attacked in Ward, Bleeding Patient
Declares" "On Hearing Tale of TIor-
ror'. the grand jury was ordered to
probe. Later we read, "Gallinger Gets
Jury's Praise"
What seem to be the facts?
A World War veteran was sent to
Gallinger for treatment for illness. He
seems not to have been satisfied with
his treatment and wanted to leave the
hospital. He wasn't allowed to leave,
but was put in the strong room" of the
psychopathic department. Presumably
he could be placed in such a depart
ment only after doctor had diagnosed
him as a mental case. 1t seems the
doctor, or doctors, made a mistake.
The vet was the wrong man. But there
was proper subject for that psyche
pathic ward left unrestrained because
Of those doctors'-dare / say--incom-
petence? In "a maniacal rage" this
patient beat up our vet. land It was
pointed out in the grand jury's report
that these incidents will happen in an
institution of this kind"
May / be permitted to ask What
kind? One criminally, carelessly con-
Quoted at great expense to the tax
PAYERS?
Words OF commentator for Gallinger
seem to end the episode of the beat
ing-up of Harvard-graduate-a nd-
World War-veterar patient who, in ILL
ness. entered danger zone unwittingly.
What magical powers for muddying
waters and producing confusion in
thinking so-called pSychiatrists seem to
haveI
Note the difference in cases. Il Is
alleged another man is beaten--this
LktIle III q pO1lCC SLdbAOA4.s ~ WAS dt1CeC0
he was suspected of robbery. News
paper pictures show marks of brutality
in both cases, the vets and the sus-
poets. Were they fake pictures? The
suspect, untainted with pSychiatrists'
muddling and jargon, arouseS public
indignation, which grows and grows
day by day until the newspapers men
ton the President of the United States
and the Department of Justice Of the
United States as concerned about an
investigation Soon other cases are
cited, and Gallinger's name appears as
having received some third degree"
victims.
If the suspects case cannot be
trusted to regular procedure in regular
channels, are we satisfied that our vet
got fair deal when his case went
through this now superseded or aug
mented legal course? viii not some of
the city or national uplift, rescue or
aid societies join me in asking for a
rehearing Of the case of World War
Veteran j. e. Jaffee?
ZOE T. GARIG CARSON,
President Dorothy Dix League,
st. Louis, Mo.