The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-06-13
A BOLD PROCEDURE.
Coroner MOsse of Rochester Falsi-
fies the Records in the Combs
Case.

ROCHESTER,. Special Telegram, June g.
Every day adds some new and startling feat
ure to She Combs murder case, and to-day 8
developments have EMBODIED within their
meshes the coroner who held the autopsy on
the murdered mans body. Dr. Mosse has
placed himself in u box, and it will take all
the ingeD uity he possesses, and more, too, to
get out of it, He has tampered with his rec
ords as coroner in come ction with this care,
and Ialsiied them. II they are not false
now, then they were false on the
day they were inserted in the book
which he Keeps for that purpose.
He was unwittingly himself the means of
causing this fact to become known. Monday
last an extract from the record of Combs
autopsy was published. Yesterday morning
Coroner Nose had copies made of what he
alleged was complete record, claiming that
The p4rt first published, was garbled. His de-
sire was to have the record published iE full,
and without attempting to see spe-
cial corresondents, although he was
aware OF their presence In town,
he sent one copy through another person to
the PIoNE. PRESS, ana the second copy he
mailed 10 4 Minneapolis paper. When to-
days PIONEER PRESS reached here it was no
ticed that what d.. Mosse sent as a correct
copy OF his record differed materially from
the original record seen and partially copied
Sunday and again inspected Sunday even
ing. On that date, June 2, th7 only record
of the case was on pages and Of the cor
oners book, aud concluded as follows:
From the statements above made it apps ars
at this time, April =. 1889, that the Ca use of
the above injuries which resulted in the
death of Taylor Combs was fall from
scaffold in the room of Ward G 3. 1t is my
opinion that such a fall was'not sufficient 10
cause the injuries found in tAe sterpum ana
chest cavity, il being more probable that the
fracture of the sternum and the resulting in
ternal hemorrh@ge was caused by the knee
or heel of the attendant or attendants above
named. There being no testimony to show
that violence was used by any party, con-
clude no to empanel jury but TO await fur
ther Developments in the case" Then fol-
lows signature: "F. B. Mosse, NJ. D. Coroner"
SUBJECT TO CRITICISM
Upon this very paragraph h was Eased con-
siderable criticism of his action, especially
regarding the manner of holding the
autopsy and strange conclusions he reached
when he found thaI Ssuch fall was not suf
ficient to cause injuries found in the
sternum" of deceased. 1t was not astonish-
ing that the pubic should have asked why
he was content with having merely made an
autopsy instead of holding a regular inquest
and making a thorough Inquiry into the cir
cumstances connected with COMBS death.
The publication of this remarkable portion
of a most remarkable record aroused the be-
lief that DIR. Mosse, as we'll IS Doctors Bow
ers and Collins, Rev. Mr.. Kerr and the at
tendants knew all the facts connected with
the tragedy within two days after it hap
peued. II was then that Coroner Mosse. see
ing the periious position in which he was
placed by his own record, went to work and
deliberately falsifed it as it appeared in TO-
Cay's PIONEER PRESS. Hence the portion
quoted above from the original rec
ord was changed to read as fol-
lows: From the statements above
made it appeared at the time, April 2,
1889, the cause of the above injuries, which
resulted in the death of Taylor Combs was
fall from scaffold i'll the room of Ward c
3. May 81, 1SS9-IL is now my opinion that
such Il fall was not sufficient to cause the
injuries found in the sternum and chest cav
ity, 1t being more probable that the fracture
of the sternum and resulting internal hem
orrhage was caused by the knee or heel of
attendant or attendants above named. There
being new testimony to show violence used
by some rarty, conclude now TO empanel
jury and to make further development of
the case" Tie whole meaning of the para
graph is changed, AMI an attempt made to
show that this Cart of the record was not
written until May 81 At the very beginning
the words "IG appears ut this time, April 2.
1888" are changed to read at appeared ut
the time, April 2, 1882" then. at the end OF
4I,.~ ln Il Nov y
is inserted in the tampered record. 1t did
not appear in the original at all. It's effect
would be to create the belief that everything
following 1t was
WRITTEN ON THAT DATE,
and in order to support the coroner's state
ment that that day he proposed to ho'd
an inquest that is necessary. There being
no testimony" is changed to read %there be-
ing no new testimony" ANY party" is made
to reat some rarty," and where the original
reads Il conclude not to empanel jury, but
to await further, developments" the garbIed
record reads Il conclude now to empanel
jury and to make further developments"
which besides being a radical change is also
very peculiar English. AS soon as these
wide Emergencies were noticed an attempt
was made to see the coroner's record book.
Dr. Mosse was found at his office, but de-
clined to show it then, pleading that there
was not time. as he was compelled to leave
at once to testify before the grind jury.
How he reached the court room is a mystery,
as reporters guarded the front entrance
awaiting his arrival, and the impression is
he was not anxious to be seen and reached
1T by roundabout road to the rear
door Meantime County Attorney Breck-
enridge was notified of the dis
covery and requested to closely
examine the record book when the doctor
produced it before the grand Jury. at is a
serious matter" said the county attorney
when the facts were fully explained to him,
%and hardly think the coroner would do
such a thing" An hour later Mosse emerged
from the jury room and hurriedly passed
down the nall and to the street, where his
carriage was standing. Once more the re-
porters confronted him and asked to see
the record book. 1t was produced and care
fuI examination OF page five showed that
the suspicious of changes having been made
Sunday were entirely correct Marks of
erasures were so plain that no expert knowi-
edge was necessary to decide they had been
made and words aud letters written in ink
appeared in bold relief. The date, May 81,
1889, had been inserted in the form of inter
lineation above the words 1T Is now my
opinion" The record now covered pages
fodr, five. SIX and seven, the matter under
date of June 8 having also been added since
Sunday.
THE DOCTOR QUESTIONED.
The reporter turned TO the doctor and OBJ
served, "That date was not there when saw
this book Sunday" "Oh, yeS, it was" he re-
piled. "But," persisted the reporter, &c was
not, and the record has been changed in
these respects" indicating the changes men,
toned above %0h, no." said DR., Mosse in
ow tone. He was pale and haggard, and
beads of perspiration were on his forehead.
aBut, doctor" said his cross-examiner, %you
will admit that your signature was Rs the
bottom of this page" pointing to the SCOT
where 1t had been erased and covered with
the words Continued on seventh page" 81
will admit nothing" the doctor answered,
and jumped into his buggy and drove away;
yet 1t was the coroner himself who Sunday