Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-16
DEVELOPMENTS OF TIE JOHNSON
INQUEST.

TnE investigation into the my-teri-
Gus death Of Richard NJ. johnson, who
was found dead In tho city Jail last
Sunday morning, has developed DIS
gushing state Of facts. The deceased
was arrested on Friday night, ON a
charge Of drunkenness. On Saturday
morning he was, by tho police Justice,
adJudged guilty aud a fine Of Ave doh
lars was Imposed. lie rcqucsted MIR.
o'nellly, the desk of,iccr In the City
Marshars office, to notify bis brother,
Edwin johnson, that the latter might
appear aud pay the tine and he DO lib'
Grated. Mt, o'Roilly claims that he
spent some time In an attempt TO lind
Edwin johnson, aud failed.
The next morning Richard NJ. John
sou was found dead on the door Of his
cell. Thu Marshal was Informed Of the
fact and looked at the body. The
Coroner was notified and also gazed on
the corpse, but decided that an Inquest
was not necessary. DIR. Meacham was
seLt for and viewed the remains aud
gave II a, his opinion that death had
snsued from acute alcoholism. The
body was consigned to unIcrtaker'
Evans aud Ross, aud by them con
veyed To the city cemetery, where !
was buried ON Monday morning. TIL,
frst intlms,iou that Edwin johnson
had Of tho death of his brother wa,
through the columns Of the Monday
issue OF morning paper, which an
nounced the TACT.
The feelings OF this relative Of IN,
deceased may bc presumed by those
who care, In Imagination, 10 put them
selves In his place. At his instance
the body was oxhumei and an Inquiry
which ought 10 have been made befor,
burial, Instituted. At this investigation
II was developed that the body had
boon consigned to the grave In mud,
state with tho exception Of shirt
and q pair Of socks, aud Ia illthy con
dltion; also that there wsr. two cuts OF
incisions OF considerable length In the
region Of the abdomen.
Ina nutshell, here are some OF thu
dIsgraceful AMI disgusting features Of
this affair The Coroner failed In hi
duty Ia not holding nm inquest. II
anyone needs any more evidence 10
convince him VI this than tho facts si
the cxhumation after burial aud the
subsequent investigation, he must b.
hard to satisfy. The genius, and wa
think the letter OF thc law, also aus.
tains this view.
Tho deceased, who was native
born American. had resided In this
Territory thirty.flve years and had two
brothers living In this city. II does
not appear that any effort was ma de
10 flnd those relatives aud inform them
oithe death OF their brother In con.
nscllon with this neglect o; plain
duty II should be remembered that II
was known at the city hall that the
deceased had brother In town, and
of,icer o 'Reilly tried to find him on
the day before the death occurred.
The latter has stated also that lac In.
formed several Of tho official, con.
cerned Of the fact. Such neglect has
not only the aspect OF ordinary care.
lessncsf but Of downright inhumanity.
The nude and comparatively filthy
condition In which the body was in-
TERED, reflects no credit upon those to
whom It was consigned for burial.
Now comes another striking feature
ofthe ease. Marshal Young, Coroner
Harris, Or, Meacham and the under.
taker saw the body, a. matter Of
course, Al Of them testify that they
did not see the cuts In the abdomen,
and some Of them positively swore that
the missions We're not there when they
examined the remains. AZ matter
OF course II the cuts were made whlio
deceased was allgs It would prove posi-.
lively that tho coroner aud city phy-l.
clan were guilty Of criminal neglect
II was their plain and direct
duty to examine 1t, II tho cuts'ex.