The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-27
DIR. WILLIAM JAHN'S DEATH.
WARMTH IN THE CORPSE AFTER THE
OPENING or 1HE COFFIN
A Startling Discovery Made In the Morrue-
The Hands CIenched ns though the Man
Had Struggled for Life In "a Living Tomb.

The Hands CIenched though the Man
Had Struggled for Life In n Living Tomb.
The body of DIR. William jain, the vete-
rinary surgeon who took poison in his room
at 73 West Forty-fourth street on Saturday
morning. is still in the Morgue. Mrs. McLaugh-
lin. tho landlady. found DR.. jain unconscious
on his bed. thought that he was sick. because he
was very pale and she sent neghbor for
physician. She does not remember the
name or address OF the physician who
said that Dr. jain was dead. They felt
his hands and found them cold and noticed
the deadly pallor Of his cheek. When
Capt. Mount was summoned. a Sergeant at
o'clock sent signal 1859 to the Police Central
Onice. which means Sendth dead wagon up"
This signal was followed by 1884. which means
" 1t is the body of n man" These signals were
transmitted to the office OF the Department ot
Charities and Correction. Mt Eleventh street and
Third avenue. and Daniel Russel. the driver Of
tho dead wagon. took DR.. Jahns body away mt
about II o'clock. He had no other authority TO
do so than the signals 1859 and 2,3Si. Russell
then went io the New York Hospital for a body:
70 the Founding icspital IN Sixty.third street
tion for n body. and To- Forsyth street. whore
he finished his days. work. He reached Belle
WAS WAS Eid marSed "a West Fortyiourih % street lie
did not know the name Of the man whose body
i contained. nor any fact concerning his
death The body was placed in the dead house
i Sun reporter saw Assistant Burke in the
Morgue at P. NJ. To inquiries about DR.; Jahn.
scripton had reached the Morgue. The r.;
porter said that the body had been removed
from the boarding house in the morning
Burke found John Fogarty another assistant
who had been on duty all day. FogHry looked
over tne books but could not lind DR., Jahn's
name, Ihe reporter stlll lnsisting thM tne
body had been removed to the Morgue. Burke
led the WAY 20 that depositary. Seeing IN chalk
ia West Forty-fourth street on coffin. the
reporter called Burkes attention 10 1t, saying
that 1t was Dr.. Jahns address. Burke. not
finding any name on the books tallying with
that coffin. forced the lid open. One OF the
hands OF the dead man was clenched and raised.
The face was purple with the blood that had
rushed TO the head, and the contents Of the
stomach covered the bottom Of the coffin. Burke
examined the body. and finding II sun warm,
sw2bd wbdr man h@s , pot been deqd i9ni
was pronounced dead at o'clock in the morn
ing. Burke thought that 1t was impossible.
owing q the heat Of the body.
Mr.. White. Superintendent Of the Morgue.
said: received that coffin AT about o'clock
on Saturday afternoon. There was no name on
the cOilln .I had not been notified OF death in
that neghborhood. The law is strict on the
subject OF death. Il distinctly says that a
In this case there was neither IA Coroners per-
nit nor police permit. nor even the usual tele-
graph order. All the other cases brought in
that day mad the usual official blanks flled in,
Russel on,y I'd his duty. He obeyed the call
Why" Mr. White continued on Monday.
| the 2Oth. ! received the body OF Lawrence
schmidt who died in the New York Hospital.
| There was no bur al permit accompanying II.
and. naturally thinking IL WIS a CorOner's case.
kept II here. The body decompossd rapidly.
| and. knowing that | could not keep II any
| longer sent an assistant to the Coroner S
! Office to inquire into the case. He came back
with the permit. saying that the Coroner nad
| forgotten all about the case. These cases are
| only too frequent. II is not long since that my
assistant Burke, came running 10 me and ex-
GS%sd n d Mr White M ,Se ge%an c sat Is
! brought tn l saw the lips move. the hands
| and legs twtch. and sent at once for the ply ST.
| clans. They poured whskey down her throat
and applied the galvanic battery. but TO no
effect Or. Jann may haVc been another OF
| those cases. He WIS hastily removed. owing.
perhaps. 20 his landiady not wishing to keep
! that IL was great error on somebody : part To
remove the body without the regular official
permit. have not yet received the permit"
! Capt. Mount said: | was first netlil-d Of the
case at g. and sent officer to the station to re-
| port the matter to my Sergeant. The dead
| wagon was seut for nj 9. and at 10 min - past
| 10 the following notice was sent to the CCIOners
| ONCE from this station:
| "AtsA VI. wuliam Jahn. aged 50 white German vet
ertnarN surgeon. was found dead IN bed.
There is n rule in the Police Department
| which instruets Us TINT we shall not leave the
| body Of a suicide until the Coroner has seen it
| be- removed from the house whore the suicide
! was committed without the police being first
! notified. In the case Of DR.. jain. however. this
| does not seem 10 have begu done"
| Coroner Ellinger could not be found yester-
| day. Tho Reporter. however. ascertnned that
| DR.. Goldschm.dt. early yesterday morning. and
| made post-mortein eNanlulailon oi the body.
| In his certificate he says that DR.. Jahn died
| Of an overdose Of cyanide of potassium. not
| from prussic acid. as WAS first asserted.
| Dr. jain MAS a poWeriuly-bult man. In n
eiirr on lls tahT ne sald mat ne TOOK Two grains
q morphine ON Wednesday and four grains on
/ Thursday ulgit.