New-York tribune., 1875-10-19
THE CORONERS' OFFICE.

INVESTIGATION BY TIE SENATE CoMMiIIEE-C"R-
oNER wOLrMAN's COURSE IN TIE MGtNNA
HoMICiDF-CoI. DRtKE DE KAY's TESTIMONY
AND SUGGESTIONS.
The Senate Investigating Committee resumed
its scs1on Yesterday at the Fifth Avenue I",eL John
T. Toal clerk Of she Coroners' Office was czanned III
regard TO the ordinary routine work of the Office Cor
on.r Henry Woltman was examined ia reference 10 his
action in thc Gaze of the killing of John hcKenua 1le
found Coroner croker. the two Ickeys, and Sheridan
IN the Twentyirst Precinct station-housc. and
interroga'od them about the shooting OF Me
Kenna sheridan Shook went bail for two OF
the persons arrested. He considered that the
bond taken by him at the staton-houSe was in
law proper and binding The testimony taken at the
inquest was forwarded 10y him to the DstricAttorney
According the verdict given, he considered that there
was nothing for him TO do but to discharge all the
Witnesses in the case and he drcharged them He sum
mopcd the larry personally. Capt. lyman made 10 sdg-
lestios as who woud he good men 10 serve ON the
Jury. The Coroner knew none OF the jurors.
John T. TOa testified that, hearing Of the shooting he
went to the staonhOuso; the Coroner lad 10 the
hospital the Coroner on his return examined those
present rcsard 10 the shOoing ban bond was pre-
pared by the witness after which lie lett the room the
Coroner afterwards sni for HIN. at Bis house. and stated
that McKcnpa deaf The witness then drew np an
order for tie arrest of Croker Obtrn, ahd ire Two
Uickcys tEcy were brought before tie Coroner t1d
night at ias Sor9neTs zoo hoH'e the o"i was "'''''
Col Drako de Kay, assistant in tie Controller :
onic- tr>tiitd that had CXdmlncd thc books ana
paper Of the CorOncs office for the first three months o
1879 he found that tie same Jurors scrycu III large
nhber of cases In 80 jtres +. j. Hawks appears a.
ju1nan; in }s Wm L. sniaen; in 80. T. q. Schwclg IN
~ john Hc,lY; 81, r. Cook ia -, o. j. R'lly; n
Ill, II. Jrnuess; in Ile, j. j. -IcD0uaN; III
I75, ~. Burke; in ls6 JOS. l0sary; IN IN
pos A. y White. OF the more than J,OJD
names charged az Juror. over l230 are repeated
Ther o. no evidence that VA the majority OF cases, more
than Jurors we've summoned. In several cases, Inc
mrV WI- c1Iyuscd O less than q. Coroner hessIcr y
ncs arc the most accurate; Coroner CrOkcFs snow me
least attention Three of the jurors under coroner
Croker G0VIh. Burke, AID Mcdonald, were lal'rs at
Belle, re Hospital, while OF thcn, Joseph Grimes, ~
thc hnspa' messenger The total fees FOR taking IN
ancsts were So under the odd system; for sumhioDns
ara swearing Jurors, 37l2 cents: iof WlhrsscS' 81 =
cents and all other eNpenso nom - to - per lh4ues,
Te average tot4l these prices - 80 per lh9u, 81
Tho present average IL ~ 70.
The witness by rtqut st. suggested 3s an Improvement
ir The conduct ~ The office the tlro Ou uf pA scals '
,oroucrs Ia cae Assembly auG hld uanIc district ther
dues 10 he confined to their districts ana carried on
nudrr the general supervision OI the Board 81 Health
pnVsciam would dispense with the services
of de,uty coroner Special provision should he made
for case. OF death rcsUlting from smallpox or diseases m
which the cause of doat perfectly well known 10 Tue
attending oh, san. No nquost5 were necessary III sis II
cases vel they were held under the present Idc Inc
soDiiOn Of his suggestion he Thought would reduce thC
eXpen,es OF the CUIOners' Oihce about One-b"li