It was a scandal that just
could not be covered up.
At 9:30
p.m., Sunday evening July 20, 1884, a lady named Mrs. Peter Bradt died in the
Hamilton City Hospital.
A
friend and neighbour George Searle went to the hospital to see if he could
arrange a funeral for Mrs. Bradt, but hospital staff on duty were not co-operative,
and gave no details as to the timing of the burial as the lady would be buried
at the city’s expense in a pauper’s grave.
On Tuesday
July 22, 1884, Mrs. Bradt was buried in the section of the Hamilton set aside
for those of limited, or no means to purchase a plot, Potter’s Field.
Even at
the cemetery, friends and family sensed something was wrong and that Mrs. Bradt
had not been allowed the dignity of a proper burial. Before the coffin was
lowered into the grave, it was noticed that the lid of the plain wooden coffin
did not appear to be screwed down.
The lid
was lifted by one of the deceased’s neighbours who was outraged by what he saw.
The
body was being buried without a funeral shroud, the corpse was naked.
The
management of the City Hospital refuses to address any questions about the
matter and tried to let the matter blow over without any negative publicity.
Faint
hope that was.
Reporters
with both Hamilton city newspapers were informed about the matter and soon
everyone in Hamilton did.
Finally
on Monday August 4, 1884, a formal investigation into the incident was held.
The
full Spectator report of that investigation follows:
“The investigation
into the charges against the hospital management for allowing a corpse to be
buried without being dressed was commenced at the city hospital last evening
before the hospital committee. There
were present his worship Mayor Mason, Ald. Moore chairman, and Ald. McLagan,
Stevenson, Blaicher, Allan and Bruce.
George Searle,
the first witness, said : I live on Clarke avenue. I have to complain that Mrs.
Peter Bradt was buried without a shroud on July 22. The lid of the coffin was
not screwed down. The coffin was under a tree, and my little child lifted up
the lid. Mrs. Bradt’s remains were perfectly nude. Mrs. Bradt died on Sunday
night at 9:30. She was buried on Tuesday. When I saw her in the dead house, she
had a sheet around her. The reason I came down to the hospital was in order
that I might see about getting up a little funeral, but I could get no
satisfaction as to time.
To Ald.
McLagan – I did not use the spade to force the lid; there were no screws in the
boards; Mrs. Bradt was my housekeeper. The caretaker told me that it was a sin
to see anyone buried so, and that he would wait until I got some clothes. After
I came back from the cemetery, I said to Dr. Woolverton that it was a shame to
bury her so. He said “Why did you not marry her?” I said I could not marry her
as she was a married woman. He said “You ought to have married her.” I said “I
will let the newspapers know of this.” The doctor replied that I could go to
hell and do it.
Dr. Woolverton
here contradicted the statement, and asked to explain, but was requested to
wait until called.
Mrs. Henry
Searle was next called and said – I live on Ferrie street. The night before
Mrs. Bradt’s death I brought her down a clean night dress. She asked me before
she died to bring it. I left it in a drawer and told Mrs. Sloan it was to put
on Mrs. Bradt when required. This was on Friday and Mrs. Bradt died on Sunday.
I next saw her at the dead house. She had nothing on her except a sheet. I
asked how it was she was not washed or dressed. A man – I think it was Mr.
Young – said they did not wash or dress corpses until after the doctor had seen
them. It was on Monday. I saw the corpse. I asked if I could get a dress and
put it on her but he said no, that after
the doctor had seen her he would attend to it. I never got the clothes
back which I took.
To Ald.
Blaicher – At the time I brought the dress I did not tell any of the officials
of the institution that I left them, but the officials knew that she had
clothes. The woman I told was a patient. Mrs. Bradt took two suits of clothes
with her when she went to the hospital. When Mrs. Bradt died she had a new
wrapper, two petticoats, a shawl and a suit of underclothes. Mrs. Turner was
with me when I saw the corpse in the dead house.
