Evening star., 1947-08-13
Bunch Inquest
Told Foul Play
Was Possible
Son Quotes Intern
On Skull Fracture
Death After Arrest

Otis G. Bunch, 80, of Richmond,
testified today at an inquest into the
death Of his father, John Forrest
Bunch, So. that Gallinger Hospital
inferno suspected Bunch had met
with foul play.
The son, Veterans Administra-
ton examiner, was the first witness
!. called in the case at the District
Morgue. He has been pressing an
investigation since his father died
at Gallinger on August of a skull
fracture and cerebral hemorrhage.
Members of the Bunch family, in
letter to the District Commission
ers. said they believed it possible
Bunch was injured after he was
arrested July 20. He was examined
at the hospital that morning, re-
turned to jail, then admitted to the
hospital that night.
.. Talked to Inferno.
Learning his father was gravely
Ill, Mr.. Bunch arrived July 81 and
talked to DR.. Bruce M. Mcintyre, an
inferno at the hospital DR.. McIn-
tyre told him, 1T seems your father
could have met with foul play-I
thought you ought to know this"
Mr.. Bunch testified.
Talking to DIR. Beatrice j. Kartus,
who examined his father when he
was admitted to the hospital that
evening, Mr.. Bunch was told that
her examination showed injuries,
but 1t was hard to tell how they
were inflicted.
DR.. Kartus told him she asked a
friend to csll the precinct to see
what had happened to Bunch be-
tween his first and second visits to
the hospital, Mr.. Bunch added.
The witness said he learned from
DIR. James Murphy that his father
had more than one skull fracture,
that he did not have much hope
for his life, but that two George
Washington brain specialists would
be called in for consultation.
Determined to find out what hap
pered, Mr.. Bunch then talked with
DR.. Sidney Sattenstein and DR.. Earl
Price of the. hospital staff.
DOCTOR round No Marks.
DR.. Sattenstein said he had exam
ined Bunch first and found. high
blood pressure but no marks or in
juries on the head and no reason
to detain the patient, Mr. Bunch
testified
Performing the examination when
Bunch was returned that evening,
DR.. Price said the patient was semi
conscious and had marks on the
head, a bruise on the forehead like
a silver dollar" and other marks on
the body, as we'll as a high fever, the
witness continued.
Carrying his investigating fur
ther, Mr. Bunch said he talked with
the arreSting officer IS Pvt. Walter
Perkins of the ninth Rrecinct The.
policeman told him his father had
no injuries but a small fingernail
scratch on the forehead, and was
coherent when arrested, Mr.. Bunch
said.
Police records show Bunch was
arrested at 12:45 m. July 20, when
police found him lying in front of
1902 F street NE. Taken to the
9th precinct and charged with in
toxication, he complained about six
hours later of being i'll and was re-
moved to Gallinger Hospital.
Mrs Hazel Scott, 5213 Twenty
fifth place North, Arlington, a
daughter of Bunch. told reporters she
visited him at II pm. the night he
was admitted to the hospital He was
bleeding from the nose and ears,
had lump on his forehead and
bruises on his arm, she said.
Hospital attendants believed the
bleeding resulted from convulsions
which started at the hospital. When
paralysis began setting into the
legs, denoting pressure on the brain,
it seemed possible Bunch was suf-
fering from fractured skull.
This was borne out during an
operation the night before he died,
and by an autopsy conducted by
Deputy Coroner Richard M. Rosen-
berg, who attributed cause of death
to skull fracture and cerebral
hemorrhage. DR.. Rosenberg said it
was not impossible that the frac-
ture occurred before Bunch's arrest.