The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-12-07
A LITTLE HASTY.

for the satisfaction that ls afforded
them ID the fact that the rules of
the art require the writer's name |
shall be printed IN capital letters,
and their names thus made prom>
inent. We do not say this OF
Justice Hursh, but then we cam
lot help thinking his Tex e,'ana-
ton" might have been made to
us with better taste than where
he placed it, and that he might
have sought to do justice TO hims
self otherwise than through q
newspaper controversy by which
the public is to gain but little
from either side. Had we done
him injustice, and he had informs
ed as of the tact, we should lave
willingly have made the amende
honorable. Ae the matter now
stands, we are left no other re-
course bnt "an explanations, also
acting forth the reasons foi our
criticisms of his conduct In the
case OF inquest. We do no' pro-
pose in what we say to be under
stood as fofgetful of the dignity
| of the court" nor as beyond the
limits prescribed to fair answer.
Our chief cause of complaint
in the premises was that the man
was hurri -dly buried. What was
our opinion then remains un-
changed now. AS to the burial,
it Is true the man died at 7 o clock
In the morning. 1t ia true it was
after 10 O'Clock before the "cnr-
oner' had finished his work. 1t
is also true that most corpses are
allowed to rest over night follow
ing the death. L his one was
buried IN the night IF The same day.
There was a good cofiin furnished
by the undertaken. After the
body was placed therein and the
nd screwed down. 1t ls reasonable
to believe the body wolld have
remained safe until the morning
after the inquest, when many
would have attended the funeral
IN daylight. There would have
| beer no extra rent charge tor the
room IN witch the corpse was
placed had 1t remained until next
| morning. Why was this not
done? Why was it that the hearse
| with the corpse left town about
four o clock in the evening-uear
| the time of sunset and did not
return until after dark? Two
hours sooner, or the next day,
many who knew the deceased
would have shown that much OF a
CHRISTIAN spirit as to follow the
remains to the grave, and there Is
not a minister in the town who
would have refused to read the
burial service had the request been
made, free OF charge. There was
no such request made. Two men
alone went o his grave, the hearse
driver and and the gentleman
who contracted to perform the
burial-and the poor unfortunate
was showed into the grave in the
dusk OF the evening.
We are not a Justice of tht
Peace a Lawyer, and we have
never acted as coroner; but i
seems that if the law authorize
this much the law is heartless. |
the taxpayers OF the county ash
that an official shall be so econom
zeal az to refuse a poor, unfortu
nate man a Christian burial the,
lack the natural feelings or sym
pathles OF human beings. If tn
first IS not true the coroner faiIe,
I to do IN the case IN question
: what sometime warm hearte
I coroner might perform tor him Q
t some of his friends IN the even
] misfortune overlook them or him
and he or they died IN poor Au:
; tins circumstances.
e One of Justice Hursh' 8 point
. in his 'explanation" is as follows
: fit showed haste. then why did not I'll
ohilanthropic editors see tiat some Oh
would take charge of him who was willin
| To risk his health in assuming the respor
, sibility.
There Is no physician in tt
+, town who will say that Austin
diseafe was contagious, or thu
any ones health would have bee
; endangered it they had waiche
over night with the remains
Such talk tn the contrary is MOI
sense. As TO the s.phllanthrop