Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-05-29

CoRONER's INQUEsTs IN VERMONT. -
From circumstances which have been
brought to our notice, within few DAYS
past, it wouldappear that there is a wide
spread error in the minds of the people,
and of local officers, inrespet tO.the man.
ner of conducting what is popularity
known rs a Coroner's inquest. The laws
of every civilized State provide for some
kind of investigation whenever the dead
body of a person is found, who may be
supposed to have died by casualty or
violence. In many places these enquiries
are made by jury of citizens under the
superintendence of alocal officer, elected
or appointed for that purpose. On the
9th day of February, 1897, the Legis-
lature of this State passed an act provid-
ing ''that when any justice of the peace
shall be certified of the dead body of any
person supposed to have come to his or
her death by casualty or violence found
or lying within his county, he shall
cause a jury of inquest to appear before
him at a certain time and place to inquire
how and in what manner the person, so
| found dead, came to his death, This
act fixed the number of jurors on an in
quest at fifteen, and pointed out particu-
larly the mode of procedure, the duty
of the jury and the justice, and gave full
forms for all necessary papers and
! records. This statute remained the law
for a great number of years. and was so
explicit and plain in its direction and
meaning that any ordinary citizen could,
with the act before him, conduct an in
quest correctly. But in progress of time
it was considered by the law-making
power that jury of inquest was too
cumbersome.and expensive, and that the
facts and circumstances attending the
finding of dead body could be as well
investigated by the justice without the
Jury, and in 1866 and 1855, the Legis
lature enacted laws that ''When the
Selectmen of any town or any one OF
them shall be informed that the
dead body of. any person supposed tC
have died by assault or violence, is fouHt
living within such town, such SelectmaI
may. if, in his or their opinion, the pub
lie good requires it, but not otherwise
apply to any justice of the peace of thu
same county, who shall proceed to in
ouire into the cause and manner of thl
death of such person"
This act only provides for the callinI
of witnesses and the taking their test
mony, and writing down the substanc
of all evidence, and returning the sam
to the next session of the County Court
AT the time of the passage of this statute
all prior lawsupon the same subject wer
repealed, and the law has stood the sam
from 1856 to the present time. Now w
!, have been led to make this partlcuia
statement of the law upon this unples
! SAINT subject by the fact that We occasion
! ally read of a'Jury of Inquest in som
remote part of the State, and the yer
, recent occurrence in this county, whe1
/ a board of selectmen and justice c
the peace went through with a ponde
{, GUS, expensive, old fashioned inques
; with jury of fifteen. The participant
], in that proceeding will undoubtedly nm
b out their errors, when they present the
:, heavy bill of costs for adjustment al
G payment, and find that their whole pr
G ceedings, from commencement to u
. verdict Of the jury, were taken under
' law repealed eighteen years ago.