The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-29

New York. April 2S.-Mrs. Corinne E.
Mcbride the wife Of Robert Mcbride
the lessee and proprietor Of the new
/ Varuna apartment house. on the north
| east corner Of Broadway and Eightieth
| street a prominent member Of the First
Church Of Christ. Scientist, died at the
/ VaruHa Saturday afternoon after a week s
/ Illness She was attended only by Mrs
Crowley and Miss Duncan. healers OF
/ her church. and at no time during her
illness was a physician called in.
The law provides that where q person
| dies who has not had a regularly licensed
/ physician in attendance within twenty
/ four hours the ease must be reported at
once TO the coroner's Office by those hav-
| ing knowledge Of death. and failure 10
make such a report is a misdemeanOr.
Mrs. McBride's death was not so reported.
! Instead every effort was made 10 keep
/ IT a secret. and IL was only through the
arrest OF her sister. Mrs. Alice Chesan,
/ a lecturer and magazine writer. at the
complaint OF the husband Of the de-
ceased. that the coroner heard Of the
case. and even then through the medium
OF newspaper reporters.
Mrs. Chesan was charged with 'habitual
intoxication." and when she was ar
ralgned before Magistrate Walsh, in the
West Side Police Court, she told enough
Of her story TO get the case before the
coroner.
As soon as he heard Of the case. Coro-
ner Peter P. AcrltelH ordered the police
to al once take charge OF the body. and
10 stop any further funeral arrangements
until he could make a thorough examina-
ton.
Case Is Complicated.
The case is complicated by the fact
that Dr. Alfred z. Weston. Coroner .Acrt-
tellis official physician. was called into
the case after death and gave the death
| certificate. accepting the word Of these
who had been in attendance. namely. the
/ husband. Mrs. Crowley. and Mrs. Dr.
Sarah E. Battey. that AIRS McBride's
death had been apparently eaused by
pneumonia. DT. Battey explained that she
had not attended Mrs Mcbride during
her illness. but had once or twice tele-
phoned TO see what progress she was
making. She had called then. having
heard Of the death. merely as a friend
She was sure. as a physician that pneu-
monia had caused death. DR. Battey and
her husband are both members Of First
Church.
After giving orders to stop the funeral,
Coroner AeritelH went at once 20 the
West Fifty-fOurth street prison. where
Mrs. Chesan. sister OF the deceased, was
locked up, having been remanded until
tomorrow morning by Magistrate Walsh.
'to give her a chance to straighten up"
as he said. When the coroner reached
the prison Mrs. Chesau was brought
down TO see him. She had none Of the
appearances Of a drinking woman, but
was very nervous.
Denies Charge of Drinking.
She declared she was not drinker.
and had never before been arrested.
She accused Mcbride and the Christian
Scientists or having had her locked up.
hoping. she said. to put her out of the
way until after the funeral. so they
could keep secret the fact that her sister
had died without medical attendance, and
in spite of her protest.
My sister" said Mrs. Chesan, became
a Christian Scientist two years ago. She
was very sincere. She tried 10 convert
me. as did her friends. but l never be-
lieved in the cult. and declined TO have
anything - do with them. Three weeks
ago l took her down TO Atlantic City.
and she seemed improved in her health
when I brought her home But last sun
day she became very i'll in the First
Church during service. She was brought
home and I saw that she was very i'll. l
wanted to call I'm a physician, but she
preferred to have Mrs. Crowley and Miss
Duncan come in. I agreed on her ac-
count Mrs. Anna Crowley, tbs, best heal
er in the church and a great friend of
Mrs Stelson and Miss Duncan, came
over They said that my sisters condi-
tion.was not at all serious. and If were
to carry out their instructions, they
would easily bring her around.
Forbade Use of Drugs.
They absolutely forbade anything like
drugs, but said / could give any kind OF
nourishment. They 6rst came in, looked
at her and sat beside her bed with their
faces buried in their hands for fifteen
minutes OF so. Then they read from time
TO time. from Science and Health and
then they would pray again in secret.
They kept that up until Saturday after
noon about o'clock. Then my sister
spoke up and said she knew she was los
ing ground
Oh, you're all right Mrs Crowley
remarked in the most hippant way. Il
could not stand it any longer. 1 saw that
my sister was dying. I insisted on call
ing in a physician and suggested one.
The trouble lies with you, said Miss
Duncan. You are the discord. If you
go away ii viii be ali right I then de-
cided TO go and went to the home of my
friend, Mrs. Harriet Blair, at 3S1 West
Eighty-third street. I had hardly reach
ed there when I heard that my sister had
died just think of it. the last relative
/ had in the world, and she died calling
for ne" Mrs. Chesan here broke down
and sobbed bitterly
Had Aursed Her Sister.
I had been nursing her night and day
for the entire week and was worn out.
l got up early this morning; I think it
was about o'clock. and decided to go
over and sit a little while with my sister.
had not eaten anything for several days;
had been living on coffee. and my friend
suggested that I take little whisky.
did so. although I seldom drink it.
My brother-in-law refused 10 let me see
In Carte Lunch Served Daily
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