New-York tribune., 1914-12-01
ACCUSED'S FRIENDS
PICKED FOR JURY
Just a Coincidence, Cor
Oner Hellenstein Explains
in Wa1lStein Probe.
"ROTHER" ADMITS
AIDING "LOWY"
Failure to Report Similar Case
to Police Merely an Over
sight, He Declares.

That condolences will occur even in
the best regulated Coroner's Office was
in substance the answer given yester-
day by Coroner Hellenstein, when
Leonard VI. Wallstein. Commissioner OF
Accounts, questioned him upon the ex-
traordinary methods that appeared 10
have been followed in the attempt 10
clear up the death of Josephine Taus,
who died on January 81, 1913.
DR.. Edward Lowenbein, of 249 East
72d ST., was arraigned before Coroner
Hellenstein charged with performing
an illegal operation on the young
woman. He was acquitted. While not
questioning the justice of his acquittal
Commissioner Wallstein thought the
surrounding circumstances warranted
Investigation. A private hearing at
which Dr. Lowenbein and others tes-
titled confirmed him in this view, he
said.
II was found that the case WAS re-
ported during Coroner Holtzhauser's
tour of duty and that his name was
signed TO the certificate sent to the
Department of Health, although Cor
cner Hellenstein sat at the inquest.
Ii was found that Coroner Hellenstein
and DR.. Lowenbein had been friends
for sixteen years; that the Coroner
was known to his friend as "Rother,"
or "Red," and called his friend the
physician "Lowy." When he heard
that the District Attorneys Office was
to investigate the death, said DR..
Lowenbein, he went to see his friend
"R0ther."
According to DR.. Lowenbein's testi-
mony, which was read into the record
yesterday, "Rother" said he would do
his best, and asked the names of some
physicians who might serve on the
jury. selected counsel for him and di-
rected him to arrange for bail before
surrendering himself. Scrutiny of the
records and examination of some of
the jurors showed that three of them
DIR. Louis Lsdinski, DR.. Arnold
Sturmdorf and DR.. Maurice Sturn-
were friends of "Rother" and Of
'Iowy." DR.. Ladinski told Commits
sioner Wallstein that in asking him to
serve Coroner Helenstein had told
linn the name Of the defendant and the
nature of the case. A fourth juror
was friend ana neighbor of the Cor
Cner.
1t was found that in this particular
case Coroner Hellenstein had neglected
to sign the acknowledgment of the
s., 1000 bail bond and the affidavit made
by the surety. Bail was furnished by
cf the same East Side medical club as
"Rotner," "Lowy" and the medical jur'
crs.
Hin. Lo.xL III 49, Co~ono, II al
lcnstein yesterday had to acknowledge
that chance played some queer pranks.
Jurors had been chosen at random, he
said; it just happened that the inquest
took on the appearance Of a reunion of
friends. He had asked Lucien Breck
onridge in the District Attorneys Of
ice if il was all right to sit in a case
where friend was defendant, explain
ing that Coroner Holtzhauser could not
be reached and had been assured il
was all right.
As for the "help" he had given DR..
Iowenbein in the matter Of counsel.
bail. etc. this friend had an exagger-
ated notion Of what he had done; he
had merely acquiesced in the choice Of
counsel, had not requested any sug-
gestions as TO the jury, and if a mis-
take had been made in filling out the
bail bond it was a clerical error.
1t was brought out that on July %.
1911. Nhen the report Of DR.. Leblanc
in the case of Margaret O'Neil gavs
symptoms similar TO those noted in the
Taus case. Coroner Hellenstein en-
pancllcd no jury, and. so far as the
police records show. made no report 10
the police. The Coroner said that he
must have investigated the case fully,
nevertheless. as that was his invaria-
bic habit. The failure TO report it to
the police WAS an OVERSIGHT