The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-05
KRUGER Will
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pecially when he told them he had
been a health officer
About s p. m. Of the same day sew
eral witnesses saw DR.. Kruger drive
slowly past the South Fifth street
dump and carefully take a package
from the machine and carefully carry
1t to carefully selected place on the
dump, poise it carefully and throw it
rs 1t seemed afterward head first.
This dump was carefully watched
as it was private property and dump
ing prohibited. AS he departed he
was recognized, the package secured,
recognized as a baby and carried to
the top where it was discovered alive
and moved vigorously and pursed its
thumb in its mouth.
The police being called took it to
the City Health Officer Kinsey, who
ordered DR.. Kruger to remove it to
the home Of the parents. 1t not only
moved there but while being carried
by police made a noise with sufficient
vigor to be heard above the noise of
the automobile.
According to testimony, on being
taken to the home it was placed in a
closet without any directions as to It's
/ further care or intimation 1t was alive
1t received no attention during the
night for this reason and died some
=; time during the night within the orig
inal bundle in which it had been
! placed when born and without any
attempt toward further care.
I have no proof other than the child
was carried around during the day in
the automobile of DR.. Kruger.
This child was a so-called monstros-
ity with deformed head, but unusual
ly well formed body. The fact that it
lived SO long and that in spite Of its
unfortunate treatment it would have
lived many hours or days.
1t is not in the province of the cor
cner to state how long this child would
live as deformity. The law is plain
destruction of human beings nor rec
ognize leniency in the punishment
of such an act.
|, therefore, find according to the
evidence obtained under oath, and do
declare the infant John Smith came
to his death from criminal neglect of
his attending physician, DR.. Frederick
w. Kruger, in not cutting and tying
the umbilical cord, by which failure it
slowly bled to death.
Second: Its death was further has
tened by lack of all usual attention
after birth, including the deliberate
cutting Of the umbilical cord too close
to the body to permit proper care
should he desire to tie same.
Third: From conclusion blows re
ceived when thrown when yet alive
some fifty feet into a dump pile as a
means of further disposal.
Fourth: On being compelled to re
turn the living child to it's parents
not one word was said that it was
alive, and no advice as to it's further
care given.
We would recognize there is much
agitation in certain quarters for the
destruction of such malformed human
beings.
1t would seem there might be room
here for leniency. But such must be
determined by the courts.
l, however, see no reason except fol
the most severe arraignment from the
public and especially from the medica
honored member, of such an attempt
ed disposal of human child. Any
such intimation, such is the practice
condoned or sympathized with by the
medical profession anywhere. should
be resented as reflection Of the
methods Of the dark ages, and spurnec
as an insult to the high attachments
of a worthy profession.
This act Is all the more culpable be
? cause of the trust imposed in pro
fessional judgment and the fact the
offender was former county health
officer and should have known the
many lawful methods Of disposal O.
human bodies.
I, therefore, would bind said DR.
Frederick Kruger over to the Wayne
i, county grand jury to determine the
degree of criminality here displayed
S. EDGAR BOND,
Coroner Wayne County, Ind.