The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-13
EXPOSING ABUSES.
ANOTHER SESSION OF THE SENATE NvEsTI-
eating CoMAnTTEE-How THE BOARD OF
HEALTH CARES FOR SMALLPOX PATIENTS

HEALTH CARES ron SMALLPOX PATIENTS
HOW THE coRoNERs' OFFICE is RUN.
The Senate Investigating Committee resumed It's ses
SON yesterday morning at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Senators Booth and Tobey were the only members
present
Mrs. Margaret Rowland was the FIRST witness and
testified about the criminal delay OF the authorities in
removing her boy when stricken with smallpox II
four days after she had given notice before he was
removed. Her little girl was also stricken with the
same disease and conveyed to the island Mrs How
land went there to take of her children and found
that they received decent care or medical attend.
ance No physician was in attendance at night and
the poor children treated like hogs" Their food
was not ut TO eat and they had be supplied by their
father; the were very unfit persons for such
places being all convicts. Among other abuses, she
noticed white girl patient kept for three weeks in
the same bed with black one.
BURyING LIVE PERSONS
The witness knew OF cases where prisoners had been
from the wards tho deadhouse before they had
ceased breatho mother lifted the sheet from the
face of her child just 1t being taken the dead
house, and the child still breathing; clean bed
clothes could only be got by paying for them, and
they we're only changed once In three weeks
The boy corroborated the testimony of his
mother When he wanted drink of water at
night, and asked the orderly for it, the lat
ter would at him and threaten to put
him in a strait-jacket if he troubled him any fur
Their" There but orderly to attend to sixty.
four patients at night
Fogarty keeper of the deadhouse, affirmed that it
was not true that he of the other keepers neg
lected their duties, and asserted that somebody was
always at tho Morgue
CORONER ANTHONY ErcKHoFF
testified that the of 500
lows;-Ten dollars for holding the inquest proper and
viewing the body; So for summoning the jury and SIS
for filing the inquest He summoned from nine to
fifteen jurors but generally used only six The Coroner
admitted that in the case OF every sborn child and
death from smallpox So charged for summoning
the jury while Mr. Davenport thought this wasted
money and limited that in such the jury was only
summoned to enlarge the fee
Coroner Eickhof professed absolute ignorance re-
garding the use of fictitious names for nquests He
did not know of any where persons served under
tho same Christian name but used different surnames
The Coroner said he never paid anything to jurors
RIDDLE.
Mr. Davenport-Why they then so anxious to
server
The Coroner-I do not know that they are
Mr. Davenport-Wel, why then do certain names ap-
pear SO often on the juriesH
The CorQner-S0metInes when think IL is diflcult
to obtain jurors take two three along with me-
Coroner Eickhoh then gave an accurate account of
the ONCE routine, and SAID all receipts, after
deducting the expenses divided equally be-
tween the Coroners Very often the Deputy Coroner
was the only witness, and even then they summoned
jury at the rate OF 50; his income about S13 600
year, out of which So 900 81 600 had be paid for
expenses his deputy Marsh, only received 81 900 as
fees.
Senator Tobey--Do you think the fees are too high
or too low?
Coroner Eickhof-I think they are neither too high
too low; they are just about right
The Coroner admitted that it possible for cor
rupt deputy to give false opinion in order to misead
the jury and that such had occurred in this city
Mr. Davenport-In view of these cases do you still
think the practice OF having an attending physician
whose livelihood is dependent upon the Coroner good
one?
Coroner EickhoG-Yes sir; think it is better than
having outside physician.
umoUiToUs scHwEG.
Mr. Davenport-Do you know man named Schweig?
Coroner Eickhon-Yes, sir.
Mr. Davenport-How often has he served your
juries
Coroner Eickhof-Finy times perhaps He was a
clerk for the Society of Civil Engineers to go
out with me on Sundays. He was living in my neghbor-
hood.
Mr. Davenport-In how many cases was he foreman I?
Coroner Eickhof-I really cannot tell
Mr.. Davenport-Was Mcdonald, the Morgue keeper,
an intelligent mani
Coroner EickhoG- He did not seem TO be stupid 1T
will be remembered that he arrested for unmen-
Mr. Davenport-What would you think OF Coroner
who was in the habit Of summoning himY
Coroner Eickhof-Well really cannot tell.
Mr. Davenport-How do you account for the similar
ity of the handwriting different inquest papers be-
tween various names, the family name being the same
while the Christian names varyY
Coroner Eickhof-Yes have noticed IL frequently
and spoken of it as strange circumstance but cannot
account for it, | hare also noticed the similarity of
various signatures on the same inquest paper.
Mr. Davenport-Have you any suggestions to make ?
The Coroncr-l think the Coroner ought to have tho
power of issuing his commitments Immediately when
we have received notice Of homicide This power we
assume now, although do not possess IL by statute
1t would also be better If compelled to let
the ures view tho bodies for that necessates their
summoning long before the inquest generally begins
think 1t would be very we'll to have stenographer
for the Coroners ONCE and 1t would also be preferable
in my opinion, If the Office a salaricd one.
Senator Tobey-What salary would you suggestf
The Coroner-I should think $1,000 a year. They
certainly ought to receive as much most Of the in
fcrior Judges in this city.
Senator Tobey-Do you know that tho Judges OF the
Court OF Appeals only receive SO, 500 year?
The Coroner-No, sir; but the salaries here
higher owing 10 the greater expense OF living
Mr. pavcnport-What are your powers Of admitting
TO bai9
The Coroner-We bail all cases except those for
homicide.
Mr. Davenport-The case OF Croker was the only one
in which bail was taken,
''DFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES"
The Coroner-Well, think the circumstances In Chat
different
Testimony then offered by Colonel Mckay, OF the
Comptrolers Office to show that only fourteen
quarter of 1875. Mr.. Davenport wanted to show by
this small number OF important cases that stenog-
rapher unnecessary
The committee adjourned at this point till Thursday
morning at halfpast ten O'Clock.