New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-14

she had bruises about the head and body. She
placed in coffin and notice sent to the
Coroners office In due time Coroner's physi-
clan arrived at the house. The lid was the
coffin. but the dead woman's face was visible
through the pane of glass The dscooration
about her eye had been clumsily painted over.
In the dim light the physicians cursory glance
through the glass at the womans features did
no. reveal to him that there was anything I'M
usua, about the face. He asked the relatives
few perfunctory questions learned that Mrs
Derringer sometimes drank more than was good
for her gave a certificate that death was due to
natural causes and went his way. conscious Of
duty well performed
THE FUNERAL STOPPED.
But of the neghbors had heard the
woman's cries when her husband beat her. and
their comments finally reached the ears Of the
police 1t was just in time. for the funeral pro-
cession had already left the house. 1t was
stopped at the ferry and the body was taken
back tothe house. The paint on the eye was at
once discovered and the injuries were seen. The
speedy arrest Of the husband on the charge or
manslaughter followed ard he was eventually
tried.
The Coroner's physician who had so bungilngly
performed his duty did not seem to be much dis
it was common thing merely to glance at the
corpse of person who had died without medical
attendance. SO his excuse was really a COMES
sion Of wholesale shortcomings
In another case. the dereliction Of Coroner
Of more serious consequence This was the
murder Of Charles f. Goodwin by Burton {.
Webster In the summer OF 1891. The wounded
man taken to the Roosevelt Hospital. dying
1t was evident that the thread OF life would he
severed In a short while. and a hurry call was
sent to Coroner Schultze IT reached him about
! O'Clock in the morning. no doubt interrupting
pleasant dreams. Schultze received salary OF
$1,000 a year for answering Just such sum-
monses. but this fact had no weight with him
at that hour OF the night. He turned over In
bed and sept the sleep of the Tammany man
secure in his office. An hour later Goodwin
died. When Schultze arose. had breakfast and
went to the hospital he found the lips that should
have told him the story of foul murder closed
in death.
HOW JUSTICE WAS Numbered
II would not be easy to estimate the harm
that was done by that slothfulness of Coroner
Schultz. When Webster was placed on trial
for his life in the Court OF General Sessions the
defendants witnesses swore 10 story whlch
made the dead man ont to have been the ag-
gressor The unfortunate Goodwin had no one
to give his side OF the affair. \ few broken SEN
fences which he uttered when picked up In his
room and t. the surgeons at the hospital were
poor substitutes for full ante-mortem state
ment given in reply TO the questions Of trained
Official who had in View the trial for nurh"r.
The iurv failed 10 agr-e on the first trial. In
the Court OF oyer and Termlner Assistant DIS
trict-Attorney Francis l.. Wellman was able to
and ttsit-
stcr was sentenced to States prison for a long
term The likelihood II conviction FOR murder
I'm the first degree on the trial in General Sos
s.ons would have been much greater had tina,
voice from the grave spoken the complete story
~ the crime Hut Coroner Schultz went 20
sleep again. the county spent thousands % dol
lars for a second trial Of the case. and the fuli
penalty FOR the dastarIy assassination can
never be exacted.
Coroner : chulizcs explanation was simp lefty
itself He admitted that ne had received
through a policeman written message telling
him that he was wanted at the Roosevelt Hos
pitai to take an ante-mortem statement
Il dld not 60" he went on. and when 20,
there Goodwin was dead
That was all There Is just one confola ton
Louis W Schultz is no longer Coroner. and his
place IL filed by man who was elected on The
platform Of the Committee Of Seventy. pledged TO
give n decent and honest administration ~ the
city's affairs
Many similar instances could be recounted
Within fortnight IN the spring Ok 1895
two persons died without making an ante
mortem statement the Coroners summoned iail-
ing 10 come I'm time
THE CASES NOT LOOKED INTO.
Here is another respect in which the coroncr's
Office has been frightfully neglectful \ number
Of bodies reacs the Morguc each year OF per
sons who may have been murdered. This Held
would seem to call for the constant watchiul-
ness of the Coroners physician, but In 1871
cightv-nlnc cases were allowed to pass through
| the Morgue without an Investigation. In nifty 81
| these there had apparently been foul play
The uuhlic has also become familiar with tho
difficulty at times experienced In getting a Cor
| oner's physician to view a corpse. 80 that NJ
may give a certificate for It's removal. In some
| instances four or FIVE days have elapsed before
| the official could be made TO do his duty.
child of Mrs. NJ WOLF, OF No. Loo N's'
| Eightecnth-st.. died on Thursday without med
| ;cal attendance That day passed ana 80 "'o
| Friday. and so did Saturday. and 81 did sun
| day. and yet the Coroner's physician hah MOI
answered the summons on Monday he at last
arrived.
| June A. Cherry. young mulatto woman dieo
| on a Tuesday in May 1893 at No. 2'' "es'
| Flfteenth-st There were evidences oi MAJ
| practice She died ca.ly In the morning. aho
some one went at once to the Coroners once u
| tell the fact. The messenger was Informed tha
the Coroner was busy. hurry call from Ponce
| Headquarters was equally Intellectual. ana mo-
| until Thursday did a Coroners physician WISH
| the house. In the mean time the doctor VINO "a'
| thought to be implicated In her death nae
| abundant time 10 pack hi. trunks. summon
| cab and drive away-and he did so. under
takers complain bitterly Of the Inconvenience
| caused 10 them by the inability to get Cor
oner'a physician promptly when he is needed 1