The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-24
100 WITNESSES
TO TESTIFY IN
YELLING CASE
Prosecutor Is Expected to
Ask indictment in
Coroner Quiz.
WILSON GETS RECORDS
Newcastle Widow Writes
Serious Accusation
Against Official.
BY DICK MILLER

d OlOh MILLER
Nearly one hundred witnesses will
be called before the Marion county
grand jury in its investigation of
alleged illegal activities by Coroner
Fred w. Vehling, Prosecutor Her
bert E. Wilson announced today.
In conference with his chief dep
uty, Floyd Mattice, Wilson laid
plans for presentation of evidence
to the jury. One witness, who
Wednesday will appear before the
quiz group, was questioned by Mat
tice and Wilson.
Records of city hospital and the
coroner's Office, which reveal dis
crepancies in death verdicts by
Vehling, were to be brought to the
prosecutors office today.
Faces Several Charges
Vehling is charged with holding
unwaTanted autopsies, collecting
fees for them from the county, and
attempting to browbeat relatives of
deceased persons into permitting
him to conduct funerals and burials.
1t also is alleged he has stolen"
bodies for post norton purposes and
embalmed others without consent
of relatives and friends.
Chief evidence before the probe
body is expected to center on ale
cations that, in natural death
cases, Vehling ordered autopsieS for
educational benefit of internes
and his deputies, and claimed, in
several instances, $25 fee for the
post-mortem.
A claim for $3.50 for Witness
fees was not approved today by
Harry Dunn, county auditor, who
said only $58.75 remains in Vehling's
witness fund. At the first of the
year the fund totaled $500.
Fund Is Exhausted
Several weeks ago he exhausted
a $4,000 autopsy fund, county Of
t1cials said the witness fund prob
ably would not be near depletion if
Vehling had not held unwarranted
inquests.
Dunn also said officials probably
would not take action to reclaim
alleged illegal payments to. Hugo
Sommers, former constable in the
coroner's Office, because SommerS
has repaid $91.25.
With no law covering appoint
ment of a constable, Sommers had
called witnesses by phone and then.
charged for subpoena service, it was
alleged. He has repaid the amount
since he was discharged.
AS the grand jury was prepared
to start the investigation, which
probably will last more than two
weeks, complaints against opera
lions of the coroner's Office still
were being laid before The Times
and county prosecuting authorities
Indictment to Be Asked
When the mass of evidence is pre-
sented, Wilson will ask the jury to
indict Vehling for violation of state
laws and probably impeachment, if
the facts warrant such action.
Mrs. Ida Miller of Newcastle, for
mer indianapolis resident, and
widow of Samuel Miller, who died
at the city hospital May 80, today
opened an attack on Vehling, charg-
ing he performed a post-mortem on
her husbands body without her per-
mission.
She alleges her husband died a
natural death and the autopsy was
performed two hours after her hus-
band succumbed.
Her charges against Vehling fol-
low:
Il read in The Times story re-
,garding autopsies on bodies of per-
sons who died in the city hospital.
Held without Consent
II wish to state that my hus-
band, Samuel Miller, So, died in
that institution May 80, 1881, at
Sis p. m. They notified me before
S. 1 went to the hospital imme-
diately, and was there before z.
They had held an autopsy on
my husbands body without my
consent and had the body sealed
in paper and in the morgue. They
would not let me see my husbands
body. I know they performed the
autopsy before he was cold.
Then Vehling came to me and
wanted by husbands body. He said
he could put him away for $87, but
I did not grant permission. Vehl-
ing did not sign any death certiti-
cate, never told me what caused
nv husbands death, and indicated
one of his deputies knew something
about the situation.
Denied Right to See Nurse
MY husband died IN bathroom
at the hospital and he was al
lowed to go to the bathroom alone
when he was too weak to walk.
"Vehling pretended to me he was
investigating my husbands death.
I think he wasn't doing anything,
and he would not permit me to
see the nurse who attended my huS-
band.
There should be law to pre-
vent cutting of our loved ones
without permission. They did it to
my husband just fol. curiosity, for
he died a natural death.
isn't it enough that We lose
Aaem. without knowing they were
kutchered for the curiosity OF stu
eents?"