New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-04
Wallstein Reports Politics
and Graft Sway Death
Officials.
MEDICAL EXAMINERS
MAY TAKE UP WORK
Physicians S'Criminal Ring
and Crime Aid Barred
for Mitchell.

immediate abolition OF the Office o.
coroner is recommended by Leonard
VI. Wallstein, Commissioner Of Ac-
counts, in a report which will be in
Mayor Mitchel's hands to-day. There
is "a hint that such a recommendation
will be neither surprising nor dis
agreeable to the Mayor. The neces-
sary legislative preparations are now
being made. Substitution for the coro-
ncr OF a medical examiner, to be ap-
pointed by the Mayor, is advocated.
Since June, 1914. Commissioner
Wallstein has been seeking the an
swer TO the query, "Why is a coro-
ner?" His answer is, Politics" Coro-
ners, he found, are named "to bal
ance the ticket" to represent a given
race, religion, class. political faction
or geographical portion of the city He
believes that the ticket will be much
better balanced and the city greatly
benefited if the coroners are elimi-
mated.
According to Wallsten's report, the
coroners constitute a menace to the
city. He has found that not one of
the sixty-fve who have held office
since consolidation was qualified for
the position.
"Many Of the coroners," he says,
"are absurdly ignorant both as to the
legal and the medical aspects Of their
work. The type Of man usually elect
cd TO Office is entirely unfit for the
exercise of judicial functions, as IL
shown by the general practice OF es-
tablshing compromising relations with
corporations and others who are fire.
ouently involved in litigation before
the Coroners' court"
Hellenstein's Acts Censured.
In his general condemnation of the
system the Commissioner picks out
as especially prominent targets Coro-
rer Hellenstein, Or. Albert 7. Weston
and Antonio d'Alessandro. chief clerk
OF the office. DR.. Otto il. Schultze.
the coroner's physician, who faced
charges brought TO the attention of the
board by dAlessandro, gets unstinted
praise.
Hellenstein is censured for seeking
with insurance companies.
DR.. Weston for accepting present"
Of 500 and d'Alessandro for general
laXity.
Gross ignorance and carelessness on
the part of the coroners and their
Wallstein says, make
them q hindrance rather than q help
in detecting and punisnlng crime. Nith
the aid OF the coroners he considers IT
POSSIBLE that q ring OF unscrupulous
phvsicians exists VINO absolutely CON
troll the illegal operation traffic in New
York.
In no instance, he says. has he been
able TO prove that money was passed
TO enable a physician to escape the
penalty Of his act, but there are nu-
merous prima facie cases which were
thrown out by the coroner
AT least in one of the cases. as
serts the Commissioner. "the coroner's
scardalous act IS explainable on the
GROUND Of his friendship with the de-
fcndant."
Doctors in Criminal Pact.
According 70 the information that
reached Wallstein, such a criminal or
ganization exists among New fort
II touches the Coroners
office. he has been told, at a single
poiut. One physician, himself an un-
scrupulous practitioner. is able to get
immunity not only for himself but for
his colleagues. Cases reported By ne
hospital or b. the police as suspicious
are put dcwn in the Coroners' books
as cases Of gastritis. or some other
ordinary disease. in at least one in
stance an effort was made TO halt po-
lice investigation.
So rcmiss are the coroners IN send
Continued on page I. column