Died in jail or a lockup
Name not reported
A man from New Orleans, described in the Daily Dispatch as a respectable gentleman, sought shelter from heavy rain at the city's third district watch-house in December 1853. He was locked in a cell there, and the account says the window was open and he had no blanket. He was found the next day in a stupor and died some hours later. A coroner's jury attributed his death to exposure to cold, and some police officers were later taken into custody on a charge of criminal negligence in connection with it.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff. The coroner's jury ruled he died of exposure to cold after officers locked him in a cell with an open window and no blanket.
Reported by: Coroner's Jury (medical examiner or coroner).