Evening star., 1933-01-31
Police and Garfield Officials
Answer Mrs. Nort0n's De.
mand for Inquiry.
PATIENT HANDCUFFED
TO SAFEGUARD HIMSELF
Nothing in Records to Indicate
Houghton Was intoxicated,
| DR.. Eiseman Says.

Of1cials Of Garfield Hospital and the
Metropolitan Police Department today
Joined In disclaiming responsibility In
reply to charges Of inhuman treatment
Of Eugene Houghton, 1903 Clifton street.
who was injured last Wednesday in an
automobile accident.
The charges were made by Chairman
Norton Of the House District Commit
tee. who demanded an investigation of
the treatment Of Houghton, because he
was transferred from Garfield to Gal
linger Hospital in a patrol wagon, hand
cuffed like prisoner, although suffer-
ing from factured skull
In reply to Mrs. Norton, DR.. Francis
j. Eiseman. superintendent Of Garfield.
SAID he had investigated and found the
hospital blameless in its handling of
the case. Maj Ernest W. Brown.
superintendent Of police, said official
reports submitted to him by Capt Ira
Sheetz OF the tenth precinct indicated
the police were guiltless.
Denies Intoxication Charge.
DR.. Eiseman declared Houghton was
transferred because he was in need of
restraint" and CARRIED, unlike CALM
ger, was not equipped to deal with
patient OF this type. He denied hos
pital attendants told police Houghton
was intoxicated
No one here limited this to the police
who took charge of Houghton, nor is
there anything in the hospital records
to indicate he was intoxicated" said
DR.. Eiseman.
In connection with Houghton's trans
fer, DR.. E1seman said Garfield tele-
phoned Gallinger. giving brief history
OF the case, and then requested the po-
lice to take charge of the patient He
declared that, as soon as Houghton was
turned over to the officer, Garfield
Hospitals responsibility in the case
ceased"
Points 10 200 Patients.
DR.. Eiseman also pointed out Garfield
had the interest Of 200 patients to con.
slider when it asked for the transfer Of
a patient in need Of physical restraint.
Maj. Brown said the report Of Capt
Sheetz showed there was nothing
wrong in the police action In the case"
The report declared the tenth pre-
cinct had nothing to do with the case
until Houghton had been taken to Gar.
field Hospital. Investigating the acci-
dent in which the man was injured, It
said. Pvt. J. c. Daniels went to ths
hospital and was told Houghton was
intoxicated. On recommendation Of tho
hospital, the report further declared,
arrangements were made to transfer
the man to Gallinger. where 1t was
found he was suffering from Q frac.
tured skull.
Police Report Quoted.
In his report on the case, Policeman
Daniels said: 'On arrival at Garfield
Hospital Houghton became violent and
unruly and refused to submit to treat.
ment by DR.. J. A. Worley Of the hos
pital staff. DR.. Worley stated that, in
his opinion, Houghton was intoxicated
and recommended that he be trans
ferred to Gallinger. I called No. 10
precinct and asked that patrol wagon
be sent. The patrol responded, Pvt.
Bradshaw in charge In placing
Houghton in the patrol it became nee
essary to handcuf him to prevent him
doing harm to himself"
The precinct records showed Hough-
ton was booked on charge of intoxi-
cation, and named Ivor Massey of Rich
mand, Va, who was said to have been
the driver Of the car which knocked
him down, as the complainant. The
charge, however. was dropped when it
was found Houghton was suffering
from q fractured skull.