New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-11
DR.. 0'HANL0N
NAMED In FATAL
OPERATION TRIAL
Helped to Conceal Cause
of Woman'S Death, Pros
ecutor Declares.
ACCUSED ON RECORDS
IN CORONER'S OFFICE
A. l.. Stapler Charged with
Illegal Surgery on Evidence
Five Years Old.

DR.. Philip F. OHanlon, formerly a
physician TO Coroner Holtzhauser and
now a surgeon in the Police Depart
ment, was accused yesterday in the
Criminal Branch Of the Supreme Court
of conspiring 10 conceal the cause of
death in a case Of an illegal operation
performed on Mrs. Louise Heinrich, Of
Jersey City The accusation was made
by Assistant District Attorney Arthur
c. Train, in opening the case against
Andre L. Stapler, Of Chicago, who is
on trial before Justice Weeks charged
with performing the operation which,
70 is alleged. caused Mrs. Heinrich's
death on August %, 1910, at 500 West
l1lth Street
For four and half years the body
Of the woman had been in its grave, in
st. Joseph's Cemetery, Jersey City, be-
fore IL was discovered that there was
anything suspicious about her death.
That suspicion, according to Mr. Train,
was the result of an investigation of
the Coroner's Office by Commissioner
OF Accounts Wallstein. II revealed,
Mr.. Train said, that there were three
conflicting causes Of death on file.
Shortly afterward the body was eX-
humed, and, as Mr.. Train said. was
found 10 be in a wonderful state Of
preservation" so perfect, in fact, that
the real nature of her death was quick
ly ascertained
Although the case was almost five
years old, the material witnesses we're
found, and Stapler was indicted last
April for manslaughter in the first de-
gree.
Drug Clerk Brought Into Case.
DR.. O'Hanlon is not under indictment, |
but his name was mentioned several .
times by Mr.. Train in outlining the
case to the jury. The name Of Or. .
Speir," drug clerk, said to have been .
a partner of Stapler in illegal opera
tions, was also brought in. 1t is said
that both he and DR.. OHanlon will be
called as witnesses for the defence.
According to Mr.. Train, Mrs. Helm .
rich was taken to the apartment OF Mrs. .
Vivian Buffum, a nurse. in West 1llth .
Street, by her husband, Samuel Helm /
rich, on the day she died. Most of the
allegations against Stapler were fur
nished by Mrs. Buffum, whose husband
is q practising physician. During a
consultation between the nurse, Mrs.
Heinrich and Stapler Mr.. Heinrich went
out for a walk When he returned a
quarter Of an hour later, according to
Mr.. Train, his wife was dead, and Helm /
rich, after threatening violence on Slap /
Ter, exclaimed;
"You have murdered her!" That
was at p. m.
According TO Mr.. Train there are at /.
least half a dozen witnesses who viii /,
testify that Stapler was caught trying /
10 quit the apartment after he real
lied Mrs Heinrich was dead and that ne
was restrained by Mrs. Buffum from
calling in the police or the coroner until
after o'clock. During that time 500
worth of telephone calls were made.
II find" said Mr.. Train. chat the
coroners work in shifts, and the rec
ords at the time showed that Coroner
Holtzhauser and his physician, DR..
Philip O'Hanlon, were scheduled TO 90
on duty that night at 9 p. m The
day book in the coroner's Office showed
as sudden death At 1855 that night
slip in Coroner Holtzhauser's box
gave the cause as 'apoplexy.' while the
record filed with the Bureau of Vital
Statistics after an autopsy gave acute
gastritis' as the cause.
Embalming Preserves Evidence.
Witnesses will testify that when
this man Speir appeared in the Butfum
fat and assured the nurse that every
thing would be all right somebody
said 'Speir had a pull and Speir re-
piled, Yes, il makes difference who
the coroners physician is
1--WE will show that after that every
thing moved alo5g in the usual course.
The body was embalmed and taken TO
Jersey City. u IL were not for the
fact that a state law requires that all
bodies leaving the state must be en-
balmed, this defendant would not be
here on trial to-day.
after the body was eXhumed and
q genuine autopsy held the true cause
Of death Was ascert2ined. IL showed
that the autopsy reported By the cor
oner's Office 20 have been conducted
by Or. O'Hanlon was a fake. There
was a slight cut about four or five
inches long which did not penetrate
the abdominal wall. The real autopsy