The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-21
BOSTON WITHOUT CORONERS.
THE CITY,s EXPERIENCE WITH A NEW
SYSTEM or INQUESTS
The Work Beuer Bone by Medical Exarin-
ne Large saving Of Money Old
Abuse. Checked statistics OF a Year.

Abuses Checked 60 statistics OF ~ Year.
BosroN. July 1o.-Thc Legislature of 1877
passed an act abolishlng the office OF Coroner.
and providing for new system OF nquests into
tho causes OF death by violence or under cir
cumstanccs which justified suspicion. Tho
members found their rensons for the act I'm the
abuses that had grown chronic under the old
system. Formerly Coroners were appointed by
the Governor and Council. and were required
to- give bonds in the sum Of $500. Their COM
missions were good for seven years For q
Wow his compensation was 81 for an inquest
% for the first day and - for each subsequent
day. The six jurymen were paid 81 Is per day.
and the fees Of the witnesses were the same
as in Justices court. Tho Constable re-
ccived 81 per day. and the Coroner had authori-
to to empty surgeon or chemist. In case
of a railroad accident the Coroner decided him
self whether an inquest should he held: in all
other cases the written authority of the Attor-
ney General. District Attorney. Mayor Chief Of
Police. or the Sccctmcn Of the town in which
tho body was found was necessary II the jury
found that murder. manslaughtcr. or assault
had been committed. tho Coroner could bind
over the witnesses or commit them, and IL the
person charged with tho offence was not in Gus
tody the Coroner could issue warrant for his
arrest Coroners were appointed ut their own
solicitation. or through the influence Of friends.
with little regard to moral fitness or profess
sional accomplishments. Boston had no less
than forty-thrce Coronors. while London. New
York. Brooklyn. Philadelphia. Now Orleans.
Chicago, san Francisco. Baltimore Washing
ton. and Cincinnati combined had but twenty
four.
OF these Boston Coroncrs. thirty wcrc regular
physicians and members Of tho Massachusetts,
Medical Society two We're registered NJ MEM
hcrs OF the Massachusetts, Eclectic Medical So
tittN. seven were known as DINER physicians,
and four rs non professional gentlemen. OF
the last mentioned one was an Auctonoor. an
other an insurance agent, n third vender OF
patent medicines. while the fourth figured sim
ply as notary public and coroner There
WAS struggle for business, and corruption
was rife. notable case which occurred during
the last months of the old system was the at
the reputation Of another for personal ends.
The inquest was thrown open TO the public. and
the press. The private characters Of reputable
citizens were treated as worthless playthings n
the hands OF the, INSCRIPTIONS. The, Coroner
thority. The verdicts were worded according
to his dictum the average jury. picked up at
trouble itself about the matter even II
the members had sufficient intelligence
theories or prcjudices The power Of tho C0ro-
ner was almost absolute and the temptation 10
use II WAS too often strong enough to overcome
the Coroner was called to Wow body II was
in many Cas's optional with him whether an
NAs
he might be- tempted 10 hold one Tor the desire
~ gain; on the other, he might thwart the ends
of Justice by refusing to hold one. The fact was
often lost sight of that the purpose Of the Coro-
ners inquest WIS the detection of crime. CorO-
ner's We're often a'tuat'd by desire for noto-
riety 10y figuring ~ the lnstrum' nj IN ierretng
out crime. and their verdlcts were often con-
irary 60 their Judgment. The expense Of the
Coroner system WIS very large the average eN
uense ~ an Inquest being above 900. The
change took effect on July !. 1877 the provis-
ions Of The law. briefly stated. being ~ 10 lows
o. So IH
learned in the science Il med are aU-
pointed by tn Governor and Council. Ia tho
| compensation is $1,000 each IN the other coun-
ties the number is designated by the County
! Comm ssoners and the examiners receive 81
for view without an autopsy $50 for view and
autopsy. and travel at the rate Of ive cents per
mile to ana from the place 81 view W Inc ed
and are required TO be sworn and give bond
with sureti,'s in the sum Of $4,000 Before max
ing an autopsy ofa body the examiner is re-
quired 10 have the written authority " the Dis
tr..t Attorney Mayor. or Selectmon of the dis
au,or ~ must be made in tho presencc Of two
witnesses. and every siIcumsiance tending 10
show the condition Of the body. and the cause
and manner OF death must BIO reduced 10 writ
| ing. III the examiner after view. inquiry. or
| by violence he Is required 20 notify the District
Attorney and a Justice ~ the district, polireor
/ Municipal Court. or Trial Justice, and To Me
IN att, stcd copy OF the record OF his autopsy
/ in the court. and TO certify to the clerk
or registrar OF births. marriages and deaths
]
/ and description Of his person. The court ~
| Trial Justice shall thrreupon hold nm inquest,
/ and in all cases Of death bv accident upon any
/ railroad an Inquest must be held. Tho prnsid-
ing Justice or Trial Justice, after hearing the
ny sS aI' S H5Sw on 1 c s9a syn wb eH3h
to "5' his death. his name Il i is known and all
material circumstances attending his death {;
aud II IL appears that his death resulted wholly
! or in part from the unlawful act OF any other
person he shall further state. If KIN own o. him.
! fla OF such and OF
whose unlawful act contributed 70 such death.
which report he shall file with tho Superior
II the Justice finds that murder manslaughter,
or an assault has been committed. he may bind
over. RS in criminal prosecution, such witnesses
as he deems necessary. and he may issue
process for the apprehension OF the person
charged with the offence II he IL not In custody.
II the medical examiner reports that the death
WIS not caused by violence, and the District
Attorney or Attorney General shall be OF con-
be- h,ld.
Ills remarked by, one gentleman that until
| crime is Inspected. the question is medical: the
moment crime is suspected, il is wholly legal. y
In investigating q mysterious death the first
! Of the pathological cause OF death second. in
case this leaves suspicion Of death from crlmi-
nal violence. judicial inquiry rs TO the respon.
the new system over the old one il obvious II
is rare that men combine tho ability 10 consider
both the medical and the legnl aspects - case.
and still more difficult 10 find Iurles competent
70 uuss upon qucstiO which perpleN both med
lcal and legal professionals.
The advantage " the judicial authority being
independent and anoyc the medical authority
is obvious also and has been practically de-
monstrnted the past year. Under the old sys-
tenn the Coroner could decide that no inquest
was necessary. and the decision was final. Now
tho District Attorney can reverse n II IKE decision
~ the medical examiner. Formerly the YER
diet Of a Coroner's inquest was OF litile value ol
weight for the use Of the Justice ht the criminal
examination while now. the inquest being held
| by the same court "a the criminal examination
its result obviatcs the work VI the latter ulbu-
nal very largely.
On the score Of economy the facts are greatly
in favor Of the new system. There We're he'll IN
this city during the year ending April 80, 1876
ITO inquests and % views, costing SlO,7691t
This expenditure included Tor medical eNami-
nations 81 100. and for chemists $40. For the
year, ending April 80. 1911, the expense
to the city for Coroners inquests was
t9,s0l.7l. Tho new system did not go into
! service until two months after the close ~ the
but ten months can be- accurately given. .Ac
cording to the Auditors report, tho city paid FOL
Coroners inquests. in May and June. 1877, IN
der the old system, $1,000 From July !, 1877
TO April 80 1878. tho expenses under Medica
Examiners were a. follows; Chemist. $3.50; re
moyals. 1926; clerks, ts2 witnesses fees
$1,000; printing. $S7lG: salary Of i. a. Harris