Evening star., 1947-01-23

New Jury Plea
Refused as Scott
Inquest Opens
"a Witnesses Listed
For Investigation Of
District Jail Deuth

Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
today refused to impanel new jury
as an inquest began at the District
Morgue in the death of Charles w.
Scott, "a, colored, in District Jail
on November 2.
The demand for new coroner's
Jury was made by c. Reginald Aud
rick, attorney for the Washington
Council of the National Negro Con-
gress. After obtaining permission
from DR.. Macdonald to question the
members on their previous jury
service and finding all had heard
inquest testimony in the past, Mr..
Audrick said:
Il believe there Is q possibility,
although remote, that this jury may
be biased in favor of the Govern
ment. And I think, in the
public interest, new jury should
be impaneled."
He explained he felt the jurors
might be inclined to favor testi-
mony of police and members of the
coroner's Office.
Official Report Read.
DR.. Macdonald pointed out juries
were not sworn in for particular
case and that this one, with the
exception of one member substituted
later, had been selected to hear
number of inquests. Because of this,
he saw no reason to believe they
would be biased with respect to the
Scott case and announced: eve will
proceed with this jury"
Mr.. Audrick noted an objection.
Earlier, he had explained SCOTS
family had authorized the council
ito press for an inquest in , this
case" and he said that was why he
was appearing.
Curtis P. Mitchell is the attor-
ney for SCOTS family.
In reading the official report on
SCOTS death, which included the
coroner's finding that he died of
shock reaction to antitetanus and
antigas bacillus injection, DR.. Mac
Donald told the jury:
"The decision and verdict of the
coroner is now set aside, and it is
your duty to determine the cause
of Scott's DEATH"
ga Witnesses Scheduled.
The coroner's jury was scheduled
to hear 81 witnesses.
DR.. Macdonald said the hearing
would continue into the evening,
with lunch and dinner recesses, in |
an effort to complete testimony to-
day.
Scott died the day after he had
been driving an automobile listed
by police as stolen.
While police were attempting to
arrest him the car crashed into a |
truck, fatally injuring Harry e.
Hamilton, one of two police detec-
tives clinging to the sides Of the car.
Detective Sergt. Clyde o. Rouse,
who also was injured, was taken to
the inquest in an ambulance.
Alter SCOTS two women COM
panions at the time of the crash,
Bernice Monroe and Marion HoI-
ston, refused to testify, DR.. Mac
Donald excused them and called for
Sergt. Rouse.
Tried to Wreck Car.
Sergt. Rouse, who suffered a COM
pound fracture of the leg, hobbled |
in on crutches. His injuries neces-
STATED the long delay in calling
the inquest, DR.. Macdonald said.
Sergt. Rouse told the jury how
he and Detective Hamilton saw the
stolen car at 5 am. November
at Florida avenue and @ streets
NV. Mr.. Hamilton approached
the drivers side of the car-where
Scott sat at the wheel-and Sergt.
Rouse started to enter the car from
the other side. The witness testified
that Scott then stepped on the
gas.
Sergt. Rouse said he wedged his
body halfway in the car window and
attempted to turn the switch key,
while Mr.. Hamilton grabbed the
steering wheel and hung on as
the car sped away. Scott made re-
peated efforts to wreck the car, the
injured detective declared.
Scott Arrested at Scene.
Scott tried to drive the car into
the traffic signal at North Capitol
street and Florida avenue, Detective
Rouse said, but he added that he
was able to throw the car out Of
gear in time to avert the crash.
Later, he said Scott tried to crash
into a filling station Florida
avenue and torn up section of the
street.
Both detectives battled with Scott
and one of the women during the
wild ride, Sergt. Rouse said.
When the automobile reached the
busy intersection of Florida and New
York avenues NE, Sergt. Rouse
said, it crashed into a trailer truck,