New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-19
RARE OFFICIAL STUPIDITY.
MuRDERERs LIKE SUCH coRoNERs.

DIR. WILLIAM A. CoNwAY's WONDERFUL DAG
NosIs FOR HEART DISEASE.
Tho peculiar methods Of the coroners Office have
Just received another Illustration In display Of
carelesess almost incredible The leading actor In the
CHASTITY play Of ofScis stupidity is Deputy Coroner
Dr. William A. Conway. By bis shameful neglect
Of the simplest duties Of his once DR.. Conway all
but succeeded In concealng what may prove to be
murder and In allowing possible criminal TO escape
from justice. -.ta
On Wednesday morning man named Roth reported
TO the coroner's Office that woman named Catherine
G. Dcrringer, who lived with her husband. Philip
Derrnger at NO eli West Thirty secondst, had died
suddenly that morning without medical attendance In
all such IL is usual for Deputy Coroner to make
= en- examination Of the body OF dead person. That
such examination Is in some cases hollow farce
has long been we'll known to the police, the corohers
olce reporters and others who arc familiar with the
inner workings Of this Office.
Deputy Coroner Conway went to the ROOMS occu'
pied by the Derringers. Mrs. Derrihgers body was
in an ice box. Tho ice box was covered by Id,
only the face Of the corpse being visible tIroneh
small square pane Of glass. Having introduced him'
self, Dr. Conway proceeded with his examination. IN
other words he took hasty glance at the dead face
without removing the lid from the lee box aud WITH
out apparently noticing that one OF the eyes had
been recently and cumsily painted. Then be turned
to Mrs. Finnin, the mother Of the dead woman
and asked her the usual questions about Mrs, Der
ringers state of health before death and her habit OF
life. According to his statement Mrs. F1pnin tod MN
that her daughter had suffered from hemorrages and
autcrings at the heart She had also been addicted
TO drink
81 asked Mrs Finnin whether her daughter had
lived Happily with her husband" said DIT. conway
"and she SAID yes She told me also that DeTrnger
was decent. sober, respectable fellow. She dd not
give the slightest indication, by word or action that
she suspected foul play. Derringer, whom after'
ward saw told me that he had found HIS wife dead IN
bed and that she had been drunRard-
This testimony from Derringer and Mrs finnn
was apparently all that DR.. Conway wanted
ana without having touched tho corpse
he came to the conclusion that death was oue
TO heart disease and gave the usual burial permit
Then he went away feeling that this case, Like SO many
Others was settled for ever.
But some people who lived In the same house Win
the DerTingers who had Derringer brutaly Dea'
his wife, and had heard fierce quarrellng follower oy
the sound OF blows In the dark hours OF "eonesuas
morning were not quite that justice hao Deeh
done. On Wednesday night man went 10 inc inn-
tiethst police station, and said he suspected th4t
Derringer had met her death by violence Inc Ponoo
NJ once started an investigation, and ON THURSDAY
morning sent Detective Taylor to Deputy O0ronor
conway Then he was waited on by Mrs. Finnin ana
a Mrs Nore of No $50 West Thirtiethst. who told
him that Derrlnger had beaten his wle 10
death. Two women who lived IN the mouse
with the DerIingers said that they had neIlu
Derringer use threatening language 10 ms
wife These women were taken 10 the UT
oners office on Friday morning, when the funerai
was 10 take place. It was decided to stop the runersi
and hold an autopsy on the body, and aiter oeai
OF trouble and delay, Deputy Coroner jenkins was
found.
reached II lust as the funeral procession BOARDED te
ferryboat on its way to Calvary Cemetery Then the
body of Mrs Derrnger was taken TO the Morgue ana
Derringer disappeared The result Of the autopsy
showed that the womans eye had been placReneo hut
front teeth knocked out and her lips cut, we tneIo
were bad bruises on the right leg and right SIDE OF the
head On the let side of the head was largo clot
Of blood.
Dr. Jenkins in his report to Coroner Levy yesterday
made the strange statement that the body-withn
three days Of death-was badly decomposed ana taI
he could not tell whether the death was NATURAL
whether 1t was caused by an assault or had been ac-
tolerated BY an assault. There had, he SAID been
bemorhage of the entire left hemisphere OF The
brain and also in parts of the right hemisphere
The hemorThage might have resulted from h causea
by blow on the mouth ON the day following ms |
wife's DEATH Derringer had gone TO the ONCE OF the
Hancock Life Insurance Company, No. % Union |
souare and there tried to collect 81 600 the amount
for which his wlfes life had been insured. He was |
told to make second CALL and oentured INTO the |
Office Yesterday morning, where Detective Iaylor |
caught and arrested him. lie was taken 10 Ponce |
Headquarters, and then DeiOre OorVher levy "lo'
ON Dr. Jenknss statement, committed him to the |
Tombs without bail Derringer says that his wife, |
who was drank on Tuesday night, fell and hit her |
head and mouth against the bedpost while undressing
lie picked her up and pulled her into bed and IN
DR.. Conway in bed last night suffering from |
a slight attack Of pneumonia when Tribune reporter
found him at his home in East broadway. lie ad, |
mittd that he had merely looked at the body and had
relied ON the statements OF Mrs. Fnnin and Derringer
lis II usual for deputy coroners TO conduct their
examinations in that way 7" WIS asked
3Yesn replied DR.. Conway, except where we nave |
reason To believe that there has been foul play. had
no reason to suspect anything crooked in this case
Do Won never make even a cursory examination |
of body, such as lifting the head, with view OF
finding whether there are any marks of violence y
aIn such cases neverl' was the reply. 1--WE ask |
the relatives number Cd questions about the dead
person. and then il there appears TO be nothing sus-
picious give the necessary permit
: Without having done more than looA at the faee
through little glass Window" a.
Yes. We have dozens OF Such cases every week,
said Dr. Conway.
Coroner Levy said yesterday that he would open
The inquiry into the cause OF Mrs. Derrlngers death
on Tuesday afternoon, when the whole OF the clfcum,
stances will be rigidly Investigated.