The New York herald., 1869-03-26
THE BODY sNATCHINo RING.


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How They DO Things In the Corencrp Once
skilful Strategy 70 Multiply Fees-Throwing
tho veil Over Crime-5Iurder as One Of tho
Fine Arts-An Expose In the Matter OF Post
MOrtom Examinations.
The most vivid faucies OF the most exuberans
writer's OF fction have failed in their far reaching
lights OF the imagination, In essayng descriptions u
the mysteries and miseres OF the metropolis to give
anything approaching the sad and stern realities Of
plain and positive fact. Their woven webs OF fiction
are slimsy shoddy, lacking continuity and strength
The bold ruggedness Of truth wanting: the under
current running sluggish and deep is not reyea!sd;
the mass OF corruption and rotenncss at the bottom
Is not pro6ed and Its neither founess laid bare to the
public gaze. Those who undertake to ter
the facts do not half tell them because
they do not half know them. Peter Cooper and ms
cohorts marshaled to combat municipal corrup-
ton, make big noise with their heavy artillery,
but they shoot at long range aud do no possible
harm Bergh. whose tender sensibilities culver Is
the slightest sound OF distress emanatng from Of
the brute creation gets up great hue and cry about
cruelty TO dumb animals and excites wondrous sym.
pahy for these poor unfortunates while the more ter
rble abuses heaped upon the great food OF humanity
all about US go unheeded ana unchecked Mean
time the pulpit and the press only Indulge In glitter
ing gencralities. How really stands the case Tc
the metropolis" we must get ut the bottom OF che
rings" under the control OF which our present
municipal government lives and moves and has lls
being TO purify our city from political
corruption and the consequences Of filling our
ohices with po.house politicians these rings" must
ne broken up. 1t u unnecessary TO recapitulata
these rings. Their name is Legion. They exist in
almost every department and branch OF the city gov
ernment. They are close combinations. They prey
on the public Tney fatten on fees. They become
purseproud on perquistes As sample specimen OF
facts connected with the .'coroners ring as it Is
more popularly known but recently and very appro-
pas 81, Sy an eminent OF tho
In those good old primitive days when the Bat
tsEy was the great park OF the city aud Beck
city were selected for their special fitness for tho
place. Gentlemen 0! established repute in the
s ocs These er aas
with promptness and ndeli ~. II continued thus
through many years; through that long aud pleasant
aldermen only flled by men OF established In
tegrty and weight in the community, and before
Council Chambers exhibited the present sad specta-
Gle OF unceaslng and unscrupulous scrambing iOr
spo sta Is unnecessary to ten how sns coronsrS
from what class OF men they are now chosen. Every
body knows how primary elections are managed.
early and vote oitenS system the dnal eiectons are
accomplished. Everybody also knows that the
with the matter. Greenbacks, muscle and whiskey
do the entire work. or course an occasional good
reliable QOQeSL man
but these are exceptional cases and as rare as ex
neither DO they get the benefit Of the *:
sringh The system by which the present
''ring" composed OF one or more coroners, several
themselves at the expense OF the public. Is as shame
lessly vile 1t Is iniquitOuSly bareaced. The Office
sea 10 ac IS e Is s sole ees A.
many witnesses as possible on the case, no matter
how unmportant or corroboratve their testimony,
10 Tho G.sfs N
wolves time and labor, and short way OF getting at
il is said to be 10 put down as many witnesses as
fu strategy with despatch For each juror there Is
also something allowed, but who ever heard OF q
Juror ever getting anything Besides, good share
the coroncr's deputy or clerk acting In such
cases as the irrepressible foreman, and take
it, for instance, at Bellevue Hospital whero
the 'Morgue" is, and majority OF tho
inquests are held, the minor subordinates OF the
sional drink at a contiguous rumshop paying them
for the trouble OF signing their names for as regards
sequence whatever. The irrepressible foreman 6xes
up the verdict And here the beauty OF the irrepress
Die foreman system Is apparent. Let fatal rail-
road casualty occur The company are not anxious
10 be mucted in a round sum Of damages Tor the
carelcssness OF their employees, and the affair Is all
same defensive principle OF taking time BY the fore
lock, aborlonIsts, physicians guilty OF malpractice
Lucrctia Borgia school OF poisoning and even mur-
derers may stay the uplifted hand or Justice and es
Atroc0usly wicked and criminally objectionable a.
all this s there Is another phase OF vile depravity,
for the sake OF multiplying their pecuniary spoils,
stl to be exposed This is the subject OF post NOR
TEN examinations. For every post mortem ex-
animation there IL allowed forty dollars and hence
the Importance In pecuniary point OF view to have
as many post mOrtem examinations as possible. A
case has just found Its way into print as stated by
DIR. Edward ii. Dixon. He had attended an old and
highly respectable gentleman who had fall on the
Ice and after three weeks died. exhausted from age
and the effects OF his INJURIES Upon his death the
doctor gave certificate stating all the facts OF the
case sefdtnns, according to law. Three days after
DEATH when every arrangement had been made for
nterncnt and the hearse had arrived for taking the
body to the church. notification came that the re-
mains, before burial, must be submitted
to post mortem examination, and thas
such examination to be made. The statement about
DIR. Harris ordering the post mortem examination
proved to be false IL Is to be regretted that Dr.
Dixon does not give the of the parties to this
transaction, 40 that they may be branded with the
iniamy they deserve. Another case Is told OF gem
died OF lingering consumption. he'deceased had
been regularly attended, and q certificate OF death
was furnished, duly signed by the physician In at
tendance. and yet an inquest was Insisted on, tho
body taken from the cofiin and post mortem ex-
animation made.
1t is unnecessary to multiply instances like tna
above Wherever the opportunity Offers, for the
sake OF forty dollars this ring the pretended iu-
terests OF science barbarously outrage the feelings
OF sorrowing relatives and, In fact, every decent
feeling Of humanity. Christian burial they deny the
dead. They are little else than body snatchera.
This corOners ring estimate their expenses this year
at sol 500, and thus t stands In the Comptrollers
budget. We have seen how they make up theie
expenses.