The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-10
NEW AUTOPSY
CHARGE HITS
YELLING AID
Parents Forced to Wait for
Hours as Post Mortem Is
Performed Secretly.
OBJECTION IS IGNORED
Doctor Says Poisoning Was
'SuSpeCted,' but Records
Fail to Back Him.
BY DICK MILLER

While a mother and father
waited three hours at city hospital
for the body Of their baby son, a Sc
cret autopsy was being performed
by deputy coroner. it was revealed
today.
This incident, which, it is alleged.
occurred in August, was added to
the long line of charges against
Coroner Fred w. Vehling which are
being probed by the grand jury.
Vehling is charged with illegal ac-
tivities since he took office less than
year ago.
The autopsy OF Frank Glover, a.
months-old son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Jessie Glover, 428 South Alabama
street, was performed without per-
mission of the child's parents by
DR.. Clarence Harris, a Negro deputy
coroner, it is charged.
The parents and George H. Her
mann, south side undertaken, said
they were not aware the post-mcr-
tenn was performed in the institu-
ton until they were given the
child's body later.
Wait Three Hours
The baby was admitted to the
hospital Aug. l6 and died two days
later of stomach ailment and
bronchial pneumonia. The parents
and Hermann arrived at the hos
pital shortly after 8 at night and
said it was after IL when the body
finally was released.
Hermann said when they arrived
at the institution Dr. L. A. SIAM
per, hospital physician, requested
the privilege of performing an au-
topSy, which was refused by Mr..
and Mrs. Glover.
Stamper then informed the par
ents and Hermann they would have
to wait a while" After forty-fve
minutes in the institution, Her
mann appealed to hospital authori-
ties, pleading for release of the
baby'S body so the parents would
not be subject to the strain and
worry.
He said he offered to take the
parents home, but they also refused
to leave the hospital and kept the
three-hour vigil.
Poisoning Was Suspected
Hospital records do not show who
oF1d
questioned by DR.. Charles Myers,
hospital superintendent, Wednesday
said he believed The post-mortem
was proper, because "it was SuS-
pected" the child had been poi
Soned.
No mention of poison is carried
on records in the case and Stamper
could name no one else who had adj
vanced the poison theory. He said
his suspicious were aroused by the
parents opposition to the post
mortem.
Report of the autopsy was taken
from the hospital by Harris, Stamp
err said Harris, according to the
hospital physician, was the only
deputy coroner in the city when the
baby died.
No claim. for the $25 fee in the
Glover case can be found in county
records.
Additional witnesses were heard
by the grand jury today in the al
legged friendship" case in which
Vehling is charged with not arrest
ing the operator of an automobile
involved in an accident on the
Rockville road recently, which re-
suited in the death of young
woman. g
Refused to Make Arrest
The car, improperly parked, was
owned by Samuel Lugar, r. R. g.
Box 9l5, but authorities never
learned whether Lugar or another
individual was at the wheel of the
car.
Before deputy sheriffS or Vehl-
ing arrived at the scene the two
men in the car left, according to
authorities.
Several hours later, when Lugar
appeared at the Sherltt'S ONCE 10
claim his car, officers said they were
restrained from arresting him on a
manslaughter charge because Vehl-
ing had issued orders that he DE
released.
Rudolph Behler. Beech Grove,
nrother-in-law of the young woman
killed, charged that when Vehling
was asked why Lugar was not held,
the coroner replied: HE wasn't ar
rested because his father is a friend