New-York tribune., 1914-11-26
bath" WAS HOT
FOR HELLENSTEIN
Coroner Submits TO Quiz
By Wallstein, Purging
His Contempt.
HIS FRANK ANSWERS
PROVE EMBARRASSING
He Says Sense Is Better than
knowledge and Thinks He
Is Not So Bad.

Coroner Herman Hellenstein decided
yesterday afternoon. after some delay.
TO take his bath" as his attorney,
Frank Moss. described bis appearance
before Leonard VI. Wallstein, Commits
sioner Of Accounts. thus purging him
self Of contempt of court. All Of the
forty-one questions included in the ap-
plication for Coroner Hellensteins 3
commitment for contempt, and others
also. we're answered promptly and with
q franknoss which must in some in
stances have been embarrassing to the
Coroner
Ignorance Of the law. even 10 an eH-
tent which justified Commissioner
Wallstein's Characterization OF one OF
the charges to COroncr's jury IA
grossly Incorrect" was cheerfully ad-
mitted by Coroner Hellenstein. That
he was rot avcrse TO throwing out an
extra anchor when he got chance was
shown by part OF the report OF the IN
Quest IN the case Of Antonia Fumarola,
which WAS read into the record.
According 70 the record, Deacon
Murphy, Assistant District Attorney,
asked Coroner Hellenstein. after the
charge admitted 10 be grossly incor-
rect 70 charge the jury to pay no at
tention 10 the charge. but 10 be gov
erned solely by the evidence. The rec
ord shows that Coroner Hellenstein di-
rected the jury so TO do.
Nevertheless. in all modesty Coro-
ner Hellenstein ventured the opinion
that he was a good Coroner. As 20 the
other members of the board he main
tanned a discreet silence which led Mr..
Moss to refer 10 him later as "ono
good sport Ability as a Coroner, Or.
Hellenstein said, did not depend so
much upon legal knowledge as upon the
exercise Of common sense, and in this
respect he thought little fault could
be found with him.
Commissioner WallStein touched
briefly on the death Of Isaac Weirgart
on November Is, 1918. pronounced by
Coroner HellensteIn and DR.. Leblanc
due 10 natural causes. Weingart was
insured for $4,000, and after his
burial several insurance companies
wanted an autopsy performed. Or.
Bodog Beck, O physician who was ad-
7
ing 20 answer questions about the case,
Is 70 appear tomorrow.
Coroner Hellenstein did not appear
az 1890 o'clock yesterday morning and
:here was an intimation by his counsel,
lsidor Wells, AT that time that he might
appeal from the decision aijudging him
in contempt or might decline 10 answer
questions not covered by Justice New
burger, decision.
When the Coroner arrived. at ?
o'clock, Mr.. Moss said that nj first he
had been Of the opinion that the ques-
tons were leading to criminal prosecu-
ton, bat after examining them in de-
tail and getting his clients answers
he had resolved 20 advise him 20 "take
the batn." So fa~ as the law was con-
cerned Mr.. Moss thought there should
Rave been an appeal. but he did not
want his client 20 fr.tter away his
slender means on technicality
Robert 6. Binkerd. secretary Of the
City Club. which for months has been
active in efforts 20 abolish the Coro-
rers' Office, testified that when Sieg-
fried HaGman shot himself at the club
house he family was forced to engage
Leon !. stowe, an undertaken intro
duced by Coroner Holtzhauser
Harry u. Newburger, ex-Deputy Po-
Ice Commissioner. corroborated Mr..
Bukerd. and added that although tho
family undertaken had relieved Nr.
Stove Of me body the Hayman family
received from stowe a bill Of between
1920 and $3.50. which they paid under
protest
The hearing viii he continued on
Monday.