The evening world., 1904-04-13
k.E0roneTs Verdict IN Case of
Man Who Had Thirteen Ribs
and Breastbone Broken in
Manhattan State Hospital.
! WILL PREFER CHARGES
AGAINST DR.. KNAPP.
Physician Admitted He Signed
Death Certificate to the Ef-
fect that Patient Had Died of
Pneumonia.

Coroner Brown to-day held an inquest
into the death OF Ludwig Knak. who
died March 2s in the Manhattan State
Hospital on Wards Island. An autopsy
developed the fact that Knar's breast
Sone and thirteen ribs had been brokn.
Thr wre many marks and bruiss on the
body.
Z After being out for half an hour the
Jury reported that Ludwig Knak came
! to hts death through injuries received
In the Manhattan State Hospital while
In the care OF attendants John Shea,
Waithr Reilly and Thomas Reilly: said
injuries received consisting of thirteen
broken ribs and breast bore
The three attendants Were IN the
Coroners courtroom and when the YER
dict was announced they were immedl-
atcly placed under arrest and araigncd
before Coroner Brown. who committed
them to the Tombs In s2.6oc bail eaoh
No specific charge was made against
the trio.
Assistant Distr!ct-Attorney 0arvan.
who appeared at the conclusio OF the
Inquest, announced to Coroner Brown:
-t"1 will at once prefer charges against
Ilr Knapp. who admitted that ne mad
signed the udath certificate to the effect
that Knak had died Of pneumonia and
had only inserted the words and brok-
en- ribs after consulate nwith the
rintenGcnt of the hospital.
Jury Censures Authorit -.
The jury In Its report mildly censirch
the hospital authorities by recommend
Ing that they he more careful in the
; future regarding death certificates
issued fro mtherc.
Assistant District-Attorney Garvan
appeared at the inquest to examine the
witnesses called.
The testimony of Knaks wife and the
policeman who removed him from his
,atape to Bellevue Hospital whence he
was transferred to Manhattan Hospital,
showed that when lie left home and was
anr Injuries
..DrA Parker. the physician IN charge of
bellevue testified that knak had been
received there March Il In good physical
condition. Or. +. l.. Haviland. of the
Manhattan Hospital. swore that when
knak was taken there he had no broken
bones.
DR.. O'Hanlona who performed the au-
topsy: said he had found two com
pound fractures Of the breast bone, the
frst at the second rib and the second
at the fourth rib. l'ive ribs were bro
ken on the right side and eight on the
4left side.
DIR. Knapp TestiHes.
p nr- Knapp the assistant superentend-
ent of the Manhattan State Hospital.
was then called to the witness stand
II was he who signed the death GER
tihcate to the effect that Knak died OF
pneumonia and afterward inserted the
words 'and broken ribs" in the GER
tfcatc.
In reply to Mr. Garvun DIR. Knapp
admitted that he wanted to suppress
the fact that Knak's ribs were broken.
The doctor said he didn't insert the
words ''and broken ribs" until he had
consulted with Supt. Mcdonald When
asked why. he replied:
II used my. own judgment"
wo'nurses from the Manhat ttan State
Hospital, who had charge of the ward
IN WHICH Knnk died. were then called.
Both We're named Reilly. One had been
mn ash-cart driver while the other had
been motorman previous to their bc-
ing appointed nurses In the hospital.
Both declared l<nak had received his
injuries from falling out of bed