Dr. White said
: I did not see the corpse. Dr. Woolverton telephoned me that Mrs. Bradt was
dead, and asked me if I wished to hold a post mortem examination. When post
mortem examinations are held it is customary for the corpses to be laid out on
the table wrapped in a sheet. Post mortem examinations are sometimes made by the
resident physician or by medical students. The records are made and kept.
Mrs. Elizabeth
Turner, No. 2 Eliza street, said : I knew Mrs. Bradt who died in the hospital;
saw Mrs. Bradt while she was sick, and again on Monday morning in the dead
house. She was stripped, but had a sheet across her. She was not washed. Mrs.
Searle was with me and asked if she might get some clothes put upon the corpse.
I was with Mrs. Searle when she brought Mrs. Bradt a night dress and chemise.
When Mrs. Searle brought the clothes,
she left them on the bed and did not tell any one about them. The man in the
dead house said the corpse would be dressed after the doctor had seen it, if
there were any clothes belonging to the deceased. Mrs. Searle told him that
there were clothes in the drawer. Mrs. Bradt went by the name of Mrs. Searle.
Mr. Young, an
attendant, said it was customary to wash patients after death and take them to
the death house wrapped in a sheet. I saw the corpse of Mrs. Bradt washed on
Sunday evening by one of the nurses. On Monday two women went to see her. They
said they had permission from the doctor to go in. They asked about her being
washed and dressed. Mrs. Bradt was clean but was not straightened because it
was impossible to get her limbs straight. I usually dress corpses the day after
death. I told the woman who offered to dress her that I would dress her after
the doctor had seen her. They told me that there was clothes for her in the
hospital, but did not say where. I made no inquiries about the clothes as I do
not generally dress female corpses. He did not tell me anything about this one.
I never knew of a case where anyone was buried without a shroud on. I was
uptown on a message for the doctor when the corpse was taken away. The first I
knew of the corpse without a shroud on was by hearing the patients talk of it
after Mr. Searle had been to the hospital. I did not believe it.
Mr. Blachford,
undertaker, said : I have the contract for burying all patients from the
hospital; have had it for about five years. I do not provide shrouds. We place
the corpses in coffins if such is not already done. We usually bring the coffin
down just in time for the funeral. The corpses are generally clothed before we
arrive. I have never known corpses to be buried naked except Mrs. Seale or Mrs.
Bradt. That was on July 22. My assistant and myself put the corpse into the
coffin. It was in a decomposed state. Mr. McMichael pointed out the body to us.
It was pinned in a sheet. We took it out of the sheet and put it in the coffin
without speaking to Mr. McMichael about it. The body was so discomposed that I
considered it best to remove it as it was. The body was too much composed to be
handled, and to be put into the coffin had to be lifted in the sheet. The lid
of the coffin was firmly screwed on and I do not know how it got opened. I did
not say that a man was drunk at the grave but at the hospital. I did not go to
the cemetery with the corpse.
John Howick,
Mr. Blachford’s assistant, said : I buried the corpse of Mrs. Searle. It was
buried naked. I never knew a corpse to be buried naked before. Mr. Blachford and I screwed the lid on. The
body was clear from the lid and could not press it open. When I got to the
cemetery, Mr. Craig told me to leave the corpse beside the grave till he
finished burying another corpse. I did so, lifting the coffin out of the hearse
by myself. When I left it there was no one around; the lid was still firmly on,
and I do not believe that a child could open it.
Alexander
Craig, caretaker of the cemetery, said : I buried the corpse of Mrs. Bradt or
Searle – she went by the name of Searle. The lid seemed to be firmly on. When I
was going to get some men to help me I saw Searle going into the free grave
yard. When I went back I met Searle who told me that the coffin lid was loose
and the corpse was in a nude state. The screws projected above the coffin lid
and must have been raised in some way either by the lid being pried up or by
some one trying to lift the coffin by the cover. I knew of one other case where
a body was buried in a nude state; it was in last May. Searle was very much excited but was not under the
influence of liquor. I made no remark to Mr. Searle about getting clothes and
did not offer to keep the body till Searle got the clothes.
Mrs. Pringle,
night nurse, said : I remember Mrs. Searle. She died at 9:10 o’clock Sunday
July 20. I washed the corpse and Mr. Young and Mrs. Steward took it away. I
washed the entire body.
