The evening times., 1901-08-12

in the Number Of Cases InvcStIERt-
ed-CuuScS of COMMUNICATIONS
meudufiUus ~ TO the OHice'S scope.
DR.. j. Ramsay hewitt. the District COR
oner. this morning presented To the Com
m;sEio9crs his annual report for Jh. nS-
cal year ended June cd. 1901 lie states
that during the period covered 10y the re-
port there Were ST. deaths investigated by
his office. being an increase Of - over the
previous year. There were 4sS deaths
from natural causes investigated result
ing from 81 causes OF diseases. OF these
IL died Of angina pectoris. 20 OF ap0pleNy,
II Of alcoholism. and I OF delirium ire
mers. There were 2I who died of Eastri-
tbs. 57 OF CASTRO euterilis. 50 of valvular
heart disease. Is Of maI-nutritiou. 90 Of
pneumonia. % of senile debility, and i3 OF
tuberculosis.
Under the heading of violent deaths the
Coroner mentions the following: Acciden-
tai injuries. falls. etc. 53; steam railway
accidents an District of Columbia 9.
steam railway accidents not in District
Of Columbia. o., street railway accidents
In District of Columbia, S, street railway
accidents not In District of Columbia, /;
electric shock. O.. accidental burns. q:
accidental drowning, 80, total 2lI The
accidental deaths were II in number and
from the following causes Accidental
poisoning 10y Illuminating gas y; opium,
1; c8rbOIiC acid. I. SuIphUTiC acid. /,
atropine e.. chloroform. 1; paraldehyde,
l. The suicides were 36- Guushot wounds
10. inhaliHE gas. 8. clrboHc acid. @, in
cised wound Of wrist !; cutting throat
8; opium poison, 8. arsenic. /. prussic
acid ]. choral hydrate. I; drowning. 4.
H4uufne- Thor. rEa-.. Tt1r1s raerrIr-
ing from criminal acts: Homicides. Il;
accidental homicides. .; criminal abor-
tion. ;; legal hanging. p
The number Of autopsies in United
States criminal cases was -, and IN Dis
trict cas,s So. The number of inquests
was 80. and the number of bodies cared
Tor al tn .aar-us was 2lS.
The cNn, usys Of the office for the period
covered by the report were Salary of
Coroner, $3.50, making auJopsies. $i15;
taking testimony 2l75; jurors fees. S29;
livery, Slstaa. horsoshoeiug. $40; ice
for morEue $5l.s2, supplies and repairs for
morgue. Sl56s; stationery. S1565; harness
for morEu. horse. 26.5o. Total. S2.g9>.l5.
The schedule OF estimates for the con-
duct OF the office for the fiscal year end
ing June 80. 1898, submitted by the Coro-
ner Is.
For salary Of coroner. 1850: for ste
nOgrapher and clerk, 500; for mOrgue
keeper. 500; for assistant morgue keeper.
$3.50. for making autopsies, $500; for livery,
500 for ice and supplies for morgue. 500.
Tor incidental expenses. $50. Total S5.Gjo.
Now that the city is TO have a new
morgue.'' Dr. hewitt says. after present
ing the above statistics THE expenses for
operating the same viii be greatly iD-
creased over the present appropriation
This viii los
the morgue-keeper. and an increase in his
salary is respectfully recommended In
my estimates. / have recommended the
appointment Of a stenographer at $500,
also an assistant mUrgue-keeper at $3.50
per annum- The necessity for this clerk
is demonstrated by the number Of letters
received from attorneys during the year
cvmplaining of the iucompleteness Of the
notes taken at inquests- Important testi-
mony Is ofteHtimes addUced at these hear
ings. and the value of authentic records
OF the same is manifest The stenogrlph-
er could also 5e utilized as "a clerk in
keeping the records of the Office
Il wish 20 call your attention to that
part OF the District Code which pertains
20 the Coroner's office. especially that
clause which provides fee for witnesses
summoned by the Coroner. ] do not think
that such "a change viii work TO the best
interests of the office, iuasmuch as this
fact viii in itself be an incentive to in
trOdUce unreliable and false testimony.
Not only would this condition be ever
present. but the number OF w0uId-be wit
nesses greatly increased. Considerable
time would DE consumed I'm eliminating
this element hv prolouEinE the inquest IN
hearing irrelevant testimony. These pro-
tracted inGuests would Dee a great obiec-
tion O. the better class Of our citizens
serving as jurors. With the natural in
crease Of work en- this office it will mean
an additional expense Of nearly $1,000
'Furthermore. as is recommended by
the revised code, the office as an appoint
ment is taken away from the authority OF
the Commissioners and vested in the
President AS in every instance the aQ-
pointment OF a Coroner has been essen
TALLY a local one. il would seem advisable
for many reasons that the Office be con-
tuued under the Commissioners jurls-
dictlon
1t might be wei here 20 refer TO sew
eral important recommendations brought
out By CJr0ner's inquests. and referred %
from time to time iH the daily press. The
Office has generally been fortunate in sc-
curing jurors of nigh Intelligence who
have given uuc0mplaiaiugly Of their time
vice
The problem ~ avoiding accidents at
steam railway crossings ia the city viii
b solved when elevated or depressed
tracks are used. This. however. does not
provide Tor the safety of our rapidly i'm
creasing suburban population. and tu this
end an Improvement could De- made. Tho
demands FOR rapid transit. of course. .u-
crease the danger or those living out Of
or near town. es it is iu the suburbs gem
orally that high speed is maintained with
its acC0mpaus sing dalg0 -. As the fire.
Cuency and speed of trains multiply the
danger TO the suburban citizen. the pro-
lection afforded az the crossings should
b cOrreSpOEdingiy increased IL would
seem also that this would apply % cleo
triC street railway crossings Street rail-
way accidents were somewhat IrCrca scd
over last year. Tn, crossing policemen
undoubtedly saved many lives through
their vigilance and attention 20 duty.
Their services in this respect. especially
u women ana children. are almost of
daily OcC-rraDca-
There was one fatal bicycle accident
Better for the Hood Than Snrsapa-
riiIH
For those lying iu the malaria districts. Groves
Ia-rr.f--s