The New York herald., 1877-10-08
A NICE. FAT PLUM"
How the Csronss Manage to Spend Ninety
Thousand Dollars Year.
THEIR EARNINGS FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS
Fourteen Thousand Dollars Per Year for A.
tending to One Case Per Day.

The question OF reform In tho Coroners' Office has
been revived by the recent action OF tho Massachu-
set,s Legislature in aboshng the office Of coroner
There have been great many efforts TO improve the
character and TO reduce the cost OF the Office IN THIS
city, but shey have all hitherto failed Comptroller
Green put every obstacle In the way OF paying tho
soroncrs' bills on the ground that they were
excessive and partially even fraudulent, and woud
generally only pay them when they we're on the eve
Of obtaining Judgments against the city. During the
Last session the Legislature bill TO make the once
OF coroner salaried was defeated mainly through
Tammany influence, and tho coroners still so on in
sher old grooves spending about $9O,0oo year and
dong work which could DO far better done at loss
than one-aith the If it nrusted 10 regularly
xraduatcd physicians appointed or detailed by the
Board OF Health.
THE OFFICIAL INCOME coRoSERs.
While the ofnce OF coroner was undoubtedly held IN
former years by some able and competent men, tho
pce appears OF ato years scarcely ever to nave oeen
bestowed by the political .machine" which confers II
With view 10 tho fitness OF the incumbent for the
special duties which entails but solely as political
reward for services rendered In tho manipulation OF
primaries ward meetings, elections, or for somo bril-
liant exploit In the fine art Of local wire pulling.
These gentlemen themselves (and Mr.. Toal, the clerk
Of tho coroners stated IL in SO many words to tho
Writcr) admit that office is worth between $l2 600
and $4,000 year. Further below precise
figures arc furnished OF the earnings OF our cor
pners since January l. lScS, embracing the last
nine years. and they Will show that out
D tho eleven incumbents Of the Office during that pc
fiod the receipts OF only throc ie below $l4, 900
year. Taking this figure, then-whch is certainly not
sxcessive-tne coroner VINO is nearly always ward
politician and whose work is generally done for tho
grater part by medical deputy. also literally paid out
a
member OF the federal Cabinet 84 900 year moro
than she Governor OF the State 81 900 moro than
the Mayor of the city The coronors Office Is, indeed,
lat plum In our city government, netting It's incam-
bent Tor his term OF three years the snug little income
Of e42 OOO and this whe tho taxpayers groaning
under tho crushing weight Of taxes and while honest
capable industrious and highly educated mon lind u
diculs procure places at 81, 900 year or less.
THE OFFICIAL INCOME.
While the above the official income OF tho coro-
uers as gathered from their accounts In the Comptrol
ers ONCE II is perhaps not improper 10 speak OF the
extra Official which is credited to some OF these
lucky gentlemen by all well Informed persons who
know the sinsde doings of tho Coroners' Office. II
10 not intended by what follows 10 make any charge
against the present occupants of the office, but only TO
chronicle reports which have been floating about in
we'll informed quarters for years past IL often
been noticed that tho in the Coroners' ofco,
% returned to tho Board Of Health and the Comptro
le nearly always In tho poorest portions Of tho
CITY, many OF them in the sums and tenements where
crime is rife and fostering. Scarcely thore
casc recorded tho returns occurring the homes
pf welto-do, reputable people. II has been asked,
and with great show OF roason:-Are there.
tben, no suspicious or painful OF death
among the better classes in this city Of
1,00O, 900 inhabitants2 No suicides. no stiblrths,
nc, under circumstances painful to tho lamy In
which they occurl impossible !" Is the answer amt
is hnted that such cases arc generally husned up
Tor q consideration, ns a wealthy, reputable family
would gladly suiicr even heavy pecuniary sacrifice
rathor than TO allow crime or indscresion rejecting
painfully upon OF It's mombers TO be published to
tue world In tho hands oil corrupt or dishonest
coroner is easy that the oce be made TO
return = handsome extra Official income beside the
BIZ, 900 year paid him out OF tho city treasury.
THE coRoSsRs CHARGES AND EXPENSES EXPLAINED.
Tho coroners allowed by law 10 charge $40 tor
pammoning and swearing jury and 50 Tor making
ana ns inc IS
exposed, but which Is still carried as before
namely, the coroners charge for jury IN
from smallpox or stillborn children, &c, wEerc
jury Is wholly unnecessary. The writer examined
accounts OF The Tor the last quarter end
Ing September 3o and, with tho excopou OF Coroner
kllnger, who returns icw cases as having bcen dis
Are IN no wise ashamed to charge Tor jury in every
single case. The deputy coroncrs' ices are So for
every external examination and $40 for every
autopsy. Each coroner has deputy, who is sty led
''deputy coroner" although no such Office Is recog
nized by the law. which simply says that "whcn any
person shall die from criminal violence or by d
casualty, or suddenly when In apparent health, or
when unattended by physician, or in prison. or In
any suspicious unusual manner" then 1.-THE Coro-
pcr shall subpoena properly qualified physician who
shall view tho body externally or make an autopsy
thereon, as may be required" fhc olico OF deputy
worth from 81 600 TO $4,000 year, IN the
foes abovo stated.
EIGHT CASES FOR EIGHT MEN
II will thus be that there four coroners and
four deputy coroncrs TO do the work OF the office in
this CITY. And what tnis WORRY Mr. Toal, tho
clerk tho coroners, when questioned on this point
that the average number Of throughout tho
year eight per day. Taking tho number
70 bs eight-which Is the "outside" ngure-cvery one
OF these wellpad eight officials has exactly one
day Certainly this Is hard work Is there any doubt
Whatever that Two or three medical inspectors, at
81 300 or $3 600 year, assigned TO this duty by the
Board oil Health, could discharge u cifclentlyY IL
should be remembered that the sanitary inspectors OF
sne Board OF Health, who regularly graduated
physicians arc only paid 81, 500 year. and there Is
no doubt that for double this salary two thrco
pctent and trustworthy physicians could DO obtained
10 do tho entire work performed by the four
coroners and iour deputy coroners. Under the old
System, whom thero was only one coroner instead OF
four, tho average expense OF an inquest was from -
20 $40 while with the leo OF tho deputy coroner)
IL is about $2S
Tho following is a tabulntcd statement, carefully
eoiated from the records OF the Comptrolcrs ONCE,
showing the Ices expenses OF the Tor tho
nine years, IRON 1868 TO 1876 inclusive
TIE coRoSERs' COSTS.
Messenger,
CLERK, Chemical
T1s U,Af - 4alT nj