The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-03-28
THE TRUTH At LAST.
Coroner's Inquest on the Case of
Mrs. Rose Young.
POLICE TELEGRAPHER CENSUREO.
eulcs and Practice in the Police Force as 10
Disposition Of COrpSes.

Coroner Croker commenced yesterday morning at
steven O'Clock the inquest In the Of Rose Young,
be lady who found drowned at pier 10 East River
last Tuesday afternoon. Tho circumstances in the
and the outrageous negligence of Tho authorities
in allowing the body to remain in the water nearly
twentyfour hours tie discovery have already been
related at length A large crowd of citizens were In
attendance inquest and listened to the evidence
with the most intense interest.
THE TESTIMONY
Roundsman Curtin, of the Harbor Police, testified to
having discovered the body in the slip between piers
IL and 15 East River, about quarter before two
O'Clock p. NJ lghterman was holding the body with
boat hook; the roundsman took charge OF the body
towed IL to the bukhoad Wall street and made II
fast to the PIER he sent of his TO the station
house in the precinct to notify the officers there
TO send word to Seneca police boat this done
nj ivc minutes before two O'Clock p ~. the drowned
woman had pocketbook grasped her hand which
witness took charge OF and opened in the presence of
others; he found in it fifty cent silver piece and
small com, with pawn ticket; the the ticket
was Young; envelope in the pockctbook the
name Edward Young; sent another messenger at four
O'Clock r. NJ to the First precinct station house to
notify tho Coroner; did not notify tho Coroners
once at first because my instructions are
10 notify the Seneca whenever a body is
found as soon possible. and then the
officer in command takes tho necessary stops to have
The body removed; my had charge of the body up
TO the time removed; receive my instructions
from the captain OF Seneca this is the rst body
have ever found in the water; If saw person
over and killed in the street, would Immediately
word to The station house for stretcher and
the body there, but did not think my orders would
Justify me adopting tho same course with body
found in the water.
Thomas Wilson. the lightcrman, who secured tho
Ho
that he had notified policeman the dock, who
came on the lighter and viewed the body and then
ashore: then a river policeman came and took charge
of the corpse 1t had come from under the pier
with the tide.
Captain james Irving ofthe Hnrbor Police, said that
nc lott pier 43 North River to along his post,
which cover both rivers, at about forty minutes
past O'Clock 7. NJ. Al six O'Clock he learned that
the body OF Mrs Young had been found and that the
Central Police Office had been notified
Sergeant Smith, OF the First precinct, testified to
having received, at twenty five minutes past two
O'Clock P. NJ, the following despatch:-
To THs FIyrn PREoIscr, ron PoLIcE Boar SENECA
Roundsman CURTIN
photographed this despatch TO the Fifth precinct
received in return signal which meant that the des
patch had been received all right and would be at
tended TO; at quarter to five O'clock p. NJ another
officer attached TO the Harbor Police and handed
me the following dcspatch:-
To CENTRAL OrFicE:-
Notify Coroner we have dead body In the Pier
JAMES IRVING, Captain Twenty fourth Precinct
This despatch sent to the Central ONCE and
reached there at fifty minutes past four p NJ / re-
ceved notice from any officer OF the First precinct
John T. Toal Clerk of the Coroners Office tostiled:-
At fifty five minutes past four 7. NJ, received the
notice from the First precinct about the finding OF the
body sent back the despatch to Police Headquarters
back almost Immediately that they did not know; then
wrote the following despatch to the office of Charities
and Correction, No 66 Third avenue and sent IL to
Police Headquarters for transmission
Remove dead body Of from Pier Is East River to
Signed for Coroner. J. T. ToAL.
book 1t for granted that the despatch had been sent
through as they always are and closed up the olce
leaving about fifteen minutes past i've the next
morning the regular police notice brought 10 the
pnice stating that the body pier 10 East River
but without giving the name, simply saying it wal
the body of a female about thirty years Of age. MT
Toal also found on his desk note as foows:-
body Of drowned woman lying at pier Is East River
'A''N ~' ~ So EDWARD YOUNG.
yhis one second the list; the usual hour for the
Coroner nrst to leave the Office Is eleven O'Clock
Ihe Coroner left some little time alter eleven and in
lbout minutes after the Coroner had lett the hus-
band of the drowned woman came IN and told tho
senger, Mr. Healy that the body had been removed ;
witness then sent Mr.. Healy TO No 247 East Third
notify Coroner Croker that the body had been
removed to the Morgue; the husband left the cnco
Here juryman asked OF Coroner Croker Ibid not
the police authorities have power to remove the body
Tho Coroner-Yos, they have done lots of times
before
James A. McGrath, tho telegraph operator at Police
Headquarters was next called He was duty Tues
day afternoon from one O'Clock TO seven; at five min
utcs past five he received Mr. Toal's despatch 10 the
Commissioners OF Charities and Correction asking
them to remove the body; 81 was busy at tue time, F"
sand the witness land did not even read the despach
placing the message the table OF OF the nstru-
mcnts; about SIX O'Clock look up this message and
read II through and understood its purport but sup.
posed II then too late 10 send to No 90 Third
nuc Mr.. Crowley called No SO Third avehue at
about i've minutes past SIX O'Clock, and, to my sur
prise, got an answer, and sent two messages, one
from the Twenty ninth and one from the sixteenth,
the last being Tor the dead wagon, then asked Mr.
Cox he knew what the OF the body pier No Is
was and he said he did not then told the operator
nj No 90 Third avenue TO wait few minutes. Cox
then elegraphed TO the First precinct to ind tho
of the body and the answer was returned that 1t
was woman ! then told Cox 10 CAL No. o6 Third
avenue again and send this message; no called four or
Eve times but received response and could send
tho message; the message was hen lett over until tho
next morning az forty seven minutes past eight, when
Al point the jury took OF half hour
AFTER THE RECESS
Thomas Cox, Jr was lrst cailcd. He is assistant
telegraph operator at Police Headquarters. lie
ned 10 having received the despatch from the FIRST
precinct 10 the boat thrty-one minutes past
Two O'Clock r. NJ in which Il was stated that Tic body
of dead woman was at pcT No. 10 East River; he re-
turned an answer that they should send The message
% the Fifth precinct that evening the operator.
NcGrath, asked him whether IL was a man or woman
pier No Is East River witness had forgotten all
about receiving the first message, ana sent another
message asking whether the body was that OF man or
woman; the reply was that u was woman on re-.
bclVlng answer ne Callcu VI
Correction but eot no answer, he did not send the
message Tor the uead wagon this was al sixteen min
ntes past O'Clock.
BY Juror-why didn't you send nj once on recciv-
Ing the despatch, at thirty ono minutes past Two
O'Clock p. NJ for the dead wagon9
Answer-We had no order; that message was only
for the police boat to 70 10 that precinct
James Crowley. superintendent OF The Police Iele-
graph Headquarters testified that lac stepped into tho
Telegraph oihcc Headquarters at ten minutes past
Ave p NJ last Tuesday; found McGrath sending out a
on8 order OF superintendent Wang's, winch IL was
necessary TO transmit more than hall the stations
tsked hcGratn u he had any unfinished business on
hand and told him II so attend TO II AZ once and let
the supcriaendents order 60 until night II was OF
Iuch nature that II could remain over McGrah III
Iormcd him that all the finished; at A.
lcen minutes past i've was called BY the sixteenth
precinct; answered the signal and received the mes