Evening star., 1933-07-25
Senate District Committee
Said to Have No Direct In
terest in Investigation.
SKULL FACTURE FATAL
TO FORMER CONTRACTOR
Died at Gallinger Hospital After
Having Been Removed From
Emergency.

An investigation into the death Of
Casco Lee Duke, 81, Of 1918 Gallatin
street, who died of a fractured skull
In Gallinger Hospital last night after he
had been removed Saturday from Emer-
gency Hospital to the third precinct and
then to Gallinger before his injury was
discovered. will be made by the District
Commissioners at the request Of Chair
man King Of the Senate District Com
mittee.
Senator King said today his commit
tee would have no direct interest In the
case unless the Commissioners recon-
mended some action. but that since the
matter had been called to his attention
he would refer it to District authorities.
Request Not Received.
At the Office of Commissioner Luther
Reichelderfer, 1t was explained that the
commissioners would not on their own
initiative launch an inquiry unless the
question involved pertained to District
regulations. Emergency Hospital is
more or less Of a private institution.
The request from Senator King had not
yet reached the Commissioners at noon
today.
When it does, however. the Com
mlssioners will ask Emergency for a
report on the matter Also they will
voluntarily ask Gallinger Hospital,
municipal institution, for q record of
Its part In the case.
Duke. former contractor, was said
to have been injured when he fell
against set of scales in front of q
drug store at Fourteenth street and
Rhode Island avenue Saturday after
noon. The fire rescue squad removed
him to Emergency Hospital, where Dr..
Donald Stubbs, an assistant resident
physician, diagnosed his case as intoxi-
cation. He was put to bed in an emer-
gency room on the first floor and re-
mained at the institution from 4:50
according to hospital officials, both DR..
Stubbs and DR.. Maurice lie Bauer, an
inferno. examined him.
Concluding that the man was drunk,
they called the third precinct and the
patrol wagon was sent for him. As
Duke was unloaded in front of the sta
ton house, Capt. Edward L. Kelly was
sitting on q bench in the yard Of the
building He noticed Duke was very
wabbly, and even before he was brought
inside the yard Capt Kelly called to
the officers with the wagon: Take that
man to Gallinger."
No Injury Seen.
Capt. Kelly explained today that he
had not observed any injury on Duke.
but because he seemed so unsteady and
looked slightly Ill, he thought 1t better
to put him In the hospital than In the
warm cell block.
Physicians at Gallinger discovered
Duke had been injured in the back of
his head and behind his ear. They re-
ported there were discolorations at both
places. Duke was admitted for treat
ment and because Of pressure which de-
veloped on the brain an operation be-
came necessary yesterday. A son, c. G.
Duke, was located and notified just be-
fore his father died.
Questioned about the part Emergency
Hospital played in the incident, B. B.
Sandidge, general superintendent, said:
I'VE have no facilities or wards for
handling tntoxication cases. Our only
recourse Is to take them in for exam
ination and, If possible. keep them
under observation until they appear to
be all right. There were no external
abrasions to indicate this man was in
jured when he came in here, and the
doctors who handled the case said he
talked nationally but seemed to be
under the influence Of alcohol Under
the circumstances, it would be very dif-
fcult to know he was hurt"