Wichita eagle., 1889-01-25
CORONERS' YARNS.
Thrilling Tales Told by Taikative Officials
in Convention Assembled.
IChIcapn NeWsI

(Chicago News.I
After the coroners of the State had fin.
ished the business of their convention the
other day they held a meeting at which the
time was consumed in the relation of ex-
periences incident to their calling.
When the reporter entered Coroner Ben
nett, of Peoria, said
Hertz has been telling US some of his ex-
periences as a coroner, and he has rather
imposed on our credulity with some of bis
yarns. Dead men tell no tales, you know
for if they did i believe two or three Of
Hertz's victims would be walking in here
to impeach some of his testimony. Now !
can tell you remarkable thing which oc-
CURED at inquesS held by me 10 Peoria
and you can count on every word of it be-
ing true.
About year ago man near Peoria
died from lock- brought on by the bite
or dog. The man was "a farm-h hand and
had no relatives in the vicinity. An in
quest was called for and the next morning
after his death l went down to the farm
house where the body lay, it having been
placed in coffin the might before The
weather was exceedingly warm, and when
J.
well went right out again and told the
woman of the house to go in there and burn
a rag don't think she obeyed, or else,
perhaps, the rag wouldn't burn in that at
mosphere, for when sent the jurors in 70
view the remains they came right back
with their hands over their noses and said
they guessed it wasn't necessary to look at
the deceased, inasmuch as the coffin lid had
b screwed down and il was pretty
warm day Well, we held tho inquest-iD
the next room-end the jury broughta yer
dict in accordance with the facts / paid
'em off and sent EN- home, but somehow ]
couldn't make up my mind to go without
taking look at that corpse as the law re-
quired-
{. Bad as the stencil was 1t didn't smell
natural 70 me, and I couldn't understand
how body could emit such an odor after
being dead only over night. So finally,
after vainly trying 20 &c: the hired man
TO 90 in and unscrev the cofHn-iid, got a
screw-driver, lit a strong cigar and went
in. May be didn't sweat while was IN
screwing that coffin / would take a few
twists at the driver and then make a break
for the window, but after awhile took Of
the lid Holy smoke, what q smell One
Whit made ne dizzy. and staggered half
fAinting from the room, but not until had
caught a scrap OF paper which had fallen
from under the coiHn-lid al ! removed IL
Rushing out IN the open air, adjusted my
specs and, as soon as | bad sufficiently re-
covered. read the following;
ITO Coroner Bennett and His Jury: Be.lev.
ing IL De your sincere purpose 20 get a. tbs
primary cause Of ts4s affair. Nc produce IL
TIM 70 20 a3onz With u Yours. fos scisrce-
u. ssATcHxEs-
In bs~iIdsred sort Of way l went
back 70 the room and there stretched out
IL the cofau found no: TIE man but tie
dog that bit hin. desder tAaa q naacksreL
iswhA: did dol screwed tia: colin
lid down 50 tight tia. 20 one cGs Gabriel
viii ever get IL Of, and tksr had one Of
ny men take Il 20 the potssrz' fed and
barry IL dscensiy. Then I went down ard
'sst EN- up for myself snd made myself
promise never 20 say 8 word shout /. If
ever get 9 bald OF those bod i
though. I'll t-eat"
Coronsr Esrts wound rp the conferences 4
By relstsrg al fzcadsn. -h!ch occurred at
tie norgue during he Erx. year q bis Of ]
czzl career. 4 '-soA:s-'' had bes- foznS 1
in the river, and some parties who had i
missed relative called az to- Enorgus 4
thinking HAT perhaps tbs body was TAI
OF tie one whom they we're s~skang. Tssr>
mains we're b.czxss cat .cr iEsDeet.oa scS