Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-20
which s., 1888 was paid by the District Of
Columbia and $725 by the United States

ma TShal.
Laws and Regulations.
Some important legal recommendations
are made in the report, as follows:
"A Kill is now before Congress authoriz-
ing the Commissioners to appoint a dep
uty coroner. Since the discovery of the
fact that the Commissioners had no such
right 1t has been impossible for the coroner
to leave the city even for a day, and
very embarrassing condition would arise
in oese he was sick or otherwise disabled.
1t is hoped that this bill will become law.
1.-THE law with reference to the coroners
Office itself was brought before the public
once during the past year by the introduc-
ton of a bill in Congress requiring the
coroner to be an attorney-at-law, and ap-
pointing a physician as medical examiner
to do the medical work OF the Office Upon
this bill made an adverse report to you.
and am still opposed to the enactment of
any such measure. The Massachusetts
system abolished the office of coroner al
together. created the office OF medical ex-
aminer and provides for the holding of in
quests before any trial Justice. 1t is. In
my opinion, superior to the measure pro-
posed. and q modification of 1t might be
adopted here with advantage.
Abolish the ONCE.
II would suggest that the office of coro
ner be abolished, and In its stead be Gre
ated the office of medical examiner. whose
duty 1t shall be to investigate from a medi-