Brief Bio:

 

Hello, my name is Jennifer Tata.  I am a History major at the University of Pittsburgh.  I have lived in Pennsylvania all of my life, and I'm excited to be able to explore a part of it's history.

 

 

 

 

Working Notes:

 

Today was my first day interning with the Coroner Case File.  I was surprised at how welcoming everyone was.  Kate was wonderful and gave me an overview of my responsibilities, and how they in-turn fit in with the whole operation.  Kate asked Brian to show me what I would be doing with the files.  Although I was only there for a few hours, I left feeling really optimistic about the time I would be investing. 

 

By the end of my first day I had already found a topic that I wish to keep track of throughout my participation with the project.  I wish to examine deaths due to tuberculosis.  I believe it would be an interesting topic to explore.  JT 09/14/07

 

To learn about the Tuberculosis League of Pennsylvania click on the link below.

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=ldw9MrxLjUIC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=tuberculosis+league+hospital+

 

 

 

March 1926 docket #s 245-305

 

 

A particularly interesting case that I came across on my first day was that of a person who died from a ruptured varicose vein. (192604_298)

 

Another interesting case I found was that of a person who died in a penitentiary of Tuberculosis. (192604_304)

My great grandmother died of Tuberculosis in  a penitentiary.  My mother was told that she was sent there because she had tuberculosis, but I'm starting to wonder if that was really the case. 

 

December 1926 docket #s 73-136

 

 

192612_86 Tuberculosis died at home.

 

192612_113a woman died of Tuberculosis after receiving a stab wound.

 

192612_ 123 Died of Tuberculosis at the Allegheny Workhouse.

 

 

February 1927 docket #s 270- March 1927 docket # 16

 

 

I find it quite interesting that people have accidents, and then don't die from the accident itself but from pneumonia. Two cases I found within this docket range that were of particular interest to me were 192702_270 and 192702_272.  In the first of the aforementioned cases a child accidentally catches fire but then dies of pneumonia.  In the second case a man dies from pneumonia after falling down stairs.

 

A sad death of another child happened because the children found their mother's moonshine.  The mother had bought two jugs of moonshine and she and a man finished a jug.  Then she went to take a nap, but put the other jug in an easily accessible area.  Her five year old found the moonshine and drank half of it and the three year old finished it.  When the husband came home the babies were really sick and lying in bed with the mother.  They called the doctor but it was too late and the three year old died. (172702_273)

 

I also found a very interesting suicide cases of a 19 year old boy who shot himself at his fathers office.  What is sad about this case is that he had attempted to kill himself before.  What makes me question how happy his family life was his choice of where to commit suicide.  Why did he choose to kill himself at his father's office?(192702_294)

 

A strange case I came across was of a 16 year old boy found dead in his high school swimming pool.  The boy had swim class.  The teacher made sure everyone left the pool  after class, but the boy must have come back afterwards. However, he didn't drown as one would expect.  He died of heart failure. What made him go back to the pool?  Was this really an accident or did something more happen? (192702_296)

 

Some of the worst cases that I come across all too frequently are those that involve babies that fall into boiling pans of water.  Many times like in the case of 192703_2 the babies mother was boiling hot water to wash clothes with and set the pan of hot water on the floor.  The mother got distracted and accidentally left the pan on the floor long enough for the baby to toddle over and fall backwards into the pan. 

 

One of my favorite cases that I have come across so far (I know that's pretty morbid) was between two Italin brother's.  What had happened was that the brothers got into a fight at one of their houses.  It was a pretty nasty fight, but the brother who owned the house was able to kick the other out.  Just kicked out and full of anger (and not just a little hatred) the brother goes  to his own house and retrieves his gun.  He returns to his brothers, goes around to the back, and knocks on the door.  As soon as his brother opens the door he shoots him in the stomach.  Having shot and killed his brother he returns to his house where Turtle creek police pick him up. He was then transferred to the county jail.

