The San Francisco call., 1899-05-12
CORONER HiLL
SEIZED A BODY
At A FUNERAL
Attempt to Conceal a
Suicide.
JOSEPH CO0PER'S DEATH
RELATIVES NEGLECTED TO IN
FORM THE CORONER.
Peculiar Conduct of DR.. Manson in
Signing a False Statement to
Death Certificate in
the Case.
JOSEPH CO0PER'S DEATH
RELATIVES NEGLECTED TO IN
FORM THE CORONER.

Hold that train" shouted Coroner Hnl
yesterday forenoon. as he drove into the
Southern Pacific depot at the corner Of
Third and Townsend streets
The horse which the Coroner was driv-
ing was covered with lather and almost
collapsed when its owner and Deputy
Coroner John Gately alighted from the
buggy
In the baggage car was coffin contain
ing the body of Joseph Cooper. a we'll
known tailor. formerly Of 40 Powell
street The deceased had been found dead
IN bed on the morning Of the sth inst
The air in the room was fun ri the fumes
az illuminating gas and s-opcock turned
un told the rest Of the story.
DIT. Josef Z. Manson OF 81 Van Ness
avenue was called In. and after an *
animation nj the body pronounced Mr.
Cooper dead. He then signed ueath Ger
UtlCat- 90 The effect that be- had been at
tending the deceased for the past three
months treating him -or heart disease
and that that aiut-t caused his death.
The certificate went % the Board OF
Health I'm rn= usual way and being reg
uiar au L-- face vas Cgu1rerSigned.
Coroner I.u was uo- rotlued al all.
The 6r-t mixing his deputies had Of the
matter was p rumor which doated into
the N.rgIe last Wednesday, night to the
effect that Cooper had committed suicide
An trt sstIGa-,oU was begun and the Cor
-uer succeeded in learning the facts JUST
..a.- I-at 4-Al.tL al II 14il " l44t-4
was about -e pull out for San Mateo
Count. ar ll.5I "a. m.
Cons .erable opposition in the way of
protest was made by the relatives and
friends OF the deceased. but the Coroner
insisted. on his urerogatIVe and had the
body conveyed 20 Dlerck underta king
-s-a atGshment. where an autopsy was i'm
Il-.l4tely held lE AOTEue surgeon Ia
Eala- Dr Zabaia reported that there was
uo trace Of heart disease, but that on the
contrary. all the evidences of gas as
HEyNiatiCD were present, including the
brightly colored and fluid condition of the
blood. which intalhbly denotes the toxic
action Of carbon mOnoXide.
Coroner Hin thereupon summoned a
jury of business men TO view the body
and SET the inquest Tor lu CLOCK thIS
]. CaIaIen called at the AIorgue in the
afternoon and reported conversation ne
had had with the deceased q few days
before his death. Mr.. Cooper had lost his
Wife about ear ago. his business mad
-.ue wrong and he was very deSpOnuent
He told DanaIer that his life was insured
Tor $500 and he asked whether the money
would be paid 20 his heirs IN case OF his
I'll will be $1,000 each for my children,
and it viii da them more good than can
From other sources II was learned that
Cl1per.s mind had become unhinged since
--a death a- his wife and that he often
look her -ao-.g graph cat Of his pocket and,
addressing II. said. Ny dear wife, VIII
Il was imposed upon by the dead mans
-.nUs.- SAID Dr. Manson. when seen last
-.-r- III his residence. 9lT Van Ness ave
,..-. johnson had been a patient OF
mine for -he LAST year. During the last
g.Er- ulltls I have been attending him
co1s,a---v FOR heart trouble. / called al
his house last sunday and ne was IN a
dangerous condition. / ordered him 10
.-s Immediately and told him then that
-a was fu a very critical condition and
would have 20 take good care Of himself
He was in such a condition that his death
a. any moment would not surprise me
particle. After leaving him on Sunday
heard nothing more until Tuesday morn
ing. when one Of the family called me up
and requested me 10 come 70 the house
immediately I called about o clock in
the morning and found Johnson dead. He
had been dead several hours. and nat
uraIly l concluded that heart disease had
caused his death. When l first went 10
the house the family told me that they
had already called in DR.. Hart. but that
he refused to attend 70 him because I had
been treating him. 1 did not dream that
Johnson came to his end from any cause
ether than heart disease. His heart was
really in a critical state and liable to
bring about death at any moment Had
the family dropped the slightest hint that
he died Of unnatural causes I certainly
would have refused to sign the death
ra~rff7care'