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No Verdict Yet, but Opinion Leans To: 'Dr. Haiselden Did Right.'

Dr. Harry J. Haiselden was put on trial by a jury of his peers yesterday.

Late in the afternoon six of the foremost physicians in Chicago went to the German-American hospital, were sworn by Coroner Hoffman as a coroner's jury and ranged themselves silently about the body of Allen Bollinger Jr., the defective baby whom Dr. Haiselden had permitted to die because of its deformities.

At the request of the doctor-jurors a second autopsy was performed in their presence by Dr. H.G. W. Reinhardt, chief coroner's physician. These men wanted no hearsay evidence. They were to pass on the integrity of a fellow physician and on a problem of human ethics which, in thirty-eight hours, had stirred the indignation or approval of a divided nation.

They wanted to see with their own eyes. And the verdict?

No official announcement was made. The inquest was continued until this afternoon and the members of the jury, behind closed doors, made a solemn agreement not to discuss their findings.

But the physicians had seen the evidence and were satisfied. And on the best of authority it may be stated that their conclusion was this:

Dr. Haiselden was right.

Coroner Hoffman admitted as much when the second post-mortem was over.

"Dr. Bernhardt went farther in this autopsy," the coroner said. "He made some discoveries that had not been made before, and we found the child was even more defective than was indicated last night -- far more defective even than Dr. Haiselden said."

Dr. John F. Golden, a member of the jury, told THE TRIBUNE that he was in honor bound not to discuss the inquest, but he added significantly:

"I will tell you this much: Nothing that I could say about that post-mortem would make a story. If you understand what I mean by that all right."

Inasmuch as the "story" would lie in a plan to recommend that Dr. Haiselden be persecuted, the inference was clear. So far as the coroner's jury is concerned, there will be no condemnation.

The physicians who compose the jury are:

Dr. Ludwig Hektoen, professor of pathology at the Rush Medical college of the University of Chicago, foreman.

Dr. John F. Golden, surgeon at Mercy hospital, sent as a substitute for Dr. John B. Murphy, who was summoned, but was unable to serve.

Dr. Arhtur Rankin, professor of anatomy at Loyola University.

Dr. Howard Chislett, dean of the Hahnemann Medical college.

Dr. D. A. K. Steele, dean of physiology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the University of Illinois.

Dr. Henry F. Lewis, obstetrician at the Cook county hospital.

Coroner Hoffman ordered the inquest as soon as he reached his office in the morning and announced that it would be composed of "the best medical authorities he could find." He telephoned the physicians after conferring with Health Commissioner Robertson and Coroner's Physicians Reinhardt and Springer, and all agreed to serve except Dr. Murphy, who explained he was detained by an important case.

"I am not holding this inquest to find fault with any one," the coroner said. "If Dr. Haiselden erred in his opinion he would not be the first physician to err. But in the name of humanity, there should be a scientific investigation. We do not know how soon another physician may face a like situation."

The jury panel met at Coroner Hoffman's office at 4 o'clock and were taken to the hospital in automobiles. Health Commissioner Robertson and Dr. Reinhardt accompanied them, and Alfred O. Erickson of the city law department met them at the hospital, prepared to advise Dr. Robertson should the inquest develop any legal problem.

Mr. Erickson, it was reported, told attaches of the hospital that "there was nothing on Dr. Haiselden legally."

Dr. Haiselden, who had reached the hospital only a few minutes before, smiled as he greeted the visitors. Drs. Steel and Hektoen had been his instructors at the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

"And," he added, in an aside to a newspaper man, "I'm mighty glad Dr. Murphy isn't on the jury. He has publicly put himself on record as being opposed to my stand in this case. I hope they aren't going to suggest that I recede from my position."

"This is the coroner's jury," Coroner Hoffman said to Dr. Haiselden quietly. "These gentlemen have requested that Dr. Reinhardt perform a second autopsy for their benefit. They want the most complete examination possible."

"I shall be very glad," Dr. Haiselden replied.

Dr. Reinhardt prepared his instruments as the jury fled into the room where the body lay and removed the wrappings from the twisted little form, which already had been made unrecognizable by the autopsy of the night before, and which is now known officially as coroner's case No. 79,772."

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Silently the physicians gathered around the operating table, eyeing the deformed body curiously, and listening intently as Dr. Reinhardt told them what he had done at the first post-mortem.

Then, with an occasional quiet suggestion from one or another of the jurors, the coroner's physician probed and cut farther into the little form. Little was said, but every move was noted carefully. And there was a murmur of interest when a hemorrhage of the spinal cord -- hitherto undiscovered -- was revealed.

This, according to the physicians, would have caused complete paralysis of the child's body and would have resulted in death even if there had been no other causes.

Only a few questions were put to Dr. Haiselden. One, which seemed to interest the jury particularly, was as to whether the confinement of the child's mother had been normal. He said it had been completely so.

The autopsy took slightly more than an hour. When it was completed the jury, after a conference, decided the best time to continue the inquest would be at 2 o'clock this afternoon.

This session will be held at the coroner's office for the taking of testimony from Dr. Haiselden, Allen Bollinger, the baby's father; Dr. Reinhardt, Dr. Koehler of the German-American hospital staff, who was present when the child was born, and the head nurse and several others of the hospital staff.

Sitting in his comfortable home at 819 Diversey parkway last night, while his two adopted daughters played in an adjoining room, Dr. Harry Haiselden told why he never has married.

"My mother," he said, "lived until she was 80 years old, and during her life she ruled. I never could bear to muss up the arrangements of the home and bring some one between us -- as I considered I owed too much to her. In this way, by remaining at her side I thought to repay her.

"Then, I never wished to disappoint a girl by marrying her. In high school I had several affairs of the heart -- not serious. But I have never asked any one to marry me. I promised my school friend, Attorney Albert N. Charles, if I received any proposals I should pass some of them on to him."