Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-07-23
Was What Mrs. ". n.
9ti1-
= be|knap's Case Needed.
:pies After Having Been Treat
led BY Christian Scientists.
Doctor Called Too Late to Save Her
i.. ...Ths Coroner Investigating.

=. New York, July 22.-After five weeks
of suffering which, doctors say, must
have been intense, Mrs. William n.
,Relknap died at her home in The
Bronx. Sunday morning. During all
those weeks, up to the very night be-
fore her death, Mrs. Belknap, who was
only 32 years old, had no medical at
tendance no medicine.
Z. Two women, Christian Science neal
ess, prayed for her according to the
ritual prescribed by Mrs. Mary Baker
C, Eddy; implored that Mrs. Belknap
might recognize that she was not al
,tiictcd with bodily ailment but with
mental evil
The fact is, Coroner's Physician Rie-
seeIman asserts. after a post-mortem
examination, Mrs. Belknap was suffer-
ing from empyema of the gall bladder.
Ia palmer English, suppuration had
taken place. pus had formed in the
gall bladder.
DR. Rlegeiman asserts, too, that a
surgical operation would almost GER
tainly have saved Mrs. Belknaps life,
that certainty would have been doubly
sure if the operation had been done
early in the five weeks before suppur-
alton had enfeebled the patient. In a
word. DIR. Riegelman insists that 81
surgeons knife, not prayer, not Chris
tian Science healing. was needed to
l,t out the pus from Mrs. Belknap's
gall bladder.
ipWilliam n. Belknap' is manager of
the John Hancock Life Insurance Co.
in Bronx Borough. His home is No.
1913 Fox street. He was not a Chris
tfan Science before his marriage. His
wife, who believed sincerely in Mrs.
Eddy's tenets, converted him to them.
so when she fell i'll her husband was
complacent to her desire that two
Christian Science healers be called.
But on Saturday night her condition
was so alarming that Mr.. Belknap
summoned DIR. Schwehofer, a regular
practicins physician, of No. 1871 Pros
reft avenue. DR.. Schwehofer saw his
patient was moribund, but prescribed
10Y her; did what he could to relieve
her suffering When he returned to
the Beknap house Sunday morning the
unfortunate woman was dead
DIR. Schulhofcr reported the death
to DIR. Mcdonald, coroner in The
Bronx
MTS. injured GOrOOn OF NO. Gt0l
Broadway. and Miss Della EmmOns of
No. So West 104th street. are the two
Christian Scientists who attended
Mrs. Belknap," said DR.. Mcdonald last
might. These, two visited. her fire.
quentIy. Her husband paid them 81 n
visit each.
~ intend to investigate Mrs. Belk-
mons death most thoroughly. "If ir-
rational or criminal negligence, or
bigotry was responsible for life that
might have been saved. I will make
sure that those guilty of it will be
punished"
Mrs. Mildred Gordon. Miss Emmons
and, Mr.. Belknap are members of the
Fourth Church of Christ Scientist at
82d street between West End avenue
and Broadway. Mrs. Belknap was a
member.
Mrs. Gordon is out of town. Miss
Emmons. who is perhaps 3S years old
lives in very comfortable apartment
MISS Emmons said:
iAt Mrs. Belknap's request Mrs
Gordon attended her three weeks, and
then she went out of town and I was
called. l reported the death to the
cotoner. We asked for an autopsy
MIS-, Belknap was an adult and had a
right to choose how she would be
treated" +"