Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-17
BURIED IN POTTER'S FIELD
Quick Work With Unknown Man Who Died
at Emergency Hospital
Mai. Syivester Say. Police Knew
Nothing of the Case-Action Taken
by the Health Officer.

A man who gave the name of John Col
ston and his address IT'S o street north
west died at the Emergency Hospital
Thursday afternoon. He was brought II
the institution Wednesday night and was
quite III and apparently under the influence
of liquor. He Gained to be laborer a
native of England ami forty-eight years Old
post-mortem was held yesterday morn
ing at the hospital, and It was found that
the cause of death was pneumonia. Ac-
cording 10 the statements made at the hos
pital twenty-tour hours after his death :he
health Office was notified and the body Was
removed.
Instead, however, of being taken to the
morgue. in order to allow oA,ortunity for
identification, the remains wee at once re-
moved to the potter's field and buried. Up
to a late hour this afternoon 1t is stated
that no inquiries had been made at the hos
pital in regard to the dead man. and there
is no clue as to his identity. The hospital
authorities were informed on the day of his
death through inquiries made by the Off
GERS of the third precinct that no house
number as given above existed and that
there was no one of that name in the direc-
tory except one man. who was found
There remain in the care of the matron
of the hospital the clothes of the dead
man, his watch and other articles found on
his person.
Police Knew Nothing.
Maj Sylvester, in conversation with a
Star reporter this afternoon, said he knew
nothing of the death and burial Of the man
until he read an account of it in a paper.
The police department. had Received no re-
quest from the Emergency Hospital officials
to haye tie mans relatives found. He
Sscmed surprised to think that the body
should have been buried in such a hurry.
Had his department been notified Of the
circumstance attending the mans death,
said Major Sylvester. his body would GER
tafnly have been held in the morgue for
several days at least, for the purpose of
Identification. In addition to the holding
of the body there would have been an in
vestigation made and the police of other
cities would have been called upon for as
sistance. AS the case stands he said the
police department has had nothing to do
with 1t.
Superintendent Schoenberger of the
morgue said he had heard nothing of the
mans death. No request he said. had been
made of him to hold the body.
Health Ofce Action.
At the health Office the officials said that
the usual course in disposing of the bodies
of paupers was pursued in this case.
Yesterday morning, It was stated. a mes
sage was received at the Office from the
Emergency Hospital reporting the death
and asking for coffin. The coffin was
sent to the hospital and the body was re-
moved late in the afternoon. The death
certificate, signed by DR.. Charles c. Smith
of the Emergency Hospital. gave the mans
name as John Colston and his age as forty
eight years. The certificate gave the in
formation that the man had lived in this
city for ten years and that his last place
of residence was 1928 o street.
1t also gave the information that pneu-
monia was. the cause of death. On the
a ri of hx. ar$i fipot re.
Endorsement to the effect that the deceased
and his relatives are unable to pay for
the burial of the body.
A number of inquiries were made at the
health office today regarding the case
Coroner Carr, it appears, had nothing to do
with the case.