Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-01
TO THE
Citizens Of Sacramento City and County.

ON TWO OCCASIONS PREVIOUSLY AN
" attempt has been made to fill the
office of Coroner with a physician. and
twice was defeat the result. To the honor
that they initiated the nomination of al
physician to srlch Office We should have
thought that very little doubt could exist over
the appropriateness of such ali Office to mem
Der OF the medical faculty. But untilto day the
citizens had paid very little attention to the
matter, and it is yer' probable that this time
again during a highly exciting President al
camraign, scarcely any interest may be devel
oped in the election to such office.
You know | was not looking for any nom nd
ton. was absent from the city from August
18th TO September 9th. On the ID of September,
during my stay at San Francisco, wasinformed
by letter from q friend of my nomination for
Coroner by the Democratic County Convention.
| was much surprised because had no idea of
running iOT any Office. After my return to the
city l investigated the matter thoroughly, and
having received notice from the County Central
Committee requesting my attendance ar itSmcet-
ing on the 22d of September, | reported on the
10Th of said month that I was sorry | could not
accept the honor the Convention conferred on
me, being certain could rot succeed during
Presidential campaign in this city and county.
l expected, therefore, that the committee would
withdraw my name from the ticket as soon as
they would have made arrangements to ill the
vacancy. IN spite of my efforts to the contrary
they persisted in their course, and after ! re-
ceivcd the unanimous Endorsement of Il newly
organized party, Gale Peoples Party, resolved
finally 10 fall into line.
The fight have to make is not political one,
but simply of a professional character. The
question is this: Whether a carpenter OF
physician is the competent man to ill the Office
of Coroner. ihe Importance of the Coroners
Office being i'll the hands OF a physician GER
tainly is evident only in rare cases. still Just
such eases prove the great advantage ard a5so-
Lutte necessity OF Il competent man having con-
troll of such Office.
The Coroner should possess not only surgical
knowledge, to make post mor;em examination,
to examine wounds caused by different weap-
ons: whether wound is indicative OF homicide.
suicide or accident, etc. He wants chemical
| and microscopicGl knowledge also to investigate
cases OF poisoning produced by the different
classes of poisons, the mode of action Of gaseous
pOlSons, TO examine bood-stalns, to d!scrlmllf>
ate between human and animal blood. etc.
There are difficult cases, manners OF death,
where even the most experienced physician.
with all his best efforts. may not always be able
to ascertain the exact cause of death and cir
cumstances surrounding it. Nevertheless, even
| in such cases. he Will be the only one who is
qualified to determine, with more or less prob
ability, the conditions which preceded or caused
death. How important il is for the Coroner in
such cases to institute at his first call an exact
and minute investigation of all circumstances,
persons objects etc, being or having been III
more or less connection with the supposed muir
| der; ho,y by his neglect or ignorance, a later
| investigation may have to be ordered by The
| Court without any probability of asccrtaining
the true facts; how 1t win be therefore in such
| cases almost impossible for the judge 20 come
| TO an impartial conclusion; how consequently
| il will enable INSCRIPTIONS lawyers 10 readily
deceive an unsuspecting iury-all Of this must
be apparent to every one l would remind you
of a criminal case (Which occurred near the
town of Salt, on trial TWO years ago, and which
| cost the county so much money, with absolutely
| no result, all of which might have been avoided
had the Coroner been competent TO act as the
| occasion demanded.
In all cities of the Eastern States of the size of
Sacramento the Office of Coroner is in the hands
of Il competent physician. Moreover, there is
not so much money in it for a physician who
| desires but his legitimate fees. The undertaken
gets the best of it in any event. Respectfully
| yours, Ii. NOELLER,
Nominee of the Democratic and Peoples Party
for Coroner. n1-lt