The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-13
THE ZIMMERMAN AUTOPSY
A Coroner's Jury Held an Inquest
Over the Body.
"A Verdict of Death From Cerebral
HemorrhnEe-A CIot on the Brnin,
but Physicians Unable to Fix Its
Origin-Ey of Witnesses.


William Zimmcrman's death was due t.
cerebral hemorrhage, the cause of when
was to the jury unknown, was the YER
dict reached by the coroner jury yes
terday afternoon after an examination oil
witnesses that lasted for nearly Two
hours Zimmerman lived at 3O52 Nj street
northwest and was employed IN the
freight yards of the Pennsylvania Rali-
road. Last Friday he was paid SHS Tor
his weeks work and started out with sew
eral companions They visited several sa-
looms and about O'Clock in the evening
Zimmerman was found in Slate Alley in
what was thought to be drunken stupor
and was sent to the First precinct police
station, where he was kept in cell all
night. When taken out in the morning
he was unconscious and was taken to the
Emergency Hospital. 1t was found that
Zimmerman was suffering from cerebral
hemorrhaEo and an operation was per-
formed. he died Sunday morning. After
the autopsy the body was turned over to
friends for burial.
Julas : Gottlieb. of 4i2 Tenth Street
northwest. testified that he was in War
ner's saloon on f Street. between Twelfth
and Thirteenth Streets, on Friday even
ing when Zimmerman came in with two
other men. They We're so much under the
influence of liquor that Warner instruct
ed his barkeeper to refuse to serve them.
The men insisted on being served, but on
meeting with a positive refusal they left
the place.
Got,licb said that he found zimmerman
lying up against the side of a house in
Slate Alley and called for a policeman to
have him cared for until he should sober
M. Zimmerman was drunk, he said, and
showed some money while in the saloon.
Asbury r. Richardson, the bartender,
rorroborated the story and further added
that the men seemed to be on good terms
when in the saloon and no trouble seemed
TO exist between them. Policeman Maui
rice Austin testified that he was told that
there was a drunken man lying in Slate
Alley, and going there he assisted Po-
liceman Carlson in putting him into the
patrol wagon and afterward helped to put
him into a cell at the station. zimmerman
was unable to give his name or any in
formation regarding himself and seemed
60 be in stupor In response to ques-
tion from Coroner hewitt he said that he
might have been unconscious.
Policeman Carlson was next sworn. He
told of going TO Slate Alley in response
to a call from Gottlieb and finding Zim-
norman lying up against the side of Con-
nors saloon. He was breathing heavily
and there was a strong odor of liquor on
his breath. Carlson called the patrol
wagon and accompanied the man TO the
station, where, on being searched, 10
mark of violence was found Police
man Houghlan, who responded to the
call in the patrol wagon, told the jury of
the removal of Zimmerman from the al
ley TO the station. He tried to arouse
him, but was unable to do so. So far as
he could see there was nothing about the
man TO indicate that there was anything
the matter with him, other than that he
was intoxicated. He helped take Zim-
norman to cell. where he was placed
upon the floor. as he would doubtless
have fallen and hurt himself If placed on
the bench. Witness visited the cell sew
eral times during the night and found
Mat the prisoner had frequently changed
his position. Saturday morning he called
the attention of the sergeant to the fact
that the man showed no signs of reviving
and by the sergeants orders he placed
Zimmerman in the patrol wagon ana took
him TO the Emergency Hospital.
DR.. Bedle, the assistant resident physi-
clan at the Emergency Hospital, said
that the man had been received at the in
stitution by DR.. Dixon. but that in COM
pany with DR.. Vaughan he visited the
patient several hours later and found a
slight confusion on the left side of the
head. The wound, he said was not deep
enough to cause much OF a hemorrhage.
The right arm was paralyzed and there
were other evidences Of cerebral hemOr-
rhage, and an operation was decided upon
and the skull was trephined- A clot about
the size Of silver dollar was found that
was apparently of recent formation.
There was also a slight laceration of the
brain tissue 1t was a typical case OF
cerebral hemorrhage, the physician
ST. nm u lt.li bE.T ha only
chance OF saving the mans life was to
perform the operation. The doctor
thought that the injuries might have
been produced by blow or fall, he could
not say which
Precinct Detective Herndon was next
sworn. He told Of his having been as
signed to the case and Of his having Sc
cured the business card that was found
in Zimmerman pockets. This card gave
the address of Scenic Painter Zeller in
the Corcoran Building. Visiting that
place, he secured information that en-
abled him TO locate Albert Glascock and
Joseph Higgins as the men who were
with Zimmerman in the saloon. These
men had subsequently been arrested and
sentenced to the WOrkhOuse on a charge
of disorderly conduct. He went to the
workhouse and found Glascock extremely
talkattVe. but Higgins refused TO give
satisfactory answers to his questions. one
Of Higgins ears was somewhat injured
and there was blood on his clothing.
Both men, the detective said, admitted
having been with Zimmerman, but said
that they were too drunk to know what
had occurred. The witness told Of Mrs
Milstead having positively identified the
body and of Mr.. and Mrs. Cohen de.
scribing the fall which Zimmerman had
while at their house in NJ Street about
three weeks ago, when he struck his
head against the corner Of the mantel
piece.
Or GIazebrook told Of having performed
the autopsy Sunday afternoon at o'clock
He found various injuries about the head
and in addition TO the evidence Of ciot
having been removed on the left side OF
the head he found various other clots
including large one on the right side OF
the head TheSs was "A big subcutaneous
bruise covering this cl0t. and extending
over the entire right side Of the head
but there was no external evidence OF
this injury, which was probably due Il
the head coming IN contact with some
fat surface. whether the result Of a blow
or a fan he could not say. DR.. Glaze.
brook said that II was at times difficult
for even physician to distinguish differ
eut classes Of coma without careful
examination He referred particularly tC
the coma produced by drink, by kidney
trouble. and by cerebral hemUrrhage He
stated that from any one Of these causes
Il person might die. He believed that q
physician should be available at the
and not until that was done would such
cases as that Of Zimmerman receive
proper attention.
Glascock and Higgins also appeared be.
fore the jury. but as they were hopeless
" under the influence Of liquor at the
time they left Zmme rman, their testi-
m0ny was unimporranr After short
deliberation the jury returned the YER
cict.