 

At this point the story twists.  The last  brother dies in prison.  Was it retribution for killing his brother?  Could he not become acclimated to prison life?  No! he died from complications of A BITE WOUND he received WHILE FIGHTING WITH HIS BROTHER. Ironic, No? -->> told you that fight was nasty. (192703_14 and 192703_16)

 

 

August 1928 docket #s 118- September 1928 docket # 41

 

 

Nine month old baby dies of asphyxiation found dead with pillow over it's face. 192808_162

 

Another baby falls into pan of boiling water.   She was three years old.  Her mother was boiling water for baths.  She left the pan boiling while she went grocery shopping.  Her older daughter (only 7 years old herself) took the pan off the stove-top and set it on the floor.  The baby girl accidentally fell backwards into the pan. 192808_164

 

So far I have seen two cases of murder-suicide. 

 

The first murder-suicide case that I came across was pretty typical.  The strange boarder falls in love with the married-but-estranged-from-her-husband daughter of the boarding house owner.   She resists him and he gets obsessive saying things like "if I can't have you no one can".  But she puts up with it, until he cracks.  He shoots her.  Her mother comes running to aid her daughter.  He takes two shots at the mother and misses, shoots at the corpse of the woman he was so very obsesses with, then shoots himself.  The woman 192808_193 and the man 192808_194. This murder suicide happened at 925 5th Ave. E. McKeesport. 

 

The second murder-suicide involved a married couple, a woman (192808_237) and her husband (192808_238). 

 

 

One death involving electrocution was that of a painter.  The man was painting on the third story of a building when he accidentally came into contact with a high tension wire.  The 20,000 volts of electricity that went through his body, lit him on fire, and threw him into the air and off the three story building.  Bystanders reported that it looked like a fire ball flew from the roof.   The man died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital (192808_197). JT 9/21/07 

 

March 1929 docket #s 1-262

 

 

A baby dies from swallowing lye at the house  of a family friend during a play date.  The woman had set a cup of Lye on the floor but turned her back on it and the baby drank it. 192903_14

 

A twelve year old dies from a fractured skull when the sled he was riding collided with a stone pillar. 192903_23

 

An eleven year old dies from falling off a garage while playing. 192903_24

 

A two year old dies from falling in a pale of boiling water. 192903_25

 

A twelve year old boy hangs himself with a rope.  His mother found him in the Attic with a rope around his neck standing on a doll house.  She cut him down with scissors. 192903_47

 

A thirty two year old African American man died from blows from blunt instrument.  No one knew who beat him.  He was found on the porch of an empty house. He was a coal miner. 192903_49

 

A man age 48 died at the Stag hotel in McKee's Rocks Pa.  He and a girl he had known for two years took a room at the hotel without paying.  They went to bed and then went to sleep.  Later a man went in after having rented the room they stole and found them both unconscious. The man died and the woman lived.  The woman was not his wife.  He and his wife had been separated for two years. 192903_50  JT 9/27/07

 

A little girl died when her sled collided with a truck.  192903_50

 

A "colored" man died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. 

 

A man died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis at home. 

 

Two people died in a truck vs. motorcycle accident. 192903_238 and 192903_239

 

 

July 1929 docket #s 115-137

 

Murder suicide- A man was murdered by another man who was his border.  The murdered man, his wife, and the border all slept in the same bed, with the wife in the middle.  The sister of the wife gave her affidavit and in it she stated that she had revently talked to her sister and she told her that her husband was not a good husband and that they all slept together.  The wife told her sister she was going to leave her husband to be with the border. When unexpectedly the border shot the husband, attempted to shoot the wife (but she ran and escaped), and committed suicide. The husband was (192907_137). What was interesting about this case was that the border's coroner report did not turn up after the husbands.  Was the border feeling guilty because of the things they had done? -Ew.

 

August 1929 docket # 230- September docket # 6

 

 A man slits his own throat with a razor.  He was a heavy drinker who was increasingly abusive to his family.  He threatened to kill them and chop them into pieces. 192908_230

 

A Thirty six year old died from falling off a roller coaster at the National Amusement Park in O'Hara Township on Freeport road. I tried to find pictures of the amusement park on google but didn't come across anything. 192908_232

 

A Tea dealer dies of tuberculosis.  He never seemed to be in pain.  He died at the hospital while under ether anesthesia though. I thought this was very strange. 192908_244

 

July 1930 docket # 261- August docket # 160

 

 

An 83 year old man dies from Hypostatic pneumonia due to a fracture of his left femur from stepping on a golf ball and falling to the ground. 193007_261

 

