Evening star., 1916-01-01
FATAL ACCIDENTs-vIO.
LENT DEATHS.

DR.. ]. Ramsay Nevitt, District cor
oner, signed approximately 1000 death
certificates during the year. His work
included the investigation of all homi-
cides. suicides and accidental deaths,
and in a number of Instances supposed
ly suspicious deaths were looked into.
1t was necessary to sign certificates
in the cases of bodies of scores of
infants found on the streets, vacant
lots and in sewers, and in several such
instances it was evident that murder
had been committed, although in no
cases were the guilty persons appre-
hended.
One of the most difficult tasks the
coroner had to perform was that of
determining between accidental death
and suicide. and in several instances
it was necessary to refer the question
to a jury. In instances in which the
circumstances attending death made
the line between suicide and accident
narrow, the coroner gave the deced-
en-: the benefit of the doubt and per-
mitted the interment of the body as
a victim of accidental death.
Records of the coroner's Office show
that approximately 175 deaths Oc-
CURED from accidents of various kinds
during the twelve months In several
instances deaths from Illuminating gas
were due to the presence of defective
fixtures, and the coroner recommended
that an inspection of fixtures might
put a stop to such deaths, but no reg
adopted.
Sixty-six Suicides Recorded.
More than 100 uersons sought death
at their own hands. and sixty-six of
Respondent persons ended their lives
by shooting, thirteen took poison, six
sought death in the river, twenty died
from inhaling gas. six by hanging and
two from incised wounds.
Victims of fatal automobile accidents
during the year were Sarah Gross,
Shirley Green, W. st. Clair Wood.
Nathaniel Crowley. Miss Alberta c.
Helm. Ruth Henson, Harry A Latimer,
Alfred Parker and Wilbert II. Wash
ington. Those who lost their lives by
drowning were William Ross. Harry L.
Veit, William Engel. Joel Cross. Will
liam w. Barron, Charles F. kappel,
Bush Brill. Charles Mills, Joseph Casey,
Edward Warwick, Ernest Washington,
Earl Green, Charles Dorsey, A. w.
Klein. George MacFarlane and Alvia
Burrows.
Many deaths occurred as a result of
fire. In a number Of instances clothing
ignited and death resulted. while in
in burning structures and burned to
death. The most serious fire which
involved loss of life was that one that
occurred on the grounds of the Wash
ington Jockey Club which resulted in
John Smith. John Louden and John
Duncan losing their lives. Others who
lost their lives as result of burns
were George d. Loor, Burton Rudd,
Lucille Winkey, Genevieve Washington,
Charity Washington. John w. Beach.
Douglass. Eliza Fenwick, Ralph Deca-
tur. James Fitzhugh, Louise Chapman,
Adelaide Carter. Claudia Tyler, Hannah
Pollock. George Marston, Francis v.
Johnson, Edward Williams. Annie
Shubert, Eugene Carter and Jesse
Parker.
A number of deaths resulted from
falls Some fell from vehicles. some
slipped on the street and others fell
in or about their homes. There were
still others who were accidentally KILL
ed as result of street car or steam
car mishaps, electric shock. scalds and
illuminating gas.
List of Such Fatalities.
The coroners list of such fatalities
included the names of John Thomas.
Robert Lucas, Mary Davis, Mary Cohiil,
John a. Jewell, Charles II. Tompkins,
wyB. Dawson. P. l.. Kultgren. Dorothy
! Holroyd, Rosa Bond. Willie r. Gawen,
Shadrick Conway. E. p Maddox, James
Mddd, Happy Edwards, Carrie Allen. {.
r. Mobley.
| Frances Mcdonald. Thomas Corne-
| Illus, Caroline l.. Rhodes, Erl Dykes,
Mary J. Thomas. J. r. Becraft, Roy
Hargett, W. n. Hunt, Josephine c. Mac
| wise, John Butler, Thomas p. Jacobs.
| Lawrence n. Kicker, John s. Bennett,
(, Harry Whalen. w. D. Simons, w. J.,
Carroll, Herman Lacy, Ruth Babcock,
Josephine Brown. Joseph E. Grant,
Edna Lcper. Clara E. Burlingame,
Ross Taylor. seanna Bowie. n. A.
Horace A. X. Young. George Marston,
Francis Kirby. Annie Fogarty, Erne-
stine Barnes. Fannie MEG uire, Alberta
| White.
Sister Mary Clayton, Martha Z. Hall.
Arthur Rittenhouse. Louis E. Bond,
Charles Washington, Lillian NJ Rey-
nolds. Louis e. Brown. Juliana Gas
kins. Edward o. Mann. NJ p. Tozier,
william hoblnSon, Emma Robinson, b.
f. Butler, A. S. Van der Veer, Annie
E. Jackson. Tobias Scroggins. Milton
Scrivener. David r. Johnson, Clement
w. Poates, J. A. Emmert. Thomas F.
Byrne. Robert Wheeler, William Ham
ilton, Rahen Pasis. Alonzo s. Eaton.
George T. Henderson, Bessie Higdon.
Smith Bacon. Mary S. Roberts, William
Kennedy, Edgar Brown. .
| Harry Hairless. Albert WoodyilIe.
Robert II. Wright, Isetta Kennel.
James A. Myers, Laura Stonesifer,
Alice E. Spriggs. Henry Outlaw, Frank
! Mahoney. John Lyons, Harry Belt,
John Silk, Frances Hoffman, Isabella
A 'Javins. Henry G. Estbroe. Jennie
Haney. George Johnson. Alfred Parker,
John Brown. Andrew Stone and Ame-
| liza NJ. Simons.
Coroner Nevitt Investigated the
twenty-one homicides that were COM
mitted during the twelve months, and
was called upon to approve numerous
certificates of other physicians, and
had to approve all cases Of cremation.