The morning call., 1892-06-17
NOT FROM MALPRACTICE.
ADMINISTRATION of Mrs. Braun
beck'S Peculiar Death.
a Coroner's Jury Finds That the Demise
Resulted From Natural Causes-Some
Interesting Testimony.

An inquest was held yesterday in the case
Of Mrs Maria Braumbeck. who died Tues
day under such peculiar circumstances az
to cause an official investigation. Nothing
was brought out by the testimony, how
ever to show that there was a proper fOun-
dation for the allegation that the deceased
came TO her death through malpractice.
The suspicion that criminal operation had
been performed was caused by stories cir
culated by quarreling relatives and the
action of the two attending physicians in
removing certain organs of the body while
holding an autopsy. Death was shown to
have resulted from natural causes.
Valentine Braumbeck, pale-faced little
man, still showed traces Of an encounter
with his wfe's relatives. His right eye
was blackened and there were bruises on
his face. lie identified the remains of the
deceased, aud in answer TO questions said
his wife began to suffer from morning sick
ness eight weeks ago. "Dr +. H. Mattner
of 322 McAllister street had been recon-
meuded 10 me-" he continued. land so L
sent my wife to see him. She was not con-
fined TO her bed until about two weeks ago.
DR.. Mattuer then came TO our house, aud
afterward brought DR.. Nj. i. Van Meter OF
AS Ellis street to consult with him.
TIE HUSBAND HkESENIs
"I was always present when they called,
and 80 far as l know they never performed
any operation upon her. When they first
called they said she was very weak and 1t
was a very bad case. | refused her SIS leTS
permission TO see her because my wife
asked me not 10 allow anyone to see her.
The doctors had also ordered that she be
kept very quiet. We were not on very good
terms witheheT relations because they had
objected 20 her marrying "Dutcnman,
and l did not care to associate with them.
They tried to get money from her and that
caused trouble between us.
when my wife died." continued the
witness, ''the attending physicians said that
paralysis OF the heart had caused death.
After the autopsy the doctors showed ne a
blood clOt which had been found ia the
heart They asked permission TO take away
certain organ TO examine 1t and L con-
scented. The medicines that the doctors
pTescri bed were in tue fOrm Of white
powders and liquids"
Before Braumbeck left the witness-stand
Felix CosgroYe, brother of the DECEASED,
pushed his way through the crowd Of
spectators and witnesses and declared that
he desired 10 correct certain statements
made by the witness.
Mind your own business" said Coroner
GRrwood, ''and 20 b ok to your seat. You
VIII be called at the proper time"
DIR. MATTNER TEsTIFIEs.
DR.. Mattner depOsed that ne is a prac-
tlcing homeopathic physician, having grad
uated in this city in 1877. In answer to
questions he made the following staten emit:
Mrs. Braumbeck first called at my office
three weeks ago. She described her symp-
toms to NE and prescribed for morning
sickness. She called again and a week
later / was summoned TO her house.
found her in very bad condition. She
was vomiting ineessantly and could not re-
tain anything upon her stomach. She was
very weak and | called in DR.. Van Meter
for consultation. gave her the accepted
treatment In such cases. Afterward she
was in an exhausted condition and we
asked Mr.. BTaunb beck to keep her very
quiet for any excitement might kill her. l
also told him that il the treatment did not
relieve her we would have to perform an
operation to save her life, but they would
not consent to it, When / called Tuesday
she had just died. Her husband told me
she had died during moment OF excite
ment caused by VISIT from her sister. We
held an autopsy and found that death had
been caused by blood clOt OF the heart"
DR.. Van Meter coTrObOrated the evidence
Of DR.. Mattner in reference to the treat
ment Of the deceased.
AN INTERESTING SUBJECT.
He said the organs removed from the
body presented such an interesting con-
ditiOn from a medical standpoint that he
secured permission 10 take them away. DIR.
/ Mclean lecJOred upon them before the
students of the California Medical College,
after which they were turned over TO the
Coroner in exactly the same condition in
which they had been found.
John Il. HalSted, an undertaken, testified
| that he was present at the autopsy and saw
! tie heart clOts, which the physicians said
| had caused the wOman's death.
Dr. r. L. Williams, who made the autopsy
/ at the MOTgue, said he could not tell the
! exact cause of death because the prior
autopsy had removed the traces. In his
| opinion a heart clot might have resulted
| from the womau's condition, and caused
| death.
| Felix Cosgrove told how he went to his
| sisters house last Sunday and was refused
! adm ssion. When he did make his way to
| her bedside she told him she had been
! butchered While at Mare Island last
/ Tuesday he received word that his sister
| had teen murdered. On one occasion be
! heard Braumbeck threaten to kick his wife
| out of her house.
UnimpOTtant testimony was given by
Mrs. Margaret A. COsgT0ye and Catherine
and Matilda Tighe, sisters of the deceased.
The Coroner's jury returned the following
verdict:
That Maria A. Braumbeck. aged 20 years a
naive Of ireland and a housewife by Occupa.
ton, came 10 her death June IA, 1892, at heI
sidence, II Hawthorne street, in tie city and
county OF san Francisco, from natural causes
unknown 10 lhe jury.