Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-13
HOSPITAL FOUND NEGLIGENT
Coroner's Jury Blames Omaha General
Staff for Death of Alva Wetzel.
LEGAL ACTION MAY FOLLOW
Delirious Man Was Not Properly
Cared for, Say Jurors, and Corr
Oner Was Not Notified by
Hospital Authorities.

That A1va Wetzel, who died at Omaha
General hospital Wednesday afternoon,
made his fatal leap from a third story
window when left alone in q fevered con-
dillon by a nurse whose time was divided
among three patients was admitted by
witnesses at the inquest held by willis @.
Crosby, coroner, Friday afternoon. The
verdict finds that the hospital was negli-
gent in caring for the patient and in fail
ure to notify the coroner.
The family of the dead man was repre-
sented by a lawyer at the inquest, indl-
eating that further action would be taken
by them following Developments OF the In
quest.
No reason for sending the body out Of
the state to Council Bluffs was given.
With the exception OF DR.. A. 8. Pinto,
the attendant physician, no witnesses other
than hospital employees were called, al
though Coroner Crosby held others in read
mess had their testimony been necessary
to the establishment of the facts: s.
Doctor Ordered Fresh Air.
Il told the nurse to open the window,
as the room wns close" said DR.. Pinto,
telling on the stand of his last visit to the
patient before the accident which caused
his death. She said she would as soon
as she had finished his BATH"
DR.. Pinto testified that out Of a possible
G,,OOO fever cases that he had treated
in his long army experience and elsewhere
this was the first in which a patient had
shown suicidal bent. DR.. Pinto was called
to the hospital after the accident and
found Wetzel in his bed, suffering from a
fracture at the base OF the skull, which
alone was q fatal injury. He also learned
that the third cervical vertebra had been
dislocated by the fall. The patient was
suffering from shock. Wetzeps death en-
sued at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
II was in the hall waiting to sweep out
q room when l heard somebody cry out
Nurse! nurse! nurse!'" testified Meta
Keil, a maid employed at the hospital.
II ran into the room and saw the man
sitting on the window ledge with his feet
hanging down. He turned and looked at
me and then dropped off. I got TO him
just in time to touch his finger tips as he
fell.
mo, 1 didn't see any nurse there an
swered the maid to the question OF the
coroner.
Fellow Patient sounds Alarm.
Another patient in the room had sounded
the alarm. Wetzel had been under the
care Of Miss Mary Rasmussen, a nurse,
who, in her testimony, stated that she
had to care for three fever patients. an
aver the telephone and occasionally do
other work for nurses who were off duty.
She testified that for a part OF the time
the patient had been restrained to keep
him in his bed. because OF a tendency 70
get up when he awakened from sleep.
These restraints had been removed under
direction Of the physician, that Wetzei
might be turned over from time to time to
avoid hypostatio pneumonia, which ID a
danger that besets a typhoid patient who
remains too long in E fixed position.
II had gone out to my desk to record
the patients condition when the accident
happened" said Miss Rasmussen She
said that the restraint put on the patient
was solely for the purpose OF keeping him
off Of his feet, not with the fear that he
would do violence TO himself OF to others.
Marie Wilcox, head nurse. when called to
testify. admitted that the patient had been
left alone, when she exclaimed:
why / saw Miss after the
accident and she said then that she had
been in his rom a short time before"
This led to question which developed the
fact that Miss Rasmussen In her rounds
saw the patient about once in a half hour.
Caring for Patient.
rs 1t not one OF the first Instructions OF
a physician to keep a typhoid patient off
his feetT' asked Byron Burbank, attorney
for relatives OF WetEel, in cross-examining
Miss Week.
YES
Then the 80 a week compensation which
this man paid included that protection,
didn't itT'
Yes" answered the nurse.
Charles Robel. manager OF the hospital,
was questioned by Coroner Crosby and re-
lated the story OF the accident. Then the
coroner went into the matter OF the failure
to notify his office, gaining a curious ad-
mission from Robel
did you AVE an idea that the case
might be investigated r. asked the coroner.
Yes" replied Robel. calmly.
who ala you notify OF the mAtterg''
our office notified Mrs. Wetzel and Mr.
Wardweli, the man whO arrange to bring
WetEel to the hospital"
Did you notify anyone after that9'