Evening star., 1947-01-18
Scott Inquest
Will Hear 50
Next Thursday
Night Session Planned
Unnecessary to Get
All Evidence

A coroner's inquest that will con-
tinue all day Thursday and well into
the night, if necessary, will investi-
gate the death of Charles w. Scott
in the District Jail infirmary No
vember 8.
Announcement of the long-awaited
inquest, repeatedly delayed pending
the recovery Of an injured police
witness, was made by District Coro-
ner A. Magruder Macdonald He
said he expected to hear the testi-
mony of more than so witnesses,
which would prolong the inquest.
Scott, a 24-year old colored man,
died in District Jail 33 hours after
he was involved in a traffic accident
that led to the death of Detective
Harry E. Hamilton and the serious
injury of Detective Sergt. Clyde o.
Rouse.
Police said the two officers were
trying to arrest him on charge OF
operating a stolen car, and Scott
attempted to escape. While the Of
ficers clung to the sides OF the car
it crashed into truck.
Ambulance to Bring Witness
Macdonald said Sergt. Rouse,
whose recovery from broken leg
and other serious injuries suffered
in the accident was given as one OF
the principal reasons for delaying
the inquest, will be driven to the
morgue in an ambulance at 10 am.
Thursday, when the hearing is
scheduled to begin.
This will be a most unusual in
quest" the coroner commented. He
said recesses would be called for
lunch and dinner.
Scott's death was attributed by
the coroner's Office to shock result
ing from an extremely rare reaction
to an anti-tetanus serum injection
given at the jail infirmary, where he
had been ordered hospitalized under
guard following his arrest.
The case aroused widespread in
terest when SCOTS attorney, Curtis
Mitchell, the Washington Council
of the National Negro Congress and
other civic groups demanded an in
vestigation as to whether police
brutality might have caused death.
Deputy Performed Autopsy.
Deputy Coroner Christopher j.
Murphy, who performed an autopsy
on SCOTS body November 3, said
he found only minor cuts and
bruises" After studying the results
of pathological and chemical tests,
DR.. Macdonald issued a finding that
Scott had died as a result of shock
after the administration of anti
tetanus serum.
The coroner said Scott'S fatal re-
action to the injection reported to
have been made to prevent infection
in minor cuts he suffered during the
automobile crash was extremely
rare. He asserted that skin test
designed to reveal persons for whom
the serum would be dangerous had
been made by the inflrmary physi-
clan, with negative results.
Demands for further investigation
of the death received impetus as
result of the announcement of DR..
Robert S. Jason, head of the pa
thology department of Howard Uni
versity, that he had made a post
mortem examination of SCOTS body
which did not support the coroner's
findings.
DR.. Jason, who said his examina-
ton was made at an undertaking
ablishment at the request OF
of the local chapter
of the National Negro Congress,
declared he found no needle pune
lures in the body, and said he dis
covered certain organs had been
removed which would not normally
be of interest to medical examiners
in such a case.
Mitchell Out of Tewn.
Mr.. Mitchell was reported out OF
town this morning, and could not
be reached for comment on the
inquest.
Local representatives of the Ma
tional Negro Congress said they
were notified by the coroner's Office
yesterday, and have turned in a
list of witnesses to appear. Among
these, it was revealed, will be DR..
Jason and various hospital personnel
who saw Scott just before his death.
William Tymous, organizational
secretary of the Washington council
of the Negro Congress, expressed
satisfaction that the inquest was
finally coming up
I'VE are positive" he declared,
"that this is the only means of as