The New York herald., 1872-08-10

| Hsw Crimc Was Covered Up-AN Utter1v
| Useless OiEseer i'm Nevvarlk--A state ~
| Things Thas Is Oaicially Deci srod To
| Bc Ca Sharmo and Disgrace" to the
Country.
For several years past the business of the County
Physicians oace In Newark, has, as repeatedly set
forth In the HERALD, bsen conducted In such man
ner to excite universal dissatisfaction. This
ofliceof County Physician was designed specially
for Essex county, with a view to the practising OF
economy, under the old rule the Coroner used GO
hold nquests on every body that was found dead,
no matter how clear the cause OF death might be-
and by this means run up formidable bills against
the county. The duty of the County Physician is 20
examine all cases of violent death reported to kim.
and IT, after thorough and proper examination ON
his part he finds probable for suspicion that
crime has been committed, then Is he empowered.
directed and authorized to order q COroner's In
quest. For his services he receives a salary Of
$1,000; until within year or so It was only $400.
II will be seen therefore, that great power vested
In one man, and 1t is the general opinion In Newark
that for some time past this power has not been
properly used number OF cases are on record
where inquests were ordered only after the press
had fcrreted out facts and evidence. and then tho
bodies were buried ont Of sight. Then, of course.
evidence ana proper witnesses were not always
easily found IL at all.
The case OF Henry Wagner, the particulars Of
whose mysterious death still fresh In the public
mind, Is striking In point OF the negligence Of
| County Physician DOdd. II was proven that though
| the man who found the body swore he saw marks
OF violence on it, the Doctor made no post norton
| examination but granted a certificate and ordered
| its burial right away. AT the quarterly meeting OF
| the Essex County Freehoders, on Wednesday. oil
| that the HERALD haf previously said on this sub
ject was fully borne ont.
Mr.. David Price, the foreman OF the jury which
helu the inquest on wagner, stated, IN cOnneCtoQ
| with q presentment Just submitted that when
'sThs body is very much dccomposed; It stiaks;
bury it Immediately; here Is certificate OF burial"
| The prcsentment was prepared by q committee ap-
pointed by the jury and sets forth shocking dis
c0yery OF the manner in which bodies such as that
'The body" the document declares, 'ihad been
placed In sort OF colin case, or rough Obl0ng
box that Is used for ths purpose OF shipping collins
manner for preparing the body for interment Ii ts
at the least more consonant to the feelings OF the
living to see some degree or prOprlety Observed.
We say, then, that to view such an interment was
shocking TO the feelings, and is
TO the county OF Essex. The body was placed IN
this box a. 1t was taken from the river. and shortly
the grave as 1t should have been 1t had evidently
been pushed endwise INTO it, whereby the box was
not strong enough to bear the weight OF dirt cast
upon it. When dsinterred the lid, being composed
IN nces Wen ans the body was found
close to one end OF the box, and the head was
thereby so tightly compressed tflat ~ was necessary
to arrange the body before 1t could he recognized.
1t was the unanimous sentiment OF the jury that
the proper authorities must certainly be Ignorant
OF such wrongs, they feel that practices OF this
kind would not be tolerated by any civilized COM
| muntty.n
| The paper then sets forth that one great reason
for this state OF aiiars Is the miserable cOmpensa
| tiOn allowed for intermentS-S2O body. IL urgcs
| the necessity or establishing n m0rguc, ana trusts
the Freehoders will see to Ii "that the scnsbiiities
OF this community are not again shocked by Wit
Messing what might he termed mans inhumaney
| to man. but that every body which must he cared
for and buried by the county should DO honOrably
and decently Inferred"
A SUGGESTION TO ABOLISH THE OFFICE or COUNTY
The committee at the close says ys:-"From the evl-
dence presented TO the Jury In this case 10 was evil
dent that there no examination or the deceased,
the Jury, and this several days after the inter-
ment, The question then suggested itself Have
not interments been made IN a similar manner
| where pos -mOrtem examinations should certainly
being granted upon glance OF the County Physi-
cian ? This committee Is or the opinion that too
much authority ana responsibility Is vested In tho
Office Of County Physician and, consequently, they
suggest whether It. would not he better 90 return to-
the old system regulated by the act respecting
COroners approved as heing far more preferable
than the subsequent act creating the Office OF County
| Physician.u
| place an undertakcrs bill for nine county
cases-s200 for the batch. Five were S2) and four
| s25 each. Objection was made because all tho
| bodies were not treated 20 u $50 touch. They did
not say In so many words but some OF the Free
holders thought II was not right TO make such grave
distinction. The bill was, however, ordered to be
paid as was or win be st larger blu for giving
the FrechOlders "a free feed at the expense or the
county, aS is the custom in Essex at Tho close "
each quarterly meeting.