The Washington times., 1904-01-10
DR.. CARR ASSUMES
ALL RESPONSIBILITY
Treated 0ffutt for Frac-
ture of Skull"
VERDICT OF COR0NER'S JURY
Finds That Patient Did Not Receive
Proper Treatment at Emer-
gency Hospital.

Il cheerfully assume all response
bility for the treatment accorded Omutt.
When / saw him 1 detected a fracture
OF the skull. and thought it to be of
just such a character as was disclosed
by the autopsy. 1t was for this | treat
ed him, according to the methods i
thought best in the case"
DIR. William p. Carr, attending sur
geon at the Emergency Hospital, in the
above statement, shoulders the blame
placed upon the Emergency Hospital in
the verdict of the Coroner's jury, which
yesterday investigated the death of
Henry T. Offutt, the House of Deten-
ton guard. The jury gave a verdict OF
accidental death, experimenting the
verdict with the following comment:
I'VE, the CoroneT's jury. are of the
opinion that Henry i. Offutt. while n
PATIENT at the Emergency Hospital, did
not receive the proper care which was
due his case under the circumstances.
Some Action Expected.
The significant report of the Coroner S
jury will compel some action on the
part of the Board Of Charities, accord
ing to a statement made last night by
George E. Wilson, secretary to the board
Whether or not an investigation will be-
ordered cannot be ascertained until the
board meets. which will be next Thurs
day OF Friday. The available facts in
the case will then be ascertained, and II
OF sufficient gravity a committee will
be named to conduct a thorough inyes-
tigation.
The matter has not been brought to
the official attention of the District
Commissioners. but II they see fit they
may order an investigation Immediately
without awaiting action by the Board OF
Charities. 1t is hardly probably. how
ever. that this course will be pursued.
Statement of Physician.
A reporter for The Times last night
called at the Emergency Hospital, Il
see If any statement was 10 be made
in reply TO the structures passed upor
the hospital by the jury He was re
ferred TO DR.. Charles S. White, resident
physician in charge. who in turn re
ferred the reporter 20 Dr. Carr.
The latter was found in the laboratory
of the Columbian University Medica
College, and made the following state
ment:
You will understand that there wer,
none of the usual symptoms OF skull
fracture, such as ptipilar variation. Of
paralysis, and it is not a matter of sur
prise that the fracture was not detected
by tire physician who admitted him t,
the hospital In fact the symptoms wer,
so ohgcure that one not familiar will
many similar cases would not diagnos'
the case as fracture
No Chance to Save Life.
rs not trepanning Il u IaI operation
In such cases2'' he was asked
Usual, yes, but not advisable in this
case. in my Judgment
Was there at any time, you think
a chance for the life Of this man, under
any procedure?''
Il do not think So
Offutt. it will be remembered, fell from
the platform of a car as IL rounded the
curve at Seventeenth and Il Streets, or
the night Of Tuesday, January 5, dying
three days later at the Emergency Hos.
pttsl He was a man forty-five years
old. and lived at % Eighth Street south
east He leaves large family.
Easy of Detection.
DR.. Glazebsook described the fractur,
at the inquest as one so pronounced
that ne was able to detect IL withou
making any incision of the scalp. A
this point Juror Frank Raymond inter
posed a question.
do you think the dead man wa.
properly taken care of at the hospitaI?'
Il prefer not TO answer that question.
said the deputy coroner, beyond tn,
answer that is conveyed in my state
ment that the fracture of the skull wa:
so easy OF detection that IT was no
even necessary to make an incision Of