The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-03-28
THE PRACTICE OF THE POLICE.

As there seems to be difference in opinion among
police officials the action expected OF them in
reference the OF the remains Of persons found
dead reporters OF the HERALD yesterday called upon
the officers charge OF the various police stations
below Forteth and other police authorities and
questioned them us to the customary action such
cases In some precincts the officers promptly
the dead 10 the house and the Morguc without
waiting Tor .'permt" IRON tho Coroner This, how
ever is only done where the of death
clear and foul play indicated In other precincts
the officers surround the proceedings with much red
tape formalty that the removal OF the dead from
places whore they exposed the public gaze nd
TO injurious action the elements and otherwise is
delayed beyond all reasonable time.
CHEF HAwLEY INDIGNANT.
Mr.. Seth Z. Hawey, the veteran cncl clerk OF the
Police Board who drafted the rules governing the iorce
critical examination OF the laws, denounced the
action OF the police IN reference TO the body of Mrs
Young as infamous. The rule governing this particu-
lar OF accidental drowning IS as iollows-
RULE 623-whenever the dead body of an unknown
person Is found the water IN any street, alley,
park. pier, pubc or other place IN the city OF New
York by comes TO the notice or observation Of any
conveyed by the police to and deposited at the Morguc
Notice thereof shall be given without delay at the
Coroners office, and report oil the circumstances Of
the case made to the superintendent
Every ohcer turned out OF the School OF instruction
is understand this rule fully. In of
death from accident Mr.. Hawcy declares is Il ncces-
sary 10 delay the removal OF the body the Morgue
II is clearly the duty OF every policeman of
unknown persons accidentally dying 10 remove the
body TO tho Morgue by tho fastest vehicle that
be hired and IL IS clearly violation OF the rules
TO send by dead wagon" The Police Department
pay all proper expenses and this Of them Tho
notification the Coroner Is subsequent duty DO
performed. In OF accidental death where the
body claimed by friends the police are expected TO
turn IL over the friends and notify the COro-
ner Of such action. There is no law that prevents
relatives or friends taking the body wherever found
and without tho PERMISSION OF the Coroner, II 1t Is
Euo, nf
murder or supposed loul play, the police should re-
move the body at to the Morguc, notifying the
Coroner subsequently OF such proceeding, but they
plain the cause death. In tGe particular that
occurred Pier 10 East RIVER tho husband would have
been justified in calling TO his aid force OF citizens and
rcscuing the remains from the policeman having
charge ''llad II been my VIE or child, said the
Ch,ci clerk III would have had the body or there
would have been a serious fight. and tho policeman
who dared TO prevent its removal would DO guilty. OF
gricvOu> wrong"
Mr.. Hawlcys familiarity with the law and the rules
under which the police act u must be coIr to every
body that the effort made by other police officials TO
shcd brutal policeman are disgraccful, and every
one at all Implicated should be promptly dismissed
from the force.
now THE RULE IL UNDERSTOOD
Inspect or Mc0crmou SAID the police were obliged in
such cases 10 govern themselves more by the law OF
humanity than by the section Of old statute which
Is supposed FORBID anybody, even for dccency 5
sake, touch remove au exposed dead body before
IL been viewed by the Coroner.
Captain lrNnc, IN command OF tue police steamer
Seneca whose officers secured tho hody IN the river,
seemed inclined lay the fault OF tho dissracciu dc.
lay ia removing the corpse upon the officers OF the First
precinct saying that mis- force have no Geographic
apparatus with which they could communicate with
the Central Office
sergeant Blair who during Captain Petty's illness
has command M the First precinct thought tho re-
sponsibilny lay with harbor police and that had
his officers removed the body they would have been
liable ccnsuro by the Commissioners, Improperly
interfering.
la most OF the other precincts the chief officers
TED that they considered their action such cases
clearly muicalcd In rule 623, and that they promptly
removed all dead bodies found in tho rivers or in
streets, halls, OF other public places either to the
police station 70 the Morgue. few, and those
notably the precincts adjoining the water. stated IL
as their uniform rule to allow removal Of inter
ference with dead body uuti the receipt Of coroners
permit some have allowed aSorpse TO be liftei from
the water deposited Tor safely on the wharf ono
old sergeant narrated his experience years ago
when he patrolman, watching through bleak
December night the body Of woman which had
been placed ON a nsh box where he had TO hight with
desperation TO protect the corpse IRON tho attack OF
hOrdcs OF hungry rats.
very large majority ofthe captains and scrgcants
who were thought there the ightest
cessity TO wait upon the dilatory action OF coroner
before properly caring Tor the remains oil dead person.