Evening star., 1898-07-06
THE CORONER,S REPORT
Business of the Office for Fiscal Year Just
Closed.
Increase Over the Preceding Year
The Number of Cases Investigate
ed Reaches $50.

Dr. W. P. Carr, the coroner of the Dis
ertrict, today submitted to Commissioner
Wight his report for7the year ending June
80, 1898.
The total number of cases investigated
by the coroner during the year was $50,
| an increase of os, or 10 per cent, over the
| previous year. In this connection DR.. Carr
says 1t is Interesting TO note that while
the number of deaths from natural causes
was 10 per cent less than in the previous
year the number of violent deaths was 60
per cent greater, the number of suicides
nearly 100 per cent greater and the num-
Der of homicides 80 per cent greater
OF the $50 cases investigated by the coro-
ner. 212 were of deaths from natural causes
65 of this number having been due to heart
disease. OF the 252 deaths from violence
there were due to accidental injuries 3d.
steam railway IA; street railway, 7; burns,
Id; drowning, 80; electric shock, l. and gum
shot wounds. 3. Accidental poisoning, IL
from opium, and / each from lye, toad
stools, gas, alcohol, phenacetin, cocaine and
choral Suicides, 53-15 by shooting, 0 by
hanging, by drowning, 4 by cutting the
throat, by jumping. 2 by inhaling gas,
and the rest by poisons. There were %
homicides and 134 stillbirths.
During the year Coroner Carr held "A
inquests on 46 days, and the number of
| autopses was 73. of these SO being District
and 81 United States cases. During the
year 1897 there were S4 inquests and 43 au-
tepsies. DR.. Carr explains that no autop-
sizes were had, however, for purely scien-
tffc purposes, and where he was satisfied
that no living person could be held Tespon-
sihle for the DEATH neither autopsy ror in
quest was held. The large number of in
quests and autopsies during the year just
closed was due to the unusual number of
violent deathes, an increase OF 81 over any
previous year.
The expenses of his Office were as fol-
lows: Salary of coroner 81 800: autopsies
faaSX Hing fnc
$226 10; livery, eleven months, 500; ice and
sundries for the morgue, $50; a total of
S2,92l. 10.
Needs of the Office.
In speaking of the reeds Of his Office, DR..
Carr says that most prominently under this
head comes the need of morgue, a need SO
urgent and self-evident that it hardly
seems necessary to give reason in detail.
Yet. he says, this city is the one large city
in the country which practically has no
morgue, although it is generally acknowl-
edged that Washington should be in this,
as it is in so many other respects, the
model and leading city of America.
The so-called morgue of the District is,
DR.. Carr states. so unsightly and so un
suited for the purpose to be eyesore
and stencil in the neighborhood, as we'll
as nuisance to the police of the sixth
precinct. back of which the little one-story
stable used as a morgue is situated.
Strongly advocating the erection of a new
morgue, DR.. Carr says it should provide
accommodations for twenty bodies and
have suitable rooms for autopsies and for
holding inquests, as well as for keeping the
records of the office. These records are
bulky and constantly increasing in bulk,
and have to be carted around from one
coroners house to anothers, where there
Is generally no suitable place for keeping
them. m
/ Many have been lost in moving, and all
are liable at any time teobe destroyed by
R,a Alrr mad 1nrtri 10
could DR.. Carr belieyes. be erected for
$4,000, and he thinks It should be built in
the semblance of a chapepor small church;
and should contain a. Ireom where funeral
services mishtzbe held. .-5c,,
Another urgent need suggested by the
coroner is a property equipped wagon for
| hauling badly decemeesed bodies. There
| is very great objection TO handling and
hsulng such bodies in patrol wagons, and
there should, the coroner says, be avail
able at all times fcPcthis purpose. wagon
provided with suits bic metallic coffin
and driven by man who understands the
handling of dead bodies
DIR. Carr is of the opinion that steno-
| graphic or at least full and careful long
hand notes of the testimony given at in
| quests should be taken. Heretofore 1t has
been the custom of the coroner to employ
a stenographer for such purpose, but the
| auditor has informed him that no more eN-
penses on this account will be allowed. The
attorney of the United States, says DR..
| Carr, promised to furnish a stenographer
| when one could be spared, but has SO far
only done SO upon one occasion, content
| ing himself with the very brief summary of
| the testimony taken by the coroner himself
| There many cases. DR.. Carr states
about one-half of them, in fact in which
| the attorney for the United States is not
| Interested, where civil suits for damages
are liable to be entered against individuals
and corporations or against the District
| in which it would be very desirable to have
the exact language of witnesses recorded.
| tie therefore asks for ADnrODridtiO0 nf
| $3.50 for the purpose, and for other incident
al expenses the sum of $1,140. Also $500
| FOR a morgue keeper and s240 for an as
| sistant morgue keeper.