New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-22
WallStein Probes Cases
Passed by COrOners as
Unsuspicious.
MAY UNEARTH
HUNDRED GRIMES
D'AleSSandro Admits He Passed
No Examination To BE
Chief Clerk.

The chief clerks in the Coroners' Of
fee were boosted to Civil Service posi-
;ions without the formality Of examina-
tions, according to the records of the
Civil Service Commission, which Com
missioner OF Accounts Wallstein has
secured for use in future hearings on
the question of the sdvisability Of the
adjustment Of the Office Of Coroner.
According to the records of March II,
1913. when the shift was made, the
transfer Of positions Carried the in
cumbent with it,
Another turn which the inquiry took
Yesterday was the beginning of an in
Nestigation by detectives of more than
a hundred deaths where suspicion OF
murder has been suggested M the ties
timony before the commissioner All
these deaths are alleged to have been
passed by the Coroners' Office without
investigation. At the time when the
movement was on foot TO change the
listing Of the position OF the clerks
Antonio DAllessandro and Coroner
Hellenstein. together with two other
coroners. came out IN opposition.
DAllessandro has been referred TO IN
the recent hearings as the power be
hind" and is a Republican committee
man from the LIST Assembly District.
The first effort TO put the clerks m
the exempt class was made by the
Brooklyn cOroners on December ~
1912. i'm a letter to the Civil Service
Commission. This Sas followed by
letter from Coroner Hellenstein, ON
February 26, 1913. The reason gwen
for requesting the change was that #
the clerks deserted the Office at time
when there was a change OF coroners
the work Of the entire office would be
thrown into chaos.
Al a hearing be-ore Civil Service
Commissioners Gallagher, kehoe and
yelling in February, 1913, evidence
was presented which resulted in the
change being made. Coroners HELEN
stein. Shongut. Amber. Shafer and
JACKSON, together with the chief clerks
from each Office, appeared before the
Commissioners. CorOners Felnberg and
Holtzhauser did not attend, but sent
word that they were opposed TO the
commissioners. COroncrs Feinberg and
in favor. On March IA, 1913, the posi-
tion of chief clerk was placed on the
classified list
D'Allessandro at the hearing ycster-
day admitted that ne enjoys all the
benefits Of a civil service job and that
he had taken no examination TO get
them. lie viii testify at the hearing
tomorrow.
The chief witness tomorrow viii be
DR.. George D. Magrath. who Is the
medical examiner of Suffolk County
Mass. lie viii tell how the work is
done in his county without coroners
and give his ideas as TO a logical rear
rangement of the work in New York.
DR.. Edward Weston. a corOner's ply
stefan. whose name has been mentioned
several times during the course of the
hearings. was served with a subpoena
Yesterday. and will testify tomorrow.
A letter received yesterday from a
widow. suggesting that connection
between officials IN the cOroners' oihce
and "a lawyer who has a reputation as
an ambulance chaser" be Investigated
was placed on the records Of the hear
ings. The woman said in her letter
shat at the time Of her husbands death
she was visited by an official, who
urged her TO retain the lawyer as her
counsel. 1t is said that in such cases
the attorneys and their steerers share
evenly one-half Of the money recovered
ia any suit resulting.