Mrs. Eby, day
nurse in the women’s ward, said : Mrs. Searle brought two night dresses with
her to the hospital. I knew nothing of Mrs. Searle’s burial. I found a parcel
in Mrs. Searle’s drawer, but did not open it, as I had received no instructions
as to what it contained. Never knew a patient
to be buried without being properly dressed. The porter generally dresses the
patients, except when it is done by friends. He applies to the nurses for
clothes if they are not supplied. The parcel is still my care. I always take
charge of the clothing which patients bring in a put in the wardrobe. I take a
record of all effects and the steward takes the list for my book.
Mr. McMichael,
steward, said : I never knew a corpse to be buried naked from the hospital. I
remember when Mrs. Searle died. I and the porter carried the body from the ward
to the morgue. I never saw the body. The undertaker usually puts the corpses in
the coffins. I was at the morgue when the undertaker came to get the corpse.,
and told him which one to take. I did not know that the corpse was put into the
coffin naked. Corpses are always dressed in a shroud. I saw the sheet pinned
around the corpse, although it is generally thrown over the body after the
clothing is put on.
A long
discussion here arose as to the duties of the nurse and steward of the
hospital, and as it promised to lead to a review of the entire by-law as well
as an investigation into the duties of the officials of the institution, Mr.
Blaicher objected to the chairman investigating the duties of Mr. McMichael,
and asked that the committee keep to the main question.
Dr. Woolverton
was next called, he said : I never knew a corpse to be buried without being
dressed properly. I heard that Mrs. Searle was buried without being dressed.
Mr. Searle came down and told me, I said, I did not think it was so, to which
he replied that he knew it was so as a child had seen it. I again said I did
not believe it to be so, but would see about it. I asked him why he did not
come and see me about her. I did not tell him to go to hell, although he was
very insolent. He said he would put it in the papers, and I said he could do as
he pleased about that. I made inquiries at the hospital, but no one seemed to
know anything about it. The next day I told the porter to ask Mr. Blachford
about it. He did so and told me that Mr. Blachford said it was so. I asked Mrs.
McMichael, but she said it was the nurse’s duty to see that the body was
properly dressed and delivered to the undertaker. In case of post mortem
examinations I always instruct the porter to wash the body. If there is no post
mortem, the body is left up after being dressed until the undertaker takes
charge. It is the nurse’s duty after a death to hand the patient’s clothes over
to the steward, unless some friends claim them. On the day of the funeral, I
instructed Mr. McMichael to look after the funeral. The porter was uptown at
the time of the funeral. I did not send, but someone must have.”
The inquest
ultimately found no one to blame for the incident and no penalties or
reprimands were assigned to anyone at the hospital or the cemetery as a result
of the unfortunate occurrence.
In the court
of public opinion, however, there were many findings of guilt. Even in Toronto,
the case was reported with damaging comments about the management of the
Hamilton City hospital.
A poem on the
case was published in the Toronto World:
.
"Owed – By the Managers and
Officials of Hamilton City Hospital”
J. Keyelle
in Toronto World
She was only a woman,
hardworking and poor,
Who, in the long feud with the
wolf at the door,
Was beaten. At last, by sickness
o’erborne,
She crawled to the hospital n’er
to return.
What matter – now death has her
fast I his clutches,
Dump her into the coffin – who
cares for such wretches?
Naked came she to earth, naked
let her go,
We’re believers, and go by the
scriptures, you know.
Bare was the mute face, bare the
soft female frame,
Not a rag once spread o’er her
for pity or shame;
Thrown in like a dog, in the
rude box they made her,
With the lid loose above – in
the field thus they laid her.
Was there no one around, fifteen
cents could have spared,
For three yards of cotton, at
five cents a yard?
Just to swathe the poor body
that so late was – a woman;
For though she was poor, unlike
you, she was – human.
God! Are there no Christians in
Hamilton “town,”
Must economy so your best
feelings grind down,
That the poor, who through life
are by poverty tried,
Must of a Christian burial too
be denied?
