Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-02
.GLEDHILL CENSURED.
The Responsibility Is Fixed in but
One of the Sturgeon Cases.
EXPERTS GET DIFFERENT RESULTS.
Hugo Blanc Says All Fish That Die Natur.
ally Are Poisonous.
COOPER is HELD FOR MANSLAUGHTER

The Coroner's inquest in the sturgeon
cases was closed yesterday. In that of Henry
Broge, the Jury censured George H. Gledhill
for negligence in not more carefully examin-
ing the sturgeon before it was cured. In the
case of Thomas Rourke the jury find that he
died from eating sturgeon, purchased
from parties unknown. The whole matter
hung on the evidence of whether the sturgeon
was in q state of decomposition before it was
cured. As to this question there was differ
ence of opinion between the two experts,
James o. Handy and Prof Hugo Blanc. The
former on Thursday said he believed de-
composition had commenced before the cur
ing process was begun, while yes
terday, when Prof Hugo Blanc
took the stand, he said it
would be impossible to tell whether
the sturgeon had been in p state of decom-
position before twas cured. He said he had
been unable TO discover such to be the case,
and said he believed it to be impossible for
anyone else to tell what condition the fish
may have been in before it was cured.
One strong feature of these inquests just
come to light yesterday is the fact that Carl
Nelson, a fish dealer of Sandusky, o., had
created quite scene at the opening of the
inquest on Thursday, which barred him
from giving any testimony. He had been
spirits. When he arrived at the Coroner's
office, it is stated, he was in such a jolly
humor that he insisted on falling over the
railing, and wound up by throwing paper
at the Coroner's head. As result he was
taken into the Coroners private office and
kept there until the inquest was adjourned.
Only an Expert Could Detect Decay.
Prof Hugo Blanc was the only witness ex-
'amined Yesterday. He said he had made an
examination of the fish offered him, and in
color and taste they we're apparently good,
in fact, so air that an ordinary dealer could
not detect any decomposition. He said he
had to test the sturgeon to discover the trace
OF poison. He found traces of the products
Of decomposition. There are about 40 of
these and only two-thirds of them are poison
GUS. In fact, he said, they might form and
then pass away. He believed that heat
would in most cases destroy them. Then
continuing, he said:
"The methods of handling fish in America
are all wrong. Any fish that is allowed to
die is more or less poisonous A fish should
not eat a COW that had died nat
ural death, or q sheep, or a chicken,
or any other kind of an animal that has died
IN that manner. Poison is generated in all
of them and it is the same in the fish. All
fish are more or less tainted, but just to
what degree this sturgeon was tainted when
received it is impossible to say. All fish
water. In fact, no curcr of fish could afford
TO place a fish that he knew was decompos
ing in his smokehouse, for it would taint all
the other fish hanging there, just the same
as one rotten apple will start rot in all the
good ones near il. In fact, these products
Of decomposition can be found in nearly all
food and many person says he is suffering
from temporary indigestion when, in fact,
he has only eaten fish or some other food
which has commenced to decay. Much of
the indigestion is due to what we have eaten
rather than TO any diseased condition of the
stomach. 1t would be impossible for me to
state whether the fish had been properly
cured, but in this case the usual methods
seem to have been pursued"
In his charge to the jury the Coroner only
ran over the testimony, describing how
the people had died, and said that Mr.. Gledhill
had cured the sturgeon as soon as he had
received it. He also read the statement
that, although Mr.. Gledhill did not himself
examine the fish, he was supposed to have
men to attend to that who knew their busi-
ness.
Mr.. Gledhin Censured in One Case. j..
The jury retired for about 20 minutes, and
then returned with verdfcts in both cases.
The one on that of Henry Broge reported
that his death was caused by eating stur-
geon which had been in q state OF decompo-
sition before 1t was cured, and that
this decomposition brought about an
irritant poison which produced death.
They further censured George II. Gledhill
geon before it was sent to the smol1ehouse.
In the case of Thomas Rourke the same
verdict as to the cause of death was found;
but the sturgeon was purchased from parties
unknown.
After the verdict. was delivered Mr.. Gled-
hill said he could not see why he was cen
sured, because a man handling thou
SasuS has not Si time Tefe to examine MIN each one.
His men, he said, had reported the
sturgeon good, and he knew them to be
capable men. He, however, said that here
after no sturgeon would be sold in Pitts
burg unless each piece was branded so that
someone would be held responsible for its
purity.
Sarver, the engineer on the Pittsburg and
Western Railroad who was killed in the col
lision at Whitmore, was also heard before
Coroner Mcdowell yesterday. c. S. Cooper,
the train dispatcher at New Castle, was held
for manslauShter because of criminal negli-
gence in violating the rules of the road, not
properly notifying the trains where they
were to pass.
The Message Came Too Late.
A large number of trainmen and others
were examined, and the fact that it
was the first trip of Mr.. Sarver over the road
and also the details of the collision, and the
subsequent death of the victim in Allegheny
General Hospital on Friday night, were tesi
fed TO. The main witness was A. L. Hutchin-
son, operator at Whitmore station, where
tllC tThluS we're W pass. ne pIOuuCSu SOpicS
of all the teiegrams which he received from
Dispatchcr Cooper at New Castle. He was
first told that express trains Nos. and
would pass at Whitmore instead of Sharps-
burg. Train No. s arrived first, was given
the proper signal and train No. 8 should
have been signalled at the station beyond
WhitmOre. This had not been done, and the
operator was just receiving orders for No. 9
when it rounded the curve at full speed.
With one hand the operator pulled the lever
to change the signal while he was still
taking the message, but it was too late, and
No. 9 crashed into No. before it could pull
into the switch.
1T was further shown that Mr.. Cooper's
orders were in direct violation to rule Sci of
the Pittsburg and Western Railroad, which
says that trains must be notified where they
are to pass at least one station in advance of
the passing point. The jury found that
James Sarver came to his death through in
Juries received in a collision on the Pitts
burg and Western Railroad and that said
collision was due to criminal negligence on
the part of c. S. Cooper, train dispatcher at
New Castle. The Coroner committed him to
Jail, but his attorneys asked the Court TO
admit him to bail. Judge Slagle heard the
appeal yesterday afternoon, and fixed the
bond at 50 900. 1t is understood bail will be
furnished him to-day.
To THE habitually constipated, your sure.
safe and in most cases absolutely painless
remedy is DR.. D. Jayne's Small, Sugar
Coated Sanative Pills.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and satur-
day.
SUMMER MILLINERY OPENING