The New York herald., 1873-12-22
A CHASTITY MoUIsITIoN.

BrooIxlvn COrOners and the Alleged
Bogus Smallpox Inquests-Sta tenent OF
Coroner J. u. Jones I'm Defence.
About two weeks ago the Kings county CoroRers-
Messrs. J. B. Jones and Laurence Whitehin-smart-
ing under the accusation OF certain New York
paper. TO the eject that they had been receiving
fees for fictitious inquests over imaginary bodies
requested the Board Of Supervisors to investigate
the charge. committee was duly appointed by
the Board and is now engaged In inspecting the
records OF the several departments with which the
Coroners transact business. The labor VIII be
great and much expense entailed, az there viii
have to be about TOO bodies, principally OF those
who died Of smallpox during the eptdemics OF
1870 1s71 1872 and 1873 resurrected In the various
cemeteries OF Brooklyn should the committee fall
to find satisfactory evidence In the records. The
investigation promises to be most searching.
HERALD representative had an Interesting inter-
view with Coroner Jones in regard TO the charges
preferred against the Coroners to the following
purport:-
.swhat have You got to say concerning the
charges against the ofnclal management Of the
COrOners office, SO far as fraud Is concerned 2"
II say they are absolutely without foundation"
ION what do You base your defenceT'
"ln all inquests on smallpox cases ana otner con-
tagous diseases. held BY myself and Coroner White
hil-and can speak virtually for him-there was
no instance In which we old not personally view
.wnat evidence have you to present before the
investigating committee for tnat assertion ="
III have no witnesses except the parties whose
testimony took, and whose names win be found
on the inquistrion papers, under oath. In large
number Of these cases the undertakers themselves
conducted me to the houses where the inquests
were to be held, and II the committee will call upon
the undertakers they will swear TO the OF the
body beng buried, and in majorips Of the cases,
that the deceased died Of smallpox. This can again
be verified by the fact that each name ls recorded IN
The books ut the various cemeteries must show the
name and date and OF what disease the person
died. II the presence Of the body be disputed the
investigating committee can have 1t disinterred
and satisfy themselves"
"WOuld not that be decloeuly gnaSty under
taking, COroner?n
II rather think it would; but it would have to be
done should they refuse to accept .he iace oi the
the bones would. 1t woulu be the height OF alb
surdity for us TO hold bogus inquest. from the
TACT that the fee Is only $12 So The purchase OF
the commonest kind OF a pine comm would be
| So SO; then q carriage would be IS and hearse
SO; then we would have to brlbe the undertaken;
have to bribe che Board OF Heatn the Register
and our clerk-n fact, we would have to be IN col
bogus inauest. In each case Of q death rom small
pox the Health Board has to send an inspector to
investigate the cause OF death and dlsinfect the
| premises. In o vast number OF these cases there
| was no medical man In attendance. There were
| many where physicians had been in attendance;
called in they did not come forward. as they would
be liable to fine for violation OF the Health Code"
"How do you account for the inability OF some
OF the parties in houses where inquests were neld
| to recollect the circumstancesr' .,>>-N -
'FrOm the faCt tnat some o the parties, VINO are
| poor ignorant people, are afraid TO acknowledge
| that fatal case Of smallpox had occurred at the
house, fearing that they may be liable to punish
! ment In case recently where party went to
| make inquiry whether there had been death
| from smallpox the woman positively denied it.
She afterwards went to an undertaken. who buried
| the body and asked him whether she had done
| wrong In denying II. Physicians Will not give GER
tifcates OF cause OF death In contagious diseases
where they have failed to report the to the
| Health Board because they know they are amena-
BILE to the law, and In several such doctors
| have been arrested and fined. There have been
| instances where have been notified TO hold an
inquest and have found, on visiting the house, the
| body nailed up In the CONN. They would say 1t
| was q case OF Group or some such complaint. On
demanding to see the bodies have found that the
| death was from smallpox
"IIad you not some difficulty In obtaining juries
| to sit In smallpox inquestsy"
There were only two or three such cases
| wherein could obtain q jury, and that was when
| / caught the men at wake. During the preva-
| lence OF the epidemic we sent communication to
the Board OF supervisors In reference to hold
Ing nqucsts without jury IN contagious diseases.
gether In accordance with the strict letter OF the
| law, the equity OF the law was not violated. We
have record on our books for each inquest held,
and the paper Is filed In the County Clerks ONCE.
On large number OF these papers IL will be found
that witnesses have signed with q 'cr0ss,' being
IA unable to wrlte You will also find In the Board OF
L Health Registry certificate OF death, with name
OF the party, residence, name OF undertaken and
pNece where the body In buried. You will also find
necord corresponding with this &c the different
ceA,eteries.n