New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-19
CRIES FIFE! FIE!" AT
CORONERS' CRITICS
Riordan at Inquiry Raps
Expert Destroyers
of Regulations"
SAYS COLLEAGUES
EARN THEIR MONEY
But Declares Office Ruled by
Chief Clerk. and Politics,
Which Is Denied.

DR.. Patrick ID. Riordan, who says that
he has always been "a minority of
one" in the councils of the Board of
Coroners, came to the rescue of his
colleagues yesterday with a fourteen
page typewriter brief in their defence
and n "Fiel Fiel" for their calumi-
majors. Expert destroyers of reputa-
ton" was the solid shot with which
DR.. Riordan annihilated critics Of the
Coroners.
Several times during his testimony
Leonard NJ. Wallstein, Commissioner Of
Accounts, VINO is conducting an investi-
cation into the conduct OF the Coro-
ners' office. warned Coroner Riordan
not TO indulge in personalities.
DR.. Riordan made his defence Of the
Coroners in spite of the fact that he
said he was none too well pleased with
conditions IN the Office. Antonio Dales-
sandro. chief clerk Of the Office, was
the boss Of the place, DR.. Riordan de-
clared. Two Coroners. he said, were
under the thumb of Dalessandro for
political reasons and obeyed his every
wish.
Three days ago." said Dr.. Riordan,
81 timidly asked Mr. Dalessandro if he
would do something for me. He was
lying on a couch. MOI he roared."
Dalessandro Denies Power.
Ever since we have been associated
together" said Mr.. Dalessandro when
called TO the stand. Coroner Riordan
has sought to make things uncomfort-
able for me. Racial prejudice is at the
bottom of IL. ! believe Since pre-
fcrred charges which resulted i'm thirty
days suspension for DR.. Otto H.
Schultze, Coroner's Physician, Coroner
Rlordan's attitude has been even more
offensive.
Il remember the occasion of which
ne speaks. | was half sitting, half re-
Ginning on couch. listening 20 testi-
mony which Coroner Hellenstein was
reading. Coroner Riordan demanded:
VIII you do something for me- rs IL
OF personal or an official nature? I
asked. Personal he replied. 4 will
90 you no personal favors,' / said, and
that ended the conversation.
81 have no political power and poll
tics do not enter into the conduct of
the Coroner's Office. My only political
position is that this fall was elected
delegate to the Republican State
Committee"
In answer 70 Dr. William II. Guilfoy.
Of the Department OF Health. who said
the vital statistics furnished by the
Coroners were erroneous in nearly half
the cases, Coroner Riordan said in his
prepared brief that the blanks issued
by the Department of Health we're de-
fcient in space and the Department Of
Health was TO blame.
'Fie. Fie, Guilfoy."
This constitutes" said Coroner
Riordan, "the foundation of DR. Gull
toys charge Of improper certifcation'
and 'insufficiency Of statements
against the Coroners physicians. And
thus, also, falls ingloriously his charge
in relation 20 drowning and ilumi-
mating gas. Fie, ie, Guilfoyl"
The statements of Or. Emerson, Cor
oner Riordan opined, were either evil
fully dishonest" or made in total
ignorance" of the difficulties Of dag
nosis.
and next" continued Coroner Rior-
dan, "comes Professor of Pathology
James +. Ewing TO add the weight Of
his name 10 proceedings calculated TO
destroy the regulations Of his fellow
practitioners in the Coroner's office.
But il has never been very hard to
show that some big names, like some
big heads, have little in them.
Coroner Riordan presented a book
OF rules which he hoped two Of the
other three coroners would accept as
official. One Of them directs coroners
and other employees of the Office not
to perform services for insurance COM
panies or other corporations which
might have a personal interest in cor
oners' cases. This rule was formu-
lated. he said, as the result Of Com
missioner Wallstein's disclosures con-
corning Coroner Hellenstein's activi-
ties.
"Do you consider asked Commits
sioner Wallstein, that the public IS
getting its moneys worth out of the
Board Of Coroners -
Eyes" replied Coroner Riordan; "on
the whole, the coroners earn their
salaries just as much as you earn
yours"