Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-03
HOSPITAL IS SCORED
Browns Death at SibIey Due
to Neglect.
so SAYS CORONER'S JURY
At Conclusion of Inquest Held
Today.
DEATH INQUIRIES NOW ON
Six Scheduled for Today and Authori-
ties Kept on the Jump Every
Minute.
'EATH INQUIRIES NOW ON

All records Of the District coroners office
were broken today when Coroner hewitt
had on his schedule six separate inquests
in cases where deaths had occurred from
violent external causes. or under sus-
picious circumstances.
Two of the inquistions were held this
morning-those over the bodies of Charles
Jones. colored and James Brown Jones
was killed Sunday by a Capital Traction
trolley car. Brown while delicious from
typhoid fever, leaped from a window at
Sibley Hospital Friday morning and frac-
tured his skull
third case was that of Andrew Contee,
colored who shot at the corner of
New Jersey avenue and street while re-
sisting a policeman. The Contee inquest
was called at O'Clock this afternoon.
An inquiry into the death OF Albert
Garner, colored. whose body was found
Sunday morning near the north end of
Thompsons bridge. will be held at 4
o'clock this afternoon.
At the request of the police department
and on account of the crush of business
Coroner hewitt at noon today decided to
postpone the inquest over the body of Eu-
gene Baylor. colored, until tomorrow at IL
o'clock. Baylor died Sunday at the
X.
He shot in the leg after stabbing
Policeman Strobel. in desperate struggle
at the corner of 21st street and Virginia
avenue about a week ago.
A sixth inquest was in the of Mrs.
Anna p. McCallum. who fell was thrown
from an 18th street car at the corner OF
Harvard street August Is. Mrs. McCalum
died August Is and Deputy Coroner Glaze
brook started inquiry in the case August
90 but adjourned it because the crew of the
which killed Mrs. McCallum were not
present Detectives have been working on
the ever since, but the names of the
crew have not yet been learned.
Sibley Officers Criticised
After hearing all of the testimony in the
case of James Brown the coroner's curry de-
cidetl that his death was due to fracture
of the skull and the officials of Sibley Hos
pital were censured for neglect in not TAX
ing suitable precautions for the protection
of delicious patients.
At the opening of the inquest Coroner
hewitt called upon Dr.. M. II. Price. James
Browns family physician. who described
the various stages of Browns illness, lead
ing I'D to his admission to the Sibley Hos
pital DR.. Price said that late last week
Browns condition was regarded as critical.
and injections of strychnne were given to
stimulate the heart action. Brown became
derious, and the typhoid progressed to
such a point that little nope was enter.
tanned.
Had Mr.. Brown got out of bed or out
Of the room on any occasion before he
Jumped out of the Window" asked Coroner
hewitt
II understand he did on one OCCASION"
replied Dr. Price. who then said that as q
result the patient was placed under a re-
straining sheet. and his hands and feet
were secured Brown had escaped from the
restraining sheet once about three days be-
fore his death.
one of the jurors asked Dr. Price If Brown
was dead when picked up after his jump,
and the witness stated he had been in
formed that Brown had lived for some little
time.
ley Hospital late Friday, owing to an APP
parentIy serious change in the patients
condition, but he found Brown about the
same.
Witness said he had been informed over
the telephone about 10 O'Clock Friday morn
ing that Brown was dead, and that there
were unusual circumstances connected with
the case. Subsequently he went to the hos
pital and learned that Brown had fallen
jumped from the window of his room. DR..
Price said he had not been certain about
the legal aspects of the case. but after con-
su,tation with friends decided the coroner
should be notified. So he called up DR.. CAL
lagher superintendent of the hospital, and
with the latter went to Coroner Nevitts
Office Sunday afternoon.
AS far as he knew. DIR. Price said Sibley
Hospital was not provided with special ia
cilities for handling deirious patients.
Browns Family Informed.
Rev. DIR. Charles w. Gallagher, SUPER
intendent of the hospital, testified he was
away from the institution when the acci-
dent occurred, but had learned of it i'm
mediately upon his return. DR.. Gallagher
declared members of Browns family had
been informed of the jump or fall from the
window and there attempt at
evasion concealment.
Miss F. A. Ravens. superintendent OF
nurses of Sibey Hospital, related the in
cidenttal facts of Browns admission to the
hosnital about three weeks ago and his
serious condition She said 1t was a rule
of the hospital that a restraining sheet
should be used on a deliriOuS patient. Brown
had been so restrained FOR several Gays
and his hands and feet tied. Miss Havens
never had know of a patient as weak as
Brown apparently was escaping from the
hand and foot bands
Miss Havens said Brown fell fifteen feet
through an air shaft. The night nurse who
had to care for Brown was also required
to watch over seven or eight other patients.
Brown was dying and 1t was thought ne
would not live until Saturday morning, de-
clared Miss Genevieve Tree, night nurse
who had charge of Brown. She had left the
room five minutes and turned back on hear
ing a noise Brown was gone, and later was
found beneath the window and died in a
snort time. Miss Tree declared she never
heard Brown in his deirium express an in
tention to escape desire to jump from
the window.
DR.. George II. MCGEE, resident physician
at the hospital said he had practiced medi-
cine only two months, and all Oh that time
In connection with Sibley Hospital. He knew
nothing of the legal aspects OF the case Dr.
MCGEE said he had heard that Brown had
threatened to escape If possible, but the
doctor could not remember who made the
statement.
Verdict of the Jury.
The jury retired and soon returned a YER
dict holding that Browns death was due to
"A skull fracture made possible by the neglect
of the authorities of Sibley Hospital in not
providing suitable protection for dellrious
patients, and recommending that all win