The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-16
CORONERS' OFFICE TANGLED.
NOBODY APPEARS TO KNOW WHAT
KILLED SUMNER CHILDREN.


In the Homes Of Dncrent Grandpar.
ents Within n Hours Of Each Other.
Two children Of Charles Sumner, one 8
years old the other years old. died within
a day Of each other last week, one at 7so
Halsey street, Brooklyn, and the other
at 1912 Fulton street. Their home was at
81 Clinton street. Neither child was sick
twenty-four hours altogether and In each
case peculiar symptoms were exhibited
which made the causes Of death doubtful.
Both cases were reported to the Coroners
Office by the physicians who attended the
children, but owing to their occurring at
two different places each WINS investigated
by different Coroners through their deputies
and for some reason, which the Coroners
intend to ascertain. no connection between
the two cases was established until yes
terday, when information was brought to
the Coroners Office that the deaths were
in the same family.
Coroner Flaherty, In whose district the
death Of the second child occurred. and
who granted q certificate without knowing
anything about the death of the first child,
when he learned yesterday that they were
Of one family said he would start an investi
cation to determine whether 1t was an
oversight on the part Of some one attached
TO the Office or whether the fact had been
wilfully concealed in which case thorough
investigation OF the deaths would have TO
be made.
That II was not at all the fault Of the
family was asserted yesterday by the
parents Of the child and the grandmother
OF the children. who. stated positively that
they had informed Coroners' Physician
Hartung. who investigated the second
child's death, OF the demise Of the other
child the day before DIR. W. A. Tones,
who attended the second child, said that
he had also reported the death to the
Coroners' office.
As 1t appeared by the records there yes
terday no attention was ever paid to this.
IL such report was made, and DR.. Hartung
said he was pretty sure, for his part, that he
hadn't been told at all, though he admitted
he might be mistaken.
The Summers were about to leave 81
Clinton street when Elizabeth complained
Of pains in her head last Thursday morning.
She was taken TO the home OF her fathers
mother at 7s9 Hasey street, where she died
that night in commissions. DIR. Marion,
who attended the child, said he thought
kidney trouble, although he could not
be sure. He reported Il to the Coroner,
and DR.. Wuest investigated and made
report, ascribing death to anamc poison
ing on the statements OF the mother. That
was the next day.
On Friday, May, the younger OF the
children woke up sick and was seized
with vomiting She MA had been ieft in the
at the Clinton street house. Mrs. Brady
says she went to four different doctors
with the child in her arms. None Of them
was in, 40 she took car up TO her own
neighborhood and went to DIR. W. A. Tones
at 500 Classon avenue. DR.. Tones ad.
ministered a stimulant but could not tell
what was the matter. He was told that
the child had eaten some mustard pickles
and drunk some milk the day before. He
then thought IL might be ptomaine poison
day evening and found her in commissions.
She died at 10 o'clock that hight.
DR.. Hartung, Coroner flaherty,s phy ,so
D D,a morning and aftsr hearing the state.
ments OF Mrs. Sumner and Mrs. Brady
decided that the child had died OF acute
indigestion, The children were buried on
Sunday in Mount Olivet Cemetery.
When asked yesterday IL she could ex-
plain how the Coroners' office had failed
TO learn Of the relationship Of the two
children, Mrs. Sumner said;
y has been great surprise to u.s. and we
cation would certainly be made and wanted
TO learn ourselves what the two children
had died of. | told the Coroner's doctor
of the death OF Elizabeth the day before.
but he did not seem to pay much attention |
to 1t. We would gladly have allowed an |
autopsy if only TO find out what was the
matter, as we have four children left and We
want to keep them.
DIR. Hartung said last night that he was
sure that II he had been told Of the death Of !
the child the day before he would have in
formed the Coroner. although condolences
of that kind were not infrequent. Both he !
and DIR. Wuest said that the cases were not |
at all suspicious. Charles Sumner, the
father. is staying at his mothers home on
owing to the home having been broken up
at the Clinton street place. Dr. Marion,
the family physician, said that they had
been his patients for many years and to his
mind there was nothing suspicious In the