The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-26
RED TAPE STOPS
AID TODYING Man
An Unknown Man, Found Badly
Frozen, Dies at the City
Hospital.
Public Servants Squabble Over the
Ambulance, While Dying Man
Awaits Removal.
He Waits an Hour for Skilled At
I'd. tentioH Which Is Given
1855 Too Late. ~.

The first fatality from the extreme cold
weather reported in the city occurred this
morning when an unknown man died at
the city hospital from the effects of cold
and exposure. 49, De-. 49, D..
At 1880 a. m. the man was found lying
on the porch Of the Mcmillan residence,
619 Fourth street Sc. He was uncon-
scious and Patrolman Michaud was noti-
fed. He called for the ambulance from
the city hospital but later the patrol
wagon was sent from the central police
station and the man taken to the city
hospital. The removal of the dying man
to the hospital was greatly delayed by dn
official clash between city officials. While
they were squabbling the mans life was
ebbing away. He died within ten min
utes Of his arrival at the hospital
When the man was received at the nos
pital life was nearly extinct and the ply
sicians could detect but a slight move
ment of the pulse. RestOratives were ad-
mnistered while artificial respiration was
kept up for several minutes. All effOrts
were useless, and the patient died within
81 few minutes without regaining con-
sciousnesS.
There was nothing about the man
clothing by which he could be identified.
He carried a note book in his pocket IN
which were entered the dimensions OF
several steam boilers. This Is taken to
indicate that the man was all engineer or
I business men and it is thought he lived
in either Minneapolis or st. Paul. ..
The man was about five feet ten inches
! tall and weighed about 165 pounds. He had
dark hair and wore a small sandy mus
| tache. He was clad in the garments OF
an ordinary workingman and had neglige
| shirt. turn down collar and blue WIND
| sor tie He wore a Ma sonic emblem.
How the man came to be on the porch
| Of the Mcmillan residence is a mystery.
but it is supposed that he was Intoxicated
and becoming lost sought shelter from the
storm. No money was found upon his
| person.
Fatal Red Tape. H..
! The discovery Of the man led to a clash
| between the police and the. city hospital
officials. All the police patrol wagons were
busy taking prisoners to the municipal
! court and none could be sent. The police
called in vain for the ambulance from the
| city hospital The police are highly In
! censed over the stand taken by the nos
pital authorities, while the latter say that
they did the only. thing to be done under
! the circumstance. ,r - -, ~ r..
Captain Henry eSetehcll, who has charge
/ of the police equipnrentssays that at 7:45
he asked for the ambulance. The nurse
who answered the phone said that the
! clerk was out and that she had no au-
-thority to order oct" the ambulance. An
effort wa then made to get a patrol wagon
but all three were busy taking prisoners
to court and another call was made fol
| the ambulance. Again the nurse said thai
! the clerk was out and refused to send the
ambulance In the meantime the. wager
from the central police station had ar
rived and was ordered to get the man. 4
| hurry-up run was made and the untcrtun
ate man arrived at the hospital nearly ar
hour after he had been found and but ter
minutes before he died. -:
Or. Nelson's Explanation.
DR.. Henry Nelson. city physician, this
morning expla ined nat he thought the en-
i pIoyes had done what was right in refus
4 ing to send the, ambulance. He says tina
the city Is not provided with:an emergenc.
ambulance service and that when the hos
pital sends out the ambulance, the mai
sending It must know that it Is going TO-
a, hospital case: He SAYS that the froze1
man was brought to. the hospital t(li
morning after all the delay in less TIM
than he could have been brought there II
the ambulance: -: ~ So :
? :*~' The Mayor to Investigate
! Mayor Jones this morning expressed
. himself in forcible condemnation OF tn
conditions that made it necessary TO put
y man nearly frozen to death in an opel
, vehicle and haul him two or three mile
: upon cold a day as this. He said: =:
, II understand that the ambulance fror
= the city hospital is an, emergency vehlcl
and the proper one to be called In SUCH
case. T. don't know just how much re
, tape there is connected with this matter
, vet I do believe that some one let respec
for red tape overshadow humane actio
in this case. L shall Investigate thor
oughly before discussing the case NOR
fully - .-%s -. - ~ - - .r-.