The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-03
caused the issuance os the following eirea-
lar letter by Atsorney-6ensrsi Jones;


0tfsffA~ M&s8A. january -. s>~A
70 fss rsessssfsns .sssaraegs. f5reasrs aat
CsAmss gsasanrsssssmerss your attention. il called
20 the provisions of seSsioa Ar Of the code of
Washington. relating 10 eoroners. which u as
follows
.sSgcrlox 2--z. When information is given tc
any caroner that the ec1y OF ANY person IN
foan6l the cause OF whose deA.a Is unknown,
AMI there shall exist reasonable grounds fer
the belief tha, such death has been caused by
unlawsui means ~ tas hands Of another. he
shall go % the place where the oedy - and
forthwith summon SIX good sEd isuini persons
quslsaed by law TO serve ~ Jurors 20 appear BE-
fore him forthwith at the place where the body
of the deceased H. to inquire into The cause Of
the death
You will observe from the language OF this
section. that the ecToner is culy authorized 10
act when two coa1ir,ors are iouad 10 ex,st,
namely.
Fiss,-Tfss the crase OF death is unknown.
secona-Ihst there exists reasonable grounds
for the belief thai such death hss been caused
by uniawfui means as the hands OF another.
When the coroner arts IN the absence OF the
existence of these conditions, his acts are in ex-
cess OF his authority aud lllessl
yoar attention is particularly called 10 the
prorssios Of this sscsion for the reason that the
practice has grown up in this state for holding
iuqsest in nearly al cases where death was not
the result OF strictly natural causes. IL Is the
observation OF everyone who has given any at
tention TO this matter, that inquests have fire.
quently been held In cases where tae cause OF
death was fully known. and In many cases = re
salt of crime. Also IN many cases where there
was no reasonable groand Whatever to believe
that death was produced by unlawful means a.
the hands OF another
In the frss case suggested. namely: where the
death Is the result OF . known cause aud that
cause acrime the Investigation snoula he cou-
Quoted, not by the coroner. but by the rrosecut-
ing attorney OF the district. In the courts
II IN autopsy IL 10 be held in Q case the ad-
minissrsucn Of public justice demands that IL
be he'd under the direction Of the prosecu utins
attorney. upon whom viii ultimately devolvc
the duty OF presenting the facss aud the evil
dence disclosed by such autopsy to the courts.
and not under the direction OF the coroner, who
Is not presumed to be learned in The rules OF
evidence or investigation OF crime.
Public justice is often seriously embarrassed
by the unwarransed interference Of the coroner
In this regard Crime is sometimes white
washed over by verdicts rendered in pursuance
OF an investigation which is not conducted In
accordance with the fcvms of law. or of we'll
established rules Of ascertaiuing facts
In other cases the reputation Of individuals
upon whom should rest no stain or impltation
OF crime is besmirched.
Coats incurred by the coroner when acting be-
yond the scope OF his authority are not \ legal
charge against the county. and should not In
any case be paid. Yours respectfully.
w. G. JoNxs Attorney General