A time taker at Edger Thompson Works No. Braddock Pa. was struck on the head by a gas tank that fell from an overhead crane .  The foreman had told his men to clear the area but the time taker and another man were standing beneath the crane when it accidentally dropped the gas tank.  Seeing that the tank was about to fall the crane operator called out to the men beneath it but only one heard and ran. 193008_5

 

An 18 year old girl dies from bi-chloride mercury poisoning when she took the poison by mistake for aspirin. 193008_15

 

A person dies from respiratory failure after ether and oxygen anesthesia for tonsillectomy.  I have found this to be a pretty common way for people to die. 193008_22

 

A man commits suicide after a loss in business which persisted since the Russellton coal strike until after death. 193008_36

 

A  baby boy dies from burns on his face from Lysol.  His three year old sister was feeding the baby "milk". I wonder if the little girl was old enough to remember accidentally hurting the baby.  193008_38

 

A 27 year old man dies from Tuberculosis miliary and pulmonary.  He died at the Allegheny County Workhouse in O' Hara township. He was African American. 193008_58

 

A woman commits suicide.  She took strychnine tablets.  She left a suicide note in which she states the reason for her killing herself.  She said that her husband and his children miss-treated her.  Also in her suicide note she tells her children not to let her husband or his children touch her body.  She also tells her sons to take care of her daughters.  What is strange and a bit sad is that the woman's son reported that his mother was surrounded by loving people.  The left over strychnine tablets were left in the report.  193008_142

 

JT 10/15/07

 

January 1930 docket #s 10-31

 

 

A man wrote his suicide note in Serbian. 193001_10

 

A boy who was 13 years old died from being accidentally shot in the chest by his best friend who was 12 years old.  The friend had received the 22 caliber rifle as a present from his parents. 193001_16

 

Another boy received a gunshot wound to the chest also. He was also playing with a 22 caliber rifle. 193001_20

 

Double Murder Suicide- The people involved in this double murder suicide were Husband and wife (193001_31 and 193001_27) and their border(193001_28).  The scenario is that the husband and wife were fighting.  The wife went to get her coat to leave but her husband shot her.  The husband then went and found the border and shot him too, then he committed suicide.  What the original argument was over was never explained.  However, one can guess that the border had something to do with it. All three people involved were African American. JT 09/28/07

 

July 1931 docket #s 17- 53

 

A baby boy falls into a 5 gallon can of Hot coffee while at his grandmother's house. Sunday June 28th. 193107_17

 

A 46 year old man dies of shock and hemorrhages following gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen.  He was killed by a deputy sheriff and another man who were charged with manslaughter.  They shot the man a total of nine times.  the man died Monday June 22nd. 193107_53

JT 10/15/07

 

October 1931 docket # 174- November docket # 76

 

A young Chinese woman killed herself on the day of her husbands trial.  He was an opium dealer.  She ha recently had a baby girl but had many problems after the birth. 193110_174

 

Two men die when their boat capsizes while they were duck hunting. 193110_181 and 193110_182

 

A 41 year old man dies at Allegheny Workhouse Co. From endo and Myocarditus and pulmonary Tuberculosis.  Sunday October 18th. 193110_191

 

Man murders sister in-law, shoots his estranged wife, and commits suicide on Kale Farm near Cliff Mine in Findley Township.  They were all African American. 193110_192 24 year old woman (sister in-law)

193110_196 39 year old man (shooter/ suicide)

 

A 66 year old widower was butted against a fence by a bull and died of Lobar Pneumonia. 193110_202

 

A man who commits suicide was "worried about bank failures in this city" he died on October 13th

 

Another man commits suicide he "had about 20 shares of US Steel stock which he sold at a loss..." 193110_244

 

Car accident collided with pole takes three lives. 193110_249,250, and 251

 

A Tuberculosis hospital Leeches Farm Pittsburgh Pa was where a man died of Tb and Pneumonia 193110_256.

