OFFICE OF THE A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF ‘I’EXAS 

AUSTIN 

Honorable Cbadee H. Theobald 

cotlnty ammley 

Galveatun connty 

Gaiveaton, Texas 

Dear ,ofr: 

. . 

btilia. 
Honorabis Char148 HI ,Thaqbald, page 2 

'WI.. ~#,# 'T-8 JurI8prudsnoe;und.r thi tltla 

'Inquests', 840. 2, p. 364, I flad .th4 ronwing: 

"'Tha &stIoomay, whaa ha deonu It n4448s4x7, 

oall In ths'oounty hwlth offIo4r to asoertaln tha oausr 

of th4 death, or, If thar4 Is no saoh offIo4r m I? It Is 

Impraatisable to ss~ure his ssr~Io48, ha may osll Is 6-0 

regular physloian to mak4 an autopsy to dotermlsa *ather 

the dsath'waa 0aumd4py vI0l4noe, and If so, its mturs 

snd Ohamoter. Subh phyilolan Is catltlad t0 a f8e trora 

the oounty forhis .sanio4s.' 

"CW oour84, Wlrsst& County has a.haalth ofriiosr 

but this sItn&tlan was 0n4 wh4r4 4xporIcmo4tl s4mioss -4 

r e@ r a d to l soartsin Ii the wlrs whIoh .mas 'aor th4 oopper 

pipe wasp a *lITa wIr4.* The home where this unfbrtunata 

man lost his lit4 by l l4OtroautIon Is only a row feat hIgb 

rran the ground and it was n4048sary ror the 4l4otrioIsll 

to orawl unda It. ThQ aharge forth4 84rvi448, ~Tsnderea 

0s Suudaf, ls'mas0nabl4 and of t&t thsre oan ba no questian 

and, uuless the Justios oi the Peaoe Is hIsuv4lf sn ~4leotrIoIan 

It would seam tlmt it would endanger his Q*LI lite ‘to have 

attarapted fo remums tha wire Or attempt to out off tlm ssrYlOlB. 

RJu8tIoa PIperI has requestad that I write you 

and request an opinion ai to whet&r It Is proper obarga 

whIoh the Jastlos of th4 Paaqa may mad4 undrr the pr~rls~mis 

of Art. 3899,R.C.S.. or wIthIn hIs general dutlos as 04mmr. 

Wy opinion Is that tha Artlola ait4d do48 mt 

authorize suoh sn sxpendIturs, but, In as anoh as tbr 

Justloo of ,tb?'Pwoa aot4d uIthfn his oZiIoIaldIsorrtl~n, 

as well as the safety oi his fmn parsOn, It weld sesm 

reasonable tlut h4 should be p4rmItt4d to lnoltada ths 

$5.00 obsrge In his monthly stat4mmt of InoId4nta3 sxp4nms 

under ths said Artlola.* 

Th4 holding of sn Inquast upon daad bodies I8 

ooPrprshsn8Ively r4gulat4d by statuts, namely~ ArtI~ol48,l50, '151, 

1,61, 968~9S9, Varnonfs Asnotated 00&s of Criminal Pr~oedsr~. 

Tha question to be determined by the 1nqueat.I~ whethsr won4 

Is rssponsible Sor the death Inquired f&o. (Boeiune v. Sarerefgn 

Camp, woodmen of the World, Sk SW. 422) 

Fe48 far the s~ioes of offio4rs holding 8n inquest 

are pruvlded by law. 

CrlmInalPr0oedur4) 

(Artlel4 1053, Vmants Annotated Cod4 O? 
Honhrablb Chsrlas H. Theobald; page 3 

W4 think It Is 014~ that non4 or the abore mado& 

statutas.authorIee tha above mentlaued expenditure. 

Seotlon a or Artktlo 3899, Varnon*s Annotat4d Civil 

Statutes, prorfdas In part; 

*At tha olosa of aash month of his tenur4 of otiioe 

eaoh oiiio4r ,named imraiin, em0 is oqmnsatad on a fee basis, 

shall make as part oi the raport now rrqulrad bylaw, an 

Itemlsed,~ sworn statemant of all the aotual and naoessary 

4xpwe Inourrsd by hfn lnth4 oondwt of his OriIO4, 8u4h 

as stationary stamps, talsnhone, prdwas on ~fflolal 

bonds, lnoluddjng ths ooet o? surety bonds for his daputles, 

prem.lum on fira, burglary, theft, robbery Insuranoa protaotlng public funds, trardliag axpaas4s and other neoassary 

expen848. . ." 

It Is out further opinion that the aboos +ntlonad 

statute (ktlole 3899) .does not autioriee th4 abare maatloned 

expenditure. In'ecmstroin~thIs statuta w4 think that tie ml4 

of ajtmdam generid applies. The rule or sjusdem generls o&dIuarIly 

lImita tlm nresnl~lg of gan4rdl Words to,thIngs of the ma* old88 

as those enumerated radar the& (Sss Words k Phrasis, Per=snen$ 

..,, 

'/ 

Ediblon Volum4 lJ&pag4s 135+47, and the authorities oltsd 

theralaj / 

In tiew OS the foregoing authorltlss we r4Sp4OtfUlly 

answer the above st&tQd quastlan In tha negaths. 

Yours, ye& truly 

3y (SIgned) ARDRLL NELLIMS 

AP?ROVED JAN. 14.1942 Assist8Itt 

(signed) GRovm SELLERS 

Fir6t AsaIstant AttmneP General 

AWrAXM APTROVED OPflJIOH C-33 

By B.W.B. Chairmn