The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-02
CHARGE DYING
ARE DUMPED
ON POOR farm
City Hospital Accused by
County of 'MiStreating'
Its InCurabIeS.
W0MAN'S CASE PRoBED
Sent to Institution Without
Daughters Permission,
Lawyer Says.
BY SHELDON KEY

Charges that city hospital author
tiles are committing elderly, incur
able patients to the county poor
farm where they suffer for lack of
medical treatment. were hurled to-
day by county commissioners.
County officials said the hospital
is using the poor farm as dumping
ground for incurableS."
simultaneously, city and county
authorities reopened an investiga-
ton into the case Of Mrs. Billye
Thacker, 81, sent to the poor farm
from the hospital last Wednesday.
Allegations that Mrs. Thacker was
removed without permission of her
daughter, Miss May Lewis, 926
North New Jersey street, were pre-
sented to Charles L. Pope, attorney,
by Miss Lewis.
Already Had Gone
Mrs. Thacker, who is suffering
from partial paralysis and eye
trouble, had been in the city hos
pital several months.
According to the daughters
charges, social service workers at
the city hospital called her, asking
permission to take the woman to
the poor farm.
Miss Lewis said she asked them
to wait until she reached the hos
pital, but when she went there
found an ambulance already had
taken her mother to the county in
Stitution.
Miss Lewis said her mother is not
being cared for properly at the poor
farm, Pope said. Miss Lewis told
the attorney she found her mother
lying on a raw tick and that she
was not being given medical atten-
ton. The girl said institution heads
refused to permit her to bring
blankets to her mother.
Accuses City Hospital
1.-THE city hospital sends us a lot
of cases." Mrs. Byron Carter said
today. I'VE have refused some of
them. They bring patients who are
half-dead out here and expect us to
take care Of them"
Mrs. Carter denied charges of
Miss Lewis that Mrs. Thacker was
forced to get into a wheel chair and
go to the dining room for meals.
She also denied officials had told
Miss Lewis her mother would have
to "eat what the rest of us do as
long as she's out here"
Mrs. Thacker doesn't belong
here" Mrs. Carter said. 1--WE have
no place to care for her"
The county institution, housing
500 patients, all elderly and without
support, has only two
nurses and a doctor.
Already Is Overcrowded
1--WE can't provide disqualification
at the poor farm" Commissioner
George Snider said. 1.-The place all
ready is overcroWded."
Pope said John Carter, superin-
tendent Of the poor farm, told him
sick patients "are put in room
and we let the other inmates care
for them, giving what medical at
Iention is available"
And Commissioner John Shearer
declared the county does not pro-
vide more medical aid at the in
Stltution because we would get
many more such cases from the
hospital if we did this"
However, Dr. Charles Myers, SUI
perintendent of the city hospital,
said his investigation of the case
'evealed that social service workers
had probed the case and none of
Mrs. Thacker's relatives would ac-
'ept her in their homes.
Myers Denies Charges
He said hospital attaches OBJ
aimed permission from a grandson
II Mrs. Thacker, for her removal
% the county institution.
Myers also denied city hospital
aids had sought her removal from
he institution because she was too
much trouble"
Myers declined to reply to the
county commissioners charges that
he city hospital dumped" incur
lble paupers at the poor farm to
lie.
At the city hospital it also was
aid Mrs. Thacker is not belfast and
an make her way around.