The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-26
FAIL TO GET PERMITS.

Chamber OF commerce ana seattle"
FAIL TO GET PERMITS.
Health On1cers After Undertakers for
Illegal Burials.
There is liable soon to be trouble between
Undertakers Bonney & Stewart and Health
Officer w. NJ. Hilton, and it will probably
go to the courts. DR.. Hilton states that the
firm of undertakers named, have been in
the habit of going ahead with funerals
without permits, and he says he is going to
have it stopped if be has to bring the
matter into the courts. He laid the matter
before City Attorney Shepherd yesterday,
and that official promised to look it up and
see what the ordinance provided in such
cases. When questioned about the matter
yesterday Officer Hilton said:
ut is true | spoke to the city attorney
about Bonney 81 Stewart. / felt Gale d
upon to do SO, because those undertakers
persist in making interments without first
consulting the health Office. They have
not only done it once. but have done it
right along. No one knows but themselves
how many bodies they have buried. My
attention was first called to the matter
shortly after / came in Office. A man
wanted to see copy of death record for
person who had died week before. I
looked it up and found was not possessed
of record, and investigation revealed
the fact that Bonney & Stewart, the under
takers had conducted the funeral. | re-
quested them then not to repeat the offense
and told them to always notify me of death
long enough before the funeral to make an
autopsy if the case seems suspicious. That
sc tx,f he ixy hn~x
ing csime. Otherwise people can be poisoned
and murdered. and by calling an under
taker their crime will remain forever con-
cealed.
"The talk to them did not seem to do
any good, for they persisted in burying,
and refused to recognize the authority of
the health officer. Finally, one day after
/ had cab for death record which |
could not produce for the simple reason I
had not been furnished the fact OF the
death. / went down to the undertakes
and told them that unless they did not
cease their criminal negligence would
stop the next funeral on the street until
could investigate the cause of the death,
and be furnished with copy of the certifi-
cate from the attending physician.
II didn't hear much more of the matter
until today. I found that the little 10
year-old daughter of Mr.. M. A. Patent,
who died yesterday morning. was buried
the same afternoon by the undertakers. I
understand that they have my name down
as attending physician, but such was not
the case. l was first called and gave the
little patient some medicine. / don't be-
lieve they used my prescription, but do
know she was taken out of my charge and
put under the water cure, and that knew
nothing of her death until the body was
buried.
mo, don't want to prosecute the case
if can help it. understand there is an
ordinance dealing specially with inst such
cases. If there is, it's MY duty to see that
it's enforced; if there isn't then there's
something at fault and the city ought to eff
feet remedy to protect ITSELF"
Mr.. Bonney, of Bonney & Stewart, was
spoken to about the charges preferred, and
when told that it was understood the
matter had been put in the hands of the
city attorney he evinced considerable sur
prise and concern. He said:
II wonder who il is that is being so
oficious l must see about this matter,
They claim that we buried child yester-
day afternoon who had died the same
morning? Why, that was DR.. Hilton, the
health officers, own case, and have it on
the book" showing officers name on
death certificate book.
"Yes, there is an ordinance requiring un-
dertakers to furnish the health officer with
death certificate before burying a body.
It's an unjust one, however. 1t should be-
long to the physician, not to us. The
health officer does not get enough pay to
justify him TO stay in his Office all the time,
and when we get an order for a funeral, to
take place tomorrow at o'clock and we
can't find the health officer, are we going
to postpone the funeral on that account !?
Would you like to have your funeral or
any OF your friends postponed Just because
death certificate had not been made out ?
Well, that's just about the size of it.
1--WE have always used judgment in
emergencies and would never handle a
body where the case looked suspicious.
We will look into this matter imme-
diately.'
City Attorney Shepard was seen at his
office and said in regard to the matter:
The health officer spoke to me on the
street, and stating the difficulty without
mentioning names, asked me if there was
NV GA oAoAAiouSS Couipc uuQerlakerS
to provide the health officer with certifi-
Gates OF deaths before funerals. 1 told
him l would look into the
matter and notify him tomorrow.
/ believe there is an ordinance, in fact /
know there is one which states that an I'M
dertaker who does not furnish the health
officer with death certificates, shall be
deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and shall
be fined in any sum not exceeding $50, to
which may be added thirty days. impris-
onment."
DO you intend prosecuting the case?"
mo. prosecute no case unless / am in
structed to do so by the mayor. If the
health officer feels he is imposed upon, and
that the law is being desecrated, let him 60
TO the chief OF police. make the arrest. pre-
Ter the charges. and then, of course, ! will
represent the city in the court"
Eliensburg Residence Sold.
ELLENsBURG, Aug. 25.-E. T. Caldwell.
who is largely interested in Ellensburg real