New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-15
A CORONER'S EXPERIENCE
SOME PHASES OF THE DARK SIDE OF LIFE
ONE Days woRK-FTsprNG JURYMEN-scESEs Al
THE MoRGuE-sUICIDEs.

,or, uec ma a we'll "A queer life. Have you any douot
about ltt Listen and will show you that what say
| ia true"
Tho looked serious and tired II by
the recollection Of the trials Of long day In md-sum-
| rner witch he was about to relate.
| I've set ont early IN the morning." he resumed.
first going Baxterst to look after the case OF
| child which had died without medical attendance.
From there we went to cheap dgng house In wafer
at where we found man dead IN his bed. Alcohol bad
killed him Drink the great destroyer among people
who lodge In these housesin fact among tho poorer
| elnsses lin all parts of the city Cherry-st
| was next visited. where q child was accidentally
| scalded while It's mother was washing - elotnes'
| In East Broadway woman bad fallen into the
back yard while engaged In hanging out clothes at win
dow and mad received serious injuries. The next case
was TINT OF child of poor family living in Chryste-
st. that had died OF eject On the same day an old
woman seventy had died without the attendance or
| physician which occurs quite frequently among the
poorer classes "a 10 generally believed that physt
tnord little assistance TO old man or woman
reached the Morsue there six or eight cases
there requiring attention. These disposed OF. We made
way TO basement In West 5sventeenthst.. where
found old the dead body OF her daugh-
| ter Isho wonld not believe that her daughter was
dead and at first Indignantly denied that the dead
woman had led n disspatcd life; but when questioned
closely she admitted that daughter had been in the
habit OF ndulng IN drink. THIS not the last
It. In Thirty st. In q tenement,
found who had fallen down stairs while IN
toxicated anil had fractured her skull Al house
that building IN one-hGndred-gnd-forty nfthst.
man had fallen from scalod and received fatal In
jures. Then wo went 10 Observation-Disclosures
The case there that Of child that had fallen
through grating We could do moro that day. II
was quite dark"
"what Is the average number Of cases diy that
quire official investigsti0nf"
THE average IL about twelve day. There many
more In summer than in winter"
"what Ia the nature of most OF tbs cosesi"
NEARLY onehaf OF thcm deaths occurring without
medical Attendance During the summer months great
many OF the those of young children whose
mothers are ignorant and incapable Of caring for them
properly. All OF death which accidental the
Of which not known. fall TO the AMI
must be investigated by him. The goes the
spot where the death occurred views the body and OBJ
tAius what Information ne can from people living IN the
nsighbornood. The next step to empanel a jury"
How arc tho jurymen selected"
In extreme cases tho Jurymen picked up the
street-tAOse being taken who first met In cases
where expert medical testimony TO be given jury Is
usually Composed of scians The primary object OF
the Investigation "a 90 nnd the OF death; and
sssSndaiy, the person wac caused IT, II r ID not en-
not difficult to get trustworthy testimony among
| tie poorer CLASSICAL
at Is impossible 70 arrive st safe conoluson withou,
exercising the utmost care People see the SAND
thing tel most conflicting stories ana do this honestly
because they see differently. Besides many Ignorant
persons refuse to tell what they know They are afraid
OF getting lnto .Ime diieulty-they don't know what.
| :. In IN wa" a cAses are autopsies made :"
In ai cases Of murder In order that adctsed descrp.
uon OF Tue wound causing death may given also In
ses OF e5n negsenee and In of accident
= are auiopsles.gonorIly opposed by relatives and
=" inyarisbly The men are sulky threatening and
Sometime bsyn 'Hs sa, nnef. and cry hysteTay
had 10 stand guard wbio the deputy CORNER was ~
gagged Ia making the autopsy" va
Are there many oases OI death In the street 70
"5eyera month. / have had a number of casoa n,
statsns OF the elevated ads death being caassd BY
after train. One OF the most interesting oasss thai
ever had was that OF ayoans found In Fifth.
in Forty 81 lie was nne nure aud was fashion,
ably dressed Wsen went to tho house of family
with violent oppoatlon. coroner always oppoSed
more OF lee: ne goes but no meets with the
because they dislike pubhciy. saw from the yonna,
mans appearance that no had been intcnperate When
isuggested drink as the probable cause there Was
al indignation among the members OF his family
oasd % make an sutOpsy the desired ssSssi
he young mans rather ssid mis- son had been toDa
Of bis oaps anu Mad attended eonviyia party ON tue
death was produced py choking. indireo, sansod by
drnk THESE scenes took place amid tne m ln xi,ros
surrounding Here IA penelcs OF another sop.
went one day into BASEMENT IN one OF the wosss
down OF stairs that seemed tho point OF Siyias
way s1Ss5 % S,m az ssia a's P me ooa
spns tme for the eye to become used 60 tne place so
thai Objects could be distinguished. end wss wing
dead table, laid out In lnannsr and ca veraS
with cloth. Tho mother ling near n with
Der Lead resting on on, .he table All COMPASSION her
go muen under tue influence OF liquor size could NOT
sSIS 'r 20 n her skirt. .s ss's rnrsn were
! aud fright. The father was YIN: On ths esi
dead drunk. The cnid's death was cav Nv s" o, poe
Iln on by It's mother tho Night r,, ~ I',, 80
| VIA a s,upor from drink" w ~
| "DO many children meet their death Ia this wuyi"
"AmOng the poorer classes women Mia ar, a., thu
habit OF drinking 10 frequently s on mar cS
dxen In bed, ana crush and smother them TO deala
| as lnfanucde OF frequent occurrence a.
"Thsre Are great many moro cases OF infanticide
than are discovered but Infants found almost every
week IN suspicious places. Formerly their naked bocs
were often found IN vacant lots aud is not now un.
common for regplckers who dig In ash Darres carly i
"What Is done with tnesc bodice q"
"They are sent 10 the Morgus"
ia any investigation maae by tho Coronerp,
An o Ia asay made Tor the purpose of
ience OF whether 1t came TO ITS death naturally"
"where 40 most cases OF suicide occurf'
moro frequently IN hotels ana boarding houses tnan else.
e How do You account for thisp
ors n suicide go to hotel because
among their friends When u man s In his rom M
hotel lie Is as secluded from the world as he can
sa get ossn. uDun himself most sss
great many cases Of accidental deaths also occnr IN
coal coal, sas.'' - 40, -" ''"''" w inaailns
when DO you have the largest number of death. In
"rhe rivers give up their dead in May Some OF ths
bodies which then CONE " tue srfaco been In tho
water SIX eight and ten months. They are in harr,h
condition. sometimes an arm IL gone or leg. or ihe
head Ia denuded or the SCALP and hair FrroentIr ,he
body bears evidence OF having struck 6y ths nsa
die wheel OF steamer or OF having been gnswea bv
Aah. body that has been In tho water a lons ti". y
easily Identified The only means OF idenrscs a -
\ IA what clothing may 90 left ths body or soma
the neck or hand" S ''' ""
care welldressed people often found IN the rat.rr
"There many OF people found In rbs rv.-
and bay who belonged 70 the best GLASSES put
caaes those of sailors and men ysriousIv ~
Wong shore Most Of those deaths tnR are
| taij bone, however, ara oases OF sulcide." 'A'
what bodies are taken 20 the Morxuetn
AL bodies found In the gyer arc taken 10 An uo-.x
for Qualification. and n not claimed thew srs