AN ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM. James B. Haddon, a man of refinement and education, must be allowed to tell his own story. Two of his children, a daughter of ten and a son of eight years old are with him. He says that a third daughter six years of age is living with his sister in Canada, that he is a Canadian Protestant, but has lived. fourteen years in the United States; that he has been a successful banker and broker, has lived in a suburb of Boston in his own house surrounded by luxury, but that in the panic of 1893 he met with heavy losses. He had previously placed his property in his wife's name and that of her father. When the crisis came she refused to curtail the household expenses and when he attempted to sell the carriage and horses his fatherin-law and wife interfered. The former, in a personal altercation, struck him, causing an injury to his head which kept him more than a month in a hospital. When he returned to his home his wife and all the household goods had disappeared, and the children had been left with a neighbor. The wife had gone to an unknown address with a man whom he considered his friend. As his house had not been sold, he and his children continued to live there until 1898, when he moved to New York, placing the youngest child with his sister in Canada.

No help is given him by the members of his family and since coming to New York he has managed to live by pawning and selling articles of clothing, and designing and writing advertisements. He has depended upon his oldest daughter for the sale of these as his own health was not good and he could not go about with them. This was two

years ago. cles of clothing for the children, and rent was provided while an investigation was being made. Mr. Haddon had a number of patents and inventions upon which he expected to realize a comfortable amount. He stated that his pride would not allow him to meet in his poor rooms the men of mind and ability who would appreciate the inventions, and he had not the strength to go out and interview them in their own offices. After an examination by a physician he was found sufficiently improved in health to get about and repeated efforts were made for him to go with a representative of the society to a business house where he could present his patents, but from time to time he deferred it, and finally said he would need no further aid, so much had been done for him he was unwilling to increase the obligation.

Aid in food, some arti

In the latter part of December, 1898, he reported to us that he had interested in his invention one who would give him four hundred dollars in weekly installments of fifty dollars, and that he hoped to raise several thousand dollars within a few months and would then go to a warmer climate for his health.

In the investigation, one of Mrs. Haddon's friends testified that she believed her to be an innocent, injured woman. This friend of the wife considered Mr. Haddon unscrupulous, and made several charges against him. She also stated that Mrs. Haddon was earning her own. living in Nova Scotia. Mrs. Haddon's father reported that his son-inlaw had treated his family brutally. A banker in Boston considered Mr. Haddon and his brother, who had previously been his tenant, unscru

pulous men. It was believed they had kept a "bucket "bucket shop." In contradiction to this, one of Mrs. Haddon's relatives expressed the greatest sympathy for Mr. Haddon, claiming that his wife and the man for whom she left him were responsible for his troubles and that he was a gentleman in all respects, honest and faithful to his family. A lady who had been a near neighbor of the family considered that Mr. Haddon had been much abused. She stated that Mrs. Haddon was her husband's inferior in all respects, was unaccustomed to money, and his prosperity was disastrous to her; she neglected her home and children, and finally became disloyal to her husband. The informant saw the

father-in-law strike Mr. Haddon as the latter had reported. The quarrel took place in the grounds of the house, near the stable. It was also stated that after living a few months with the man who took her away, Mrs. Haddon went with her father to her former home "down east."

In the two years Mr. Haddon has become more helpless and irritable,

and even less able to care for his children. He is determined not to give them up, declaring that he will commit suicide the moment that is done. He is morbid and unfit for any kind of useful labor. His means are entirely exhausted.

Queries: What influence should the fact that a destitute family is of superior intelligence and refinement have upon its treatment by relief agencies? Should our sympathies be aroused more by the pathetic downfall of a man who has once been a member of the stock exchange, or by the heroic struggle of a family which has been poor but in

which there are promising children likely under favorable conditions to make a success in life? Should Mr. Haddon's children be taken from him in spite of his threat of suicide, or should relief be provided in sufficient amount to enable him to employ a housekeeper? Should any further attemot be made to fix responsibility for the separation of the husband and wife, and if she is of good character should the children, if possible, be placed in her charge?

ALLEGED ABUSES AT BELLEVUE.

There has been considerable comment in the press recently on alleged abuses at Bellevue Hospital. The patients in the insane and alcoholic wards it is claimed have suffered cruel treatment at the hands of the nurses.

The charges of cruelty in the alcoholic ward have been preferred against the nurses by Mr. Thos. J. Wright who was a patient in this

ward from November 11 to December 16. Hon. John W. Keller has had special investigation made of those charges, and he finds that some who have been patients in this ward claim to have received excellent treatment, while others report that the charges made of cruelty are true. Upon the strength of evidence received, Mr. Keller suspended six of the nurses in this ward who will now

receive the consideration of the authorities of the Mill's Training School for Nurses. Methods of dealing with them later on the part of the Commissioner will depend upon whether or not the attitude

taken by the authorities in this school is satisfactory to him.

