The Washington herald., 1914-04-05

the dust is returned to the earth tina,
gaveth It."
The District crematory and the potter's
field are on the Eastern Branch Of the
Potomac, In the rear OF the Washington
Asylum Hospital
You have heard of rogues' galleries
maintained by every up-to-date police de-
partment. The District morgue has Its
death gallegy-not series ranged by
system behind the doors of an oaken
cabinet, but stacks Of CHASTITY paste
boards laid away In q desk drawer. From
almost any of these might be written a
story that would stir and thrill; in their
CHASTITY whole they tell such silent tale
Of crime and mystery, of savagery. OF
passions sated. of misery and hopeless
ness and sad disaster, as would make In
the writing a history Of the human life.
Gallery of Death.
These pictures are too pathetic and
grisly for any but the stern-hearted to
see. To reproduce them In q newspaper
would horrify. But yAt here and there
among them is one of bity pure. The girl
with the dripping hair unbound. the "one
more unfortunate. weary Of breath. rash
ly importunate, gone to her DEATH" the
lad Of few years, killed by his playmate
In prankish aim; the babe unclaimed;
the woman upon whose features rests the
calm Of ages last degree: the man who
longed and yearned for death, and gained
at last the reward he desired; the burg
lars countenance, his wide, dead eyes
holding In the icy glare the horrible fate
he saw approach. And still there are
hundreds OF others. each depicting a
story which never can be told.
1t 10 strange indeed the death house
a ha GtN tA1 fs II.
wharves from which in the summer sail
happy cargoes Of human freight. seeking
pleasure aboard boat and at down-river
resorts This happy throng, which night
ly In the summer sings gayly as the big
steamer floats down the river current,
never for a moment wonders what their
trip might bring forth. Should a holo-
caust In the river occur. many OF those
who never gave the little chapel-like
building a thought perhaps would be
brought there.
The morgue holds a great responsibility.
Upon the coroner. the deputy coroner, the
morguemaster. and his assistant rest a
stern duty. They are the guardians Of
the dead; they are in reality champions
Of the innocent. and through deep
thought and experience see In their hum
BILE way that Justice is done.
Fund of knowledge.
J. Ramsay hewitt, NJ D.. has been cor
oner for the District for more than twelve
years. The city has never had q better
one; 1t would be impossible to get a more
capable one. Upon his shoulders rests a
peculiar responsibility. He must investi-
gate all sudden or violent deaths, and
until he has issued a certificate burial
cannot be had. He has charge OF all in
guests that are called to fix the response
bility Of violent deaths.
His deputy performs autopsies. thus in
scientific way determining the exact
cause OF the death OF persons whose end
came violently. Many an autopsy at the
morgue has brought a gift of new knowl-
edge to the medical world. Where Pc
culiarities are found in bodies, the dep
uty coroner takes a note, and before
some of the medical classes Of the coun-
try makes a report. This furnishes a
study which leads to a bigger advance
ment OF the medical profession, and thus
a help to humanity.
William Sconeberger. the morguemas-
ter. is the veteran in point of service in
this branch OF the District health depart
ment.
He was born at the corner of Vermont
avenue and NJ street. this city. June Is,
1883 He was reared in the country. his
father having died when he was but
seven years old. and his family moving