New-York tribune., 1900-12-29
NURSES HELD FOR JURY.
ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY EN-
PECTS INDICTMENT FOR MUIR
DER IN HILLIARD CASE.

DER IN HllIlARD CASE.
The Jury in the inquest into the cause OF th'
death OF Louis II Hiard December u IN th'
Pavilion for the Insane. at Bellevue Hospital ias
night rendered a verdict that Hilliard hao COINS
10 his death from asphyXiation and fractured hos
caused by Jesse r. Davis Edward o. Dean and
Clinton L. Marshall the accused Mills Training
School nurses The jury also censured the Bellevue
Hospital authorities for laxity Of methods
The jury retired at S:24 p. m. and returned al
s:06 with the following;
The verdict of the cOroneTs jury is that the sae
day Of December, at Bellevue dospltai, from
the eleventh and twelfth days Of December. 1900 al
ihe place aforesaid by Jesse r. Davis Edward a; q, O.
Pavilion for the Insane. at BELLEVUE Hospital and
tty q she methods OF the medical service Of said
Pavilion for the Insane, which tended to bring
about the death OF the deceased
Assistant District Attorney Mcintyre asked that
the persons named be committed to await the ac-
fion Of the Grand Jury.
Granted" said the Coroner; "and I will hold
them under s. 600 bail each"
Mr.. Mcintyre then said:
If Your Honor will permit. the case may be more
serious than Your Honor apprehends. In Secuoh
ISs Of the Penal Code murder is defined as death
caused with deliberation and premeditation; aere
these conditions can be proved only .! iat and
Three men put sheet about patient iar9aI tanS aat
the case may come. The next paragraph, 1silhes Gen re-
i
act emnently dangerous TO others and evlnelng d
depraved mind, regardless Of human life, althouga
without premedtated design TO effect the death OF
more 5enrsyed minds than these nurses exhibited
IN taking weak. sick man. weighing lSO pounds,
jumping On him pounding him. throwing g MN
ne refused to eat slapping him in the face. kick
ing him and choking him to death with sheet
twisted about his neck!
While these men may have resorted to extreme
measures" said the Coroner. II cannot think they
had any intent 20 endanger life or that they were
regardless Of human life. They were simply
thoughtless and excited"
After considerable debate the Coroner insisted on
fixing the bail at s5.cO0 each. Bonds were fur
nished and the nurses were released
Mr. Mcintyre said that he would lay the case be-
fore the January Grand Jury when II met next
wednesday. He confidently expected the indict-
rnent OF the three nurses for murder in the first
degree
THE HEARING YESTERDAY.
The hearing in the inquest was resumed at l1;so
g. m. yesterday before Coroner Fitzpatrick ana
the jury in the Coroner's Court, Criminal Courts
Building The three nurses were represented by
Henry B. Anderson. Assistant District Attorneys
Mcintyre and Sullivan appeared for the State
The first witness In the hearing yesterday was
Mrs Hilliard. She said she noticed bruises on her
husbands head when she saw him at the insane
pavilion He had told her he had been beaten.
Mrs Hilliard was then excused. she was ILL.,
DR. John ". Moore jr., Of the Bellevue Hospital
STAFF who had charge OF the pavilion for the in
sane then took the stand. He testified that he first
saw FIilliard on Tuesday in the shower BATH and
paid no more attention 10 him. The nurses had
examined the patient They were competent 1t
was the duty Of the nurses to care for patients
physical wants other than by specific medication
and 10 take their pulse, temperature and respira-
ton They entered the record ia book
1T would appear" said a juryman. that these
nurses had entire charge of this patient"
And they admit they were not competent" re-
marked the Coroner
Dr. Moore said the shower bath was given for
cleansing purposes. but admitted its effect would
he subdung. He had no recollection Of seeing
IIiiard on his last round that night. Afterward
he said he did not remember whether he had visited
the pavilion al all Tuesday night His impression
wac that he had Hliard between 10 a. m.
and noon December Il. He hac indstinct
recollection Of seeing a slight bruse over HiIHard's
eye. He had next Hilard between 3 and 6
O'Clock when he had been summoned from the
alcoholic ward in a hurry. He had found Ole Of
the nurses kneeling over Hiard. producing arti-
hcia respiration. He had been in doubt whether
the man had any pulse. After several minutes he
had found that the man was dead and he left the
building That about o'clock Mr.. Marshall
trying TO produce respiration and Mr. Davis
and a third nurse. II DR.. Moore remembered cor
rectIy. were present. The doctor had noticed
scratch billiards left leg. When Dr. Moore
entered the MI. Davis had said the had
had fall and they had brought him into the room,
had given him strychniEe and whiskey. and had
tried artificial respiration
Dr. Moore's recollection was hazy, but near
a. he could recollect Davis had said the had
become violent in the corridor and had had a
herce scufle with nnI- Hilliard had got into the
bathroom nd out into the corridor again, had
struck the back Of his head. fallen again. and the
nurses had carried him into the room. The doctor
had not examined the truises. He did not remem-
beT whether the mans clothing was wet dry. or
whether he had seen any blood marks on him. It
DR.. Moores duty to look after Hilliard's con-
dition DR. Moore had made ont the certificate OF
death but had not ascribed any cause of death.
The information in the certificate was from hear
say. He had ascribed death to acute dilatation of
the heart caused by exhausting fight. The
autopsy had said the had dilated heart.
1T 10 you know absolutely nothing
about the death OF Louis H. Hilliard," remarked
the Coroner.
Practically nothing" replied DR.. Moore.
A CASE OF MURDER SUGGESTED.
DR. a. wIdman, one OF the examiners in lunacy
AT Bellevue. testified that he examined HillIard on
December y about p. m. and pronounced him in
sane He had examined Minnock several times. He
thought Hillard had abrasion the left side OF
The forehead. He had not made a physical exam
inaton; that left 20 the house physician. DR.
Moore Thursday had told DR. Wildman that
Hiard had died from exhaustion
dispute arose as TO when the alleged twistins
Of n sheet about billiards throat took place. TIL,
ceIence held that IL was on Tuesday, and tried L
prove by DR.. Wildman that Hilliard showed no in
dications Of such injury Wednesday at o'clock
Mnnock recalled and testified that the shee
twisted around billiards. throat on wednesda,
by Davis. He repeated his account given on Thurs
day.
IF this wftness's testimony is true this take
the case out Of the category OF manslaughter an
makes IL one OF murder" said Mr. Mcintyre II
establishes premeditation. To take a sheet an,
twist ii about mans neck until he is surfocates
murder"