Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-15
DEATH FROM MENINGITIS.
Inquest Over the Body of Officer
Reilly Today.

died, decided not to hold an inquest and there
being nothing to interfere with the funeral
Maj Moore issued general order directing a
detail of twenty-tour officers to escort the re-
mains to the depot.
&The order reads as follows:
1T is with great regret the major and super
intendent announces to the department the
death of Private James z. Reilly, which oc-
Cured Wednesday afternoon after brief ILL
ness. He was appointed to the force March 5,
1854. and performed efficiently and courage
ousIy all the duties pertaining to his position"
THE FUNERAL RITES POSTPONED.
The body was prepared for burial by Under
taker Wright and the pail bearers-Offcers
Daley, Blaisbell, Gantz, Kendig, Moreland, and
Denny, the members of the detail and Prof.
Eibners band went to the house where the
priest was waiting to read the burial service.
All was in readiness to perform the last rites
OF the church over the remains, when
word came that the funeral would have to be
postponed 10y order Of Coroner Patterson. This
added to the grief OF the PROSTATE wife, but az
the law had to take its course there was no
room for objection, and the friends of the fam
ny present vailed until some more definite in
formation WAS received. Information soon
reached them that an autopsy would be made
Lieut. Heffner broke the news to the dead OIL
GERS wife, but she insisted that it should not be
done.
THE DEATH CERTIFICATE.
When it had been decided last evening that
an inquest would not tbe held Police Surgeon
Henderson gave q certificate of death as fol-
lows: "Date Of death, November IS; name of
deceased James E. Reilly; sex, male; age,
thirty-eight years; color white; married; occu-
patton policeman; birth place, New York; du-
ratiQn OF residence in D. c., six years; nativity
OF father, Ireland; nativity Of mother, Ireland;
place OF death, 224 R street. Cause of death
First, primary, confusion (occiput); second,
(immediate), meningitis"
The certificate was handed to Undertaken
Wright, as Is the custom, and this morning ne
went with 1t to the health Office and obtained
the necessary permit to remove the body to the
Baltimore and Ohio depot.
THE CORONER DECIDES TO HOLD AN INQUEST.
Coroner Patterson was at the health Office
soon after the undertaken left there and when
he saw the certificate he was not satisfied to
allow the removal and burial Of the body with
out judicial lnvestlgatlon. Lieut.. Heffner was
then notified to stop the funeral
In view OF the statement made by the de-
ceased when he was taken home the policemen
generally were much surprised when they
learned that no investigation was to be made.
Most of the officers believe that Reilly made a
truthful statement of the affair, for they say
that be was a man of good character and could
always be depended upon to tell the truth.
DR.. Schacffer, the deputy coroner, was sent
for TO make the autopsy and the officers of the
second precinct were notified to summon q
jury to hold an inquest at the station shortly
after the autopsy.
The action OF the coroner in stopping the
funeral caused some excitement in the neigh
borhood where the deceased resided and the
citizens gathered on the sidewalks in front of
their houses and discussed the situation.
THE AUTOPSY AND THE INQUEST.
Notwithstanding Mrs. Reilly's objections
DIR. Schaoffer appeared at the house and per-
formed the autopsy in the presence of DIR.
Morse and the coroner. Sergeant DuvalI then
summoned the following jury of inquest: Jas.
II. Maxwell, j. .. Withers, Phil Reynolds,
Howard Brooks, Meyer Fish and John Noel
The jury met at the second precinct at IL 80
o'clock and heard the testimony. Some delay
was experienced because there was not Bible
to be found in the police station on which to
| swear the witnesses.
OFFICER REILLY WAS NOT DRUNK WHEN INJURED
Policeman William CAN'T testified that he
left the second precinct station with Officer
Reilly Saturday evening about 6:l5 O'Clock.
They walked along 9Th to the corner of O street.
There they turned and walked as far as wit
ness house, No. AIS Q street Officer Reilly
| had bunch OF flowers and witness called his
(witness) wife 10 see the flowers. After leaving
his house Officer Reilly turned the corner of
New Jersey avenue and had to pass
along street. There was no place
odIu "ltless DetWeen tneTe ana MS nome where
he could get any liquor TO the best OF nv
knowledge" said the witness Il don't think he
was ander the influence of liquor: | know he
| Was not drunk" Witness added that he never
saw the officer come to or leave the station
| under the influence of liquor
THE WOUNDED OFFICERS STORY OF THE ASSAULT
ON HIM.
s. W. Nelson, No. 4O6 Boundary street, testi-
fed that during the last two weeks he met the
do Ere tl,y IL. L
night and the officer told him to meet him
again Sunday, when hs would be on duty.
Witness went out to meet Reilly Sunday
evening about o'clock He saw another
officer and learned from him that Reilly had
passed along 18th street short time before:
that he had been assaulted the night before
and was not on duty. Monday evening
he called at the officers house
and Mrs. Reilly called him up stairs.
Witness went to the injured mans bedside
and conversed with him. The officer told him
that while on his way home to supper Satur-
day evening, when near the corner Of 3D. and L
streets, he saw two negroes fighting. He placed
them under arrest and started toward 4th
street with them, intending to take them to
the station. When half way along the block
one Of them turned on him and said You s.
OF a b, you can't take me nowhere" The
| negro struck him on the chest, making him re-
lease his hold on both of them. Then both
negroes struck him and he fell to the curb
stone and struck his head. Witness asked
him If he knew the men and he
said no" Witness asked if he thought he
! could recognize them if he saw them again
and he again answered in the negative Wit
ness saw him again Tuesday. but he was dcliri-
Gus and did not recognize him. In his de-
lirlum he talked OF negroes having assaulted
him. Witness did not consider that Reilly WAS
hard drinker. He had been with him fire.
quently, but never saw him intoxicated
DIR. j. w. Bayne testified that he was called