Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-05
NEED OF A MORGUE.
Coroner Mcdowell Will Again Offer a
Bill Providing for One Here.
ITS PASSAGE ALMOST ASSURED.
he Fayors the Old Criminal Court Build.
ing as the Proper Site.
EITHER WHARF FOB SECOND CHOICE


At the opening OF the next session of the
Legislature, Coroner Heber Mcdowell Will
again present a bill for the erection and
maintenance of public morgues in the
various counties of the State, when such in
stitution shall be deemed necessary. The
bill to be presented at this session will be al
most the same as that offered two years ago.
That bill was only defeated by three votes,
and Coroner Mcdowell feels certain this
bill will be passed without much opposition.
He feels so sure of it that he is already max
ing plans for the new morgue. He does not
think the building would need to cost over
S., 900, and has designated the old Criminal
Court building on Diamond street as good
place for the building.
The county owns that property. The cor
oner SAYS the building only needs to be two
stories high. The office is to be in front,
with driveway at one side. The dead
room and operating rooms will take up all
the remainder of the first floor. At the rear
he wants a separate building erected, for
"foaten" and the remains of persons who
have died of contagious diseases. This
building is to be made air tight, with wells
of concrete, so that the whole building
could be flooded with water and thoroughly
cleansed.
NEED OF PUBLIC MoRGUE.
Outside of the Criminal Court building
site the Coroner would prefer place on
either the Allegheny or Monongahela wharf.
''There is crying heed for a public morgue
in Pittsburg," said Coroner Mcdowell yes
terday. "a private morgue, such as we
have at present, does not answer the purpose.
We should have a central place to bring the
remains of persons who die suddenly and in
public places. Too often people are buried
without their friends having an opportunity
to identify them. People have no idea OF
the number of eorpses brought before the
Coroner in Allegheny county. Here are
some figures: August, 127; July, 1O9, and
in June 113. In Coroner Dressler's time 40
cases month was considered big. Now
every month at least 40 or 80 of the cases
are unknown people. We must have some
place to take care of them. Then we must
have place to keep the clothing, etc.,
found on the bodies.
A fee bill is to be made out and as many
of the persons cared for are found to leave
estates, the morgue would be almost self
sustaining. We could utilize the upper
story of the morgue to keep the effects of
the deceased persons."
The bill which is to be presented is en-
titled, "An Act to Provide for the Erection
and Maintenance of Public Morgues in the
Several Counties of the Commonwealth"
1t reads as follows:
COPY OF THE BILL.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
d.
sylvania in General Assembly met, and it is
hereby enacted by authority of the same
First-That the County Commissioners Of
each and every county in the Commonwealth
shall be, and are hereby authorized upon pre-
sentiment of two grand iuries of the county to
buy or rent real estate and erect and maintain
thereon pubic morgue at the expense of the
said county for the reception and care of
the bodies of all deceased persons upon whom
it may be necessary to hold a coroner's inquest,
and such other bodies as may be received by
permit of the coroner of the county; the loca-
tion OF said morgue to be approved by the
County Commissioners and the Coroner OF the
county.
Second-Whenever a dead body may be
found in any public place. or the body of any
deceased person who is unknown or having no
residence convenient to the place where found
the same shall be removed to the morgue SO es-
tablished, unless the Coroner or his deputy
shall direct its removal to some other place.
Third-The Coroner of any county in which
a morgue has been or shall be established shall
make general rules and regulations for its gov
ernment and control and shall appoint suita-
BILE person or persons to have charge of the
same, who shall be removable at the pleasure
of the Coroner, and he shall receive salary to
be fixed by the County Commissioners, or sal
ary board, if such exist. and payable out Of
the general funds of the county as the balance
of county officers are by law payable; provided
pointed, except by the approval of the County
Commissioners
THE CARE OF coRPsES.
Fourth-AIl bodies received at said morgue
shall, if the Coroner deem it necessary, be prop
erly embalmed or prepared for preservation for
such length of time as he may think proper,
and shall be subjected to examination and in
spection by such persons as he may in writing
authorize to view the same, or who may be ad-
mitred in his presence. and said body or bodies
shall be removed for burial only upon his GER
tificate.
Fifth-The Coroner shall be authorized to
establish bill of fees for all services performed
in said morgue subject to the approval Of the
County Commissioners and the Judges of the
Court of Common Pleas of the county, which
shall, in case the deceased is possessed of sufi
cient estate. be payable out Of the same by the
legal representative thereof as other debts OF
said estate of the first class of preferred claims,
and in all other cases be collected from the
county or other district chargeable Herewith.
Sixth-The County Commissioners, where |
any such morgue shall have been established, |
shall purchase and maintain an ambulance,
with one more horses for the removal OF
bodies to or from said morgue. and for the
burial of unknown or unclaimed bodies; the |
cost of maintaining which shall be paid out of |
the funds of said county
Seventh-That all clothing and personal
property of deceased persons received in such |
morgue who are unknown or unclaimed shall |
be retained at said morgue under charge of |
the Coroner for period of one year unless |
sooner claimed by the legal representatives of |
such deceased, and at the end of one year may
be sold at public sale after advertisement by
publication in one or more newspapers of said |
county once week for three weeks and by
not less than six handbills posted in the neigh
borhood of said morgue.
Eighth-All fees received for services or con-
nected with said morgue and the proceeds of
all sales of personal property, as provided in
this act, shall be paid into the county treasury
of the proper county upon the first day of each
month, of which the Coroner of the county
shall make report in writing underneath at the
time Of said payment.
ID. j. Roberts Gets Another Promotion.
n RohertS uhn hos haap looofed Of