Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-19

Last Wednesday night a decently dressed
man presented himself at the Emergency
Hospital in this city and asked for medical
treatment. He was very i'll. He returned
feeble answers to questions gave a name
and address. and then sank so rapidly that
his death occurred in less than twenty-four
hours. A brief telephone message was sent
to the police of one of the precincts, asking
for Information as to a man living at a
given address. There was no mention of a
death. or of serious Illness The police
found no man Of the name furnished, In
deed found no house at the address and so
reported to the hospital.
Saturday morning a brief paragraph was
published stating the facts and announcing
that the body had been turned over to the
District authorities for burial Friday after
noon. Through the agency of The Star the
matter was called to the attention Of the
police, whose Investigations quickly dis
closed the identity Of the dead man and at
the same time revealed shocking oondi-
ton Of affairs which should receive immedi-
ate attention and rigorous treatment.
1t apears from this case that 1t Is possible
for a man to die in this virtually the mu-
Eicipal hospital. and to be railroaded of to
potter's field with the barest show of inquiry,
ateiy. 1t appears Furthermore that there Is
practically no cooperation with the police
on the part of the hospital authorities
Here was a man lying dead and no effort
made to notify the police officials. merely a
blind message of inquiry as to the identity
of man at given address. which proved
incorrect by only one square.
What happened to John Couison may hap
pen to any person who may not carry pa
pers of positive identification upon his per-
son. But to make this case worse. 1t is
known that Coulson carried letters which,
had they been used ever so slightly in in
vestigation. would Immediately have re-
vealed the whereabouts of his relatives.
One Of the worst features of the case Is that
the mans body was not exposed at the
morgue for identification and no effort was
made to spread the fact of death immedi-
ately afterward. The whole affair smacks
of mal-administration and suggests ghoulish
work
This hospital receives an allowance of
$4,000 annually from Congress to enable It
to carry on the work of a central dispen-
sary and hospital for the treatment CT
emergency cases. 1t handles the great ma
jority of the accidents and crime cases in
the District. 1t should be at all points in
closest touch with the newspapers and the
police. 1t is stated. however, by the police
authorities that only with the utmost diff
Guilty Is necessary information obtained
from the institution, while the police de-
partment Is put to great inconvenience in
following cases affecting 1t.
The Coulson case may well be made
a vehicle for a sharp investigation. either
by the Commissioners or by Congress. 1t
should be made clear to the public how it
is possible for a citizen of Washington to
be rushed to a paupers grave or perhaps
to a dissecting table without more than the
most perfunctory inquiry and without the
observance Of the ordinary and established
ferns of procedure designed to secure iden-
tification and decent burial.