New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-13
CORONERS AT ODDS.
MD A PATIENT POISON HIMSELF IN BELLE
vUE HOSPITAL?
rup JURY FINDS THAT he DIED FROM DRINK
ING oARBoLIc ACID THERE - HE WAS
LEFT ALoNE,wH DELIRIoUs-DR.
CoNwAY'S CHARGES AGAINST
CORONER MESSEMER.

CORONER MBSSEMER.
The fury yesterday in the inquest in the OF
Jehn schcnaok the German. OF No. 800 East Fourth
81, who died on Sunday in Bellevue Hospital, found
that he died from carboc acid drunk while under
medical treatment in Bellevue Hospital The man
was taken from his home, Ne. 322 East Fourth-s|'
IN an ambulance to Bellevue Hospital suffering irou
some wound in the head. The ambulance surgeon"
learned that he had fallen and his head was covert"
with blood when he reached the hospital 1t was
soon that he unconscious and suffering from
fracture Of the skull. lie died on the next day
coroper NeSSemer ACCOMPANIED BY DIR. III. Frederick
called at the Norgue that day and sent TO the once
Of geeeue Hospital for the history OF the case as u
anne within the jurisdiction of the Coroner cau
wae sent down to the Coroner rom 'no 0ierh ny /"
man named Billy" and It SAID that SoloiaoA "eu
,ror, o.ybole acid poisoning taken in the ward Of
,,o hosnital while derious and unattended. Dr.
,srod.r,.k made a partial autopsy and satisfied him
coli and Coroner MESSENGER that death dne TO
,.rbolic acid poisoning DIR. Frederick failed %
complete the autopsy by opening the mans head.
On the next day Deputy Coroner Conway visited
the Morgue and found the body Of schenack He
observed the incomplete autopsy and sent Tor me
house surgeon. DR.. Durham. Dr. Durham told Dr.
Conway that the man had died from fracture OF the
sull and the two physicians made another autopsy
s,Hsfying themselves that they were right They
,pened the head and found the fractured skull, but
saw no traces of poison in the stomach The fact
VA
out the stomach but when Coroner Messemer heard
Of the action of his deputy he ordered an inquest for
yesterday.
The relatives of the dead man. his wife and son,
Sere called and they swore that they did not Know
ANYTHING about the mans falling down stairs on the
night in question. All they knew was that ne was
taken 10 the hospital. BLY, the man who carried
IA Coroner MESSENGER the information that the man
had died from carbolc acid poisoning, testified, and
he swore he heard from the night clerk that the
man while unconscious. had drunk vial Of carbolc
acid He said the Coroner had sent for the history
Of the case and he got 1t. 1t was SAID mere oE mo
coroner that the clerk who had given the above in-
formation was discharged.
Tnc night nurse, Frederick Chapman, was cai'ed'
snd he said that he had charge of the man in Ward
20 OF Bellevue Hospital. The night before he dlei
ne saw that he unconscious, and as he was <1i-
ferDg from fracture of the skull he strapped him 10 MS
he'd so as to prevent him from doing harm TO himself
He kept him strapped for twelve hours and did not
give especial care 10 the patient Tho man conid
rot get any carbolic acid, it was locked UP in
eloset-besides he could not get out OF bed.
House Surgeon Durham testified that he had exam
jned the patient and found him suffering from a
fracture of the skull. The day after his admission
be died and he gave the cause as death from fracture
~ the skull. He learned afterwar1 that Coroner
MESSENGER had given certificate that death was due
to carbolic acid poisoning This surprised him as ne
heard or saw nothing of this nature in his treatment
Of tho case when DR.. Conway went to the Morgue
he told him about the and they made an autopsy
finding conclusivey that death was due to fracture
OF the skull
Corner MESSENGER sternly reproved the young
house surgeon for making the autopsy without his
psrsonal authority and cautioned him against doing
such a thing in future. Ambulance Surgeon
Henderson said he removed the man to the hGSpl9al
lie found him at his home in Fourth-st on the SUM
niobt wing in a pool of blood. Some one t0lq MN ing
he had fallen and hurt his head. Who tod him nj
could not say. . ..,as 10. 10 mod. III,
outonsy on the request of the hospital people ii'
ave the instructions TO DR.. Durham 70 MAKE ule
autopsy, which he did under his SUPERVISION rus u, t
selieycd his right 10 do. He found no traces %
Poisoning and concluded from eyeryt In the 6istoy
~ the case and the autopsy that deaM was uue 10
fracture of the skull 49, - -. a..
Conuer MESSENGER then charged the jury 70 the erect
that there was no evidence worthy OF weight Oiher
than that the man died from carbouc acid POISONING
The i,uy retired and in few minutes bronght I'D the
above verdict While the jury were out deputy
Coroner Conway charged Coroner McSsemcr WIN
bulldoznc" witnesses and euieavOIng 10 MAKE liars
nut OF him and the Bellevue physicians The coroner
said There has been no evidence to show that the
man fell I don't believe he fell The hospital people
are irving 70 protect themselves. Why did The hos
vital people discharge the cerk FOR telling me mat me
uan died from carbolic acid poisoning"