The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-13

they are neither over twentS-one-a
constable broke in upon their sorrow
stricken home with warrant sum-
moning them to appear at Alderman
Millar's Office at o'clock p. m.
They We're there on hand some time
before the appointed hour, with num-
Der of friends and several of the lead
ing citizens Of Dickson City. who were
on hand, some of them unsolicited. to
give bail for the unfortunate young
couple, If 1t was required. During the
hours wait that ensued. owing TO
prosecutor Health Officer w. p. Ken
ncdy, NJ. D., being detained at Colonel
Watres banquet. Mrs. Roberts reclined
her head on the railing enclosing the
space set off for litigants. and gave
evidence of great mental and physical
suffering.
DR.. Kennedy. attired in his regimen
tails. arrived a little before 9 o'clock
and the hearing was proceeded with.
Dr. Kennedy explained that he brought
the prosecution as health officer on in
formation that came from reliable
parties, that Mr.. and Mrs. Roberts
children had died of diphtheria; that 4
public funeral had been permitted and
that the caskets We're opened at the
grave. He produced report card sent
in by DR.. j. j. Bellheimer. the attend
ing physician. notifying him that one
of the children had diphtheria, that
the house might be placarded and the
other usual precautions taken.
NOT A PUBLIC FUNERAL.
He then called Undertaken Daniel
Il. Jones to prove the allegation that
the funeral was public and that the
casket was opened at the grave. Mr..
Jones proved the dametric opposite.
in Il plain. straightforward. and APP
parcntly fair and unbiased description
of the funeral. There were some
adults at the funeral. he said, but it
was not, according to his statement. II
public funeral. Pall-bearers even were
dispensed with. the family being satis-
fled 10 have the coffin carried from the
house to the hearses and from the
hearses to the grave, by the under
taker and his assistant.
The lid of each coffin was lifted at
the grave. he admitted. to permit of IL
last view of the remains, but the cof-
fins, nevertheless. We're not opened, for
beneath the lid of each was a second
lid. a glass panel, which was kept
tightly screwed down and which closed
the caskets as tightly. almost as if
they were hermetically sealed.
At all events, the witness said, a
public funeral could have been held
and the bodies openly exposed to view
without violation of the law, as the
death certificates showed no contag-
ious disease. In one case it was
nephrtis and in the other paralysis
The fact that one of the dead children
had mad diphthera led II the precau-
tons that We're taken it being deemed
best to make assurance doubly sura
and be on the safe side. This was the
extent of the testimony offered by the
prosecution.
DOCTORS STATEMENT.
DR.. Bellhemer, who made the death
certificate. was present and was called
upon by the alderman to make a state
ment.
The child that had died of paralysis,
he said, was treated by him for diph-
| iberia and cured. Three or four days
after every vestige of the phtheretic
membrane had disappeared, and all
! child developed paralysis and died.
While the paralysis may have been con-
sequent upon the diphtheria, the doc
! tor said. the child did not die Of diph-
| liberia. When the last trace of the
| diphtheria disappeared four days pre-
vous and the house and all its sur
roundings were thoroughly fumigated.
which was done with formaldehyde gas
under his own supervision. every dam
ger of contagion was removed.
The paralysis, he went on to explain,
had the same relation to the diphtheria
that lockjaw has to a cut in the hand
which was its primary cause. The
| paralysis was the result of an interme- :
| diatc affection, change or disturb
| ance in the nerve centers. The germs
| however. were gone and the state Of
| contagion was passed. He made par
ticular investigation, by culture en-
periments. after the curing of the diph-
liberia, to satisfy himself that the
germs were no longer present, and was
satisfied that the funeral as conducted
was in no wise a menace To the public
safety.
| "On your professional reputation are
you willing to state that 1t is your
opinion that the funeral was not such
"A menace" the alderman asked.
| II do state 1t, in all conscience" DR..
Bellheimer replied emphatically.
SOME FEELING DISPLAYED.
Dr. Belheimer was frequently in
terrupted in his testimony by DR.. Ken
nedy and several lively tits ensued
which tended to show that there is
some feeling between the borough's
only two physicians.
DR.. Kennedy persisted i'm disreditina
DIR. Bellheimer's theory regarding the
absence of any danger of contagior
under the circumstances recitcd. DR.
Bellheimer asked him: "Do not your
pathological studies So teach you?
NO" tersely replied DR.. Kennedy
well, then" rejoined DR.. Rellheimer
"you've studied the wrong studies"
At another time, DR.. Bsllhemer ap-
pealed to the alderman for post
ponement until Friday, saying ht
| would bring down half a dcZcn wit,