The recent death of Mr. Lewis Hilliard in the insane ward has revealed facts of a more serious nature. It is claimed that the autopsy held by Coroner Donlan revealed the fact

that Hilliard died from strangulation; that his larynx was crushed and three ribs broken.

Mr. Keller gave a hearing on December 17 to the three nurses who were restraining Hilliard when the above injuries were inflicted, after which they were dismissed from service. Mr. Keller stated, "I do not know whether or not those men are guilty of the death of Hilliard. This is not a matter to come before this inquiry. It is a matter of maintaining the discipline of the institu

tion.

The rules state that under no circumstances must there be brutal treatment of patients. It is clear that these nurses have violated this rule, and I dismiss them from service." At the present time the three nurses are on bail of $1,000 each, pending an inquest to be held by Coroner Fitzpatrick on December 27th.

In the future the nurses in these wards will be responsible to a graduate nurse who has been appointed in each case as well as to the Superintendent of the Mill's Training School for Nurses. Dr. Schultze has been appointed as inspector in both wards.

Mr. Keller is making further investigations of the affairs at the hospital, after which the State Board of Charities may or may not make an investigation, which will depend

upon their satisfaction of the thoroughness of the one now being instituted, a special committee having been appointed at the last meeting of the Board, with authority to investigate.

We note that in the last annual report of the New York County. Visiting Committee of the State

Charities Aid Association the following comments, among others, are made on the alcoholic wards: "The alcoholic wards are too frequently used by habitual offenders as a convenient place to which to go for shelter, food, and medical treatment. The frequent changes in the nurses and physicians (every six weeks) make it all the more possible for rounders to escape recognition. . For this reason it is suggested that there should be a permanent physician for the alcoholic wards so that by a more intimate knowledge of the inmates a better system of dealing with this class might be devised, and the same persons should not be allowed to come in again and again at pleasure."

Inquiry at the office of the State Charities Aid Association elicits the further fact that some seven months ago, in sending in its regular report

the Commissioner of Public Charities upon the condition of the institutions under his charge, this committee strongly recommended to Commissioner Keller that a resident physician be employed in the pavilion for the insane. We are inclined to think that if these recommendations had been acted upon, the recent events, which constitute such a serious reflection upon the institution, would not have occurred.

day because of their gifts, we send again the ringing message which we quoted a year ago from the leader of the Salvation Army-We wish you good luck, in the name of the Lord.

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On the twentieth inst. Governor Roosevelt removed from office Dr. Peter M. Wise, president of the State Commission in lunacy. The Governor filed a memorandum setting forth his reasons for the removal, which were, in brief, that Dr. Wise had solicited subscriptions from his official subordinates to the Copper Hill Mining Company, of which he was president; and that he had been financially interested in a company which had been permitted to erect an artificial ice plant on the grounds of the Long Island State Hospital at Flatbush. The Governor stated that in making the removal he took into consideration nothing but the statements and admissions of Dr. Wise in his conversations with the Governor on December 10 and II. Portions of the stenographic report of these conversations were given out from the Executive Chamber after the formal hearing on December 20, almost immediately after which the Governor announced the removal. In a public statement issued December 22, Dr. Wise complains that he was not treated fairly by the Governor, and that the admissions which he made in his conversations with the Governor do not sustain the conclusions which the Governor draws

therefrom, and upon which the removal was based.

A careful reading of all that has appeared in the public press on this subject tends to the conviction that Dr. Wise had sustained financial relations with certain of his subordinates, and did have a financial interest in the company which erected an experimental ice plant at the Long Island State Hospital, which were improper, and which, if made the basis of formal complaint to the Governor, and sustained, could hardly lead to any other result than that which has occurred.

At the same time it should not be overlooked that Dr. Wise has been a most useful public servant for a long period of years, that both in the development of the St. Lawrence State Hospital, of which he was the superintendent during its formative period, and later in his work as president of the Commission in Lunacy, he has had the most grave responsibilities, affecting vitally the well-being of many thousands of insane patients and the expenditure of several millions of dollars annually; that these responsibilities have been discharged, on the whole, in a manner which is generally believed to have been efficient and satisfactory; that the state hospital system has never been more highly regarded than at the present time, and has never been conducted at so low an expense per capita; and finally that the offenses for which Dr. Wise has been removed, and