 

A man dies by hanging himself - suicide. In his note he said his wife was a good woman but," There is more a man wants when he gets married than just  a housekeeper he wants a pal" and that he had "no work, no money, no friends". 193111_72

JT 10/29/07

 

September 1932 docket # 216- October # 176

 

A snow cone street vendor was found dead sitting on the curb of the road leaning against a pole. He was an alcoholic who had bug bites all over his body and was filthy.  193209_216

 

A man commits suicide on Wednesday September 28th, his daughter claims losses at stock market and loss of job as reasons for his taking his own life. 193210_4

 

I've noticed that in the next few reports where African Americans are involved the term "black" is used instead of the usual "colored" but then it reverts back to "colored" again. 193210_16

 

An aspiring writer takes his own life and the beginning of his life and misfortunes is within the report.  The story is only three pages long but is very interesting.  One wonders what would have happened to this man if he had stuck with it and finished his story.  His story tells of how he worked on two farms(jobs that his brother got for him) The first farm was a small 8 acer farm of an old woman who was a dry and who believed that prohibition was a "great success" he worked just for his room and bored.  The next farm he worked at was a "real" farm of 180 acres where he worked for "magnificent" wages.  At this farm he never received payment for his work because when the time came for him to be payed the farmer "never had a cent" but slipped up when it wasn't payday and told him of how well he was actually doing.  He took his life on Friday October 7th in Slippery Rock. 193210_82

 

I have found that another coroner report of an alcoholic man who after drinking heavily for weeks and threatening to kill his wife takes his own life by slitting his throat with a razor. 193210_84

 

One person dies in a plane crash when the plane nose-dived from about 300 feet.  It was a small plane with only one pilot and one passenger.  The pilot, an 18 year old boy, died. The company that owned the plane was Curtiss- Wright Flying Services and the pilot was a junior member of the club. 

 

A 78 year old reverend dies from "shock and hemorrhage following a fracture of the base of the skull, and lacerations of the brain due to falling down steps".  Yet, his injuries were at both the base of the skull and the eye and there was evidence that the body had been dragged.  The reverend was broke and recently pawned his watch for 8 dollars.  Yet, his son was  a doctor.  Another interesting thing to note is that although there was a group of people around his body when the police arrived, no one could  say what had happened. 193210_131

 

Man died of TB at Tuberculosis League Hospital in Monessen, Pa.

 

 

JT10/29/07

November 1938 docket # 42-  docket # 146

 

A truck driver takes his own life before his court case in which an accident he got into while drunk driving was to be decided.  

 

May 1941 docket # 30- docket # 108

 

A 47 year old Jewish woman hangs herself from a rafter, she had a "nervous condition." 194105_34

 

A 23 year old  Virginian woman ran away from her husband who hadn't seen her for 4 months.  In that interim she married another man who then caught her "running around".  She tried to leave him after he found out that she had been cheating on him but he caught her.  He was heard asking her "wont you give me a kiss..." right before he shot her 5 times.  He was found by the police at his mothers house but he threatened to kill anyone who tried to go retrieve him.  The police gassed the house but he committed suicide before they could reach him.  194105_108 (the woman) 194105_9 (the man)

 

September 1944 docket # 169-  October # 102

A young man who was discharged from the army because of a mental condition commits suicide. 194410_10

A woman dies from shock after being splashed with molten steel. 194410_73

A woman decides to kill her husband.  She shoots him in the face and then tries to make it look like he committed suicide.  However, her husband lived long enough to tell the police the truth and she was brought up on charges for his murder.  Moral of the story- Don't like your husband-get a divorce! 194410_102

 

July 1945 docket # 101- docket # 232

 

A man attacks his wife, she says in her report that the only reason she stayed with him was for their children, and she stabs him in self-defense.  He was taken to the hospital where later he told police that he and his wife were not fighting and that he was accidentally stabbed.  The coroner found that he died of excusable homicide. 194507_232

 

February 1947 docket # 102-  March # 32

 

A 37 year old African American police officer was shot while off duty.  He was leaving his home with his wife when he heard gunshots and saw a man running from the house across the street.  Although the police officer was off duty he gave chase.  While running away the shooter turned and shot at the police officer, hitting him in the chest.  The police officer died.  194702_132

 

A devoted son dies of a heart attack while rushing to the bedside of his dieing mother.  194702_186

 

A man commits suicide.  What is interesting is that in the press report it was originally written that he was white but then white was crossed out and black was written next to it.  I looked to see if there was a coroner report to confirm his color one way or another but a coroners report was not included. 194702_193

JT 11/27/07

 

A two year old little boy died from ether anesthesia in preparation for a hare lip operation. 194703_14

 

JT 11/29/07

 

June 1947 docket # 165- July docket #

 

Three people were "burnt to a crisp" when their sea plane crashed into two houses.  The houses caught fire and the fire then spread to two houses next door.  They were a married couple and a friend and partner of the husband.  The two men were partners who owned the sea plane a "cub super cruiser".  There had a "plane passenger business at conneaut park." No one who lived in the houses was killed although one was injured.  Estimated damage was worth 10,000 dollars. 194706_179, 194706_180, 194706_181

 

JT 11/28/07

 

October 1947 docket # 1 - docket #130

 

An inmate at Woodville Hospital dies of unknown poisoning, suicide.  194710_110

 

March 1947 docket # 18 - docket #

 

The second husband of a 55 year old woman murders her and then commits suicide.  They were only married for a year.  194803_25

 

A man whos wife died one year previously commits suicide.  194803_105

 

Chainman dies when his head is crushed by a steel box falling from a crane.  He was 26.  194803_132

 

Three men die when a wall of slate falls in a cole mine.  Two of the men suffocated and one was crushed.  Harwick Mine Dequesne Light Co. Harwick Pa.  194803_165, 194802_164, 194803_163.

 

JT 11/30/07  

 

 

June 1948 docket # 208- July docket # 180

 

A four year old boy was shot through the temples by an unknown person while playing in the backyard of a neighbors house.  The father heard the shot and went running to the back of the house where he saw his son lying on the ground.  However, upon picking him up blood spurted from both of his temples. 194807_56

 

While doing the family laundry a woman was struck in the face by the close line pole when it came out of the ground.  She died 20 days later from sub-dural hemorrhage.  194807_75

 

 A divorced African American woman was shot by her lover, who was known to be jealous of her and abusive.  However, ten years later he was acquitted based on a lack of evidence.  After looking at the coroner reports things seemed pretty clear cut to me.

 

An African American man was stabbed three times while his wife watched from their front porch. 194807_102

 

An African American woman died because of ether anesthesia during pericardotomy.

 

A Locomotive Fireman takes his own life his note reads,"Goodbye my darlings please forgive me, Daddy."  He was 40 years old. 194807_180

 

JT 12/4/07

 

October 1950 # 161 - November docket #78 

 

A man, his son, and a girl all enter a cafe.  The man says hello to the bar tender and a fellow seated at the bar.  The man, son, and girl take a booth in the back of the cafe.  The man then leaves the cafe only to return 20 min. later, everyone who was there when he left was still there.  He went to the washroom and then came out of the washroom, called the man sitting at the bar a name, then he shot the man in the chest (195010_209) and shot himself in the head (195010_210).  From what anyone could tell the two men were very good friends up until this time. 

A 42 year old woman dies of a stab wound to the groin.  As it turns out she and her husband went out that night and had a bit to drink.  From what everyone had said the woman was known to be a mean drunk who often threatened to commit suicide.  She and her husband began to fight over what he called "silly little things" when she threw a sugar bowl at him.  Then she took a butcher knife and said, "I've wanted to do this for a long time" and proceeded to stab herself in the groin.  An ambulance was called and they were taken to the hospital where the woman refused to tell the doctor who had cut her, and when asked denied that anyone she knew had cut her and that she had not cut herself.  When asked her son told police that her husband was good to his mother and that he would never harm her.  The woman's brother was asked about his sister and he stated that she had been known to threaten to commit suicide and that she was violent when she drank.  However, her husband was still brought up on charges of murder!  I wonder what the outcome was, seeing as the case seemed clear-cut to me... no pun intended. (195010_216)

 

A three year old boy was accidentally shot in the head with a 38 cal police special by his 5 year old sister.  The children found the gun in the nightstand of their grandfathers room.  (195010_231)

JT 12/12/07

 

November 1950 # 161- December docket # 117

 

A 15 year old girl commits suicide after giving birth.  In her suicide note she writes to her parents. She asks them to take care of her daughter and to raise her as if she were their own.  She also asks her mother to raise her daughter to be a "good girl not like me".  I can't imagine what it was like to be alone and pregnant at 15 during the 50's.

 

JT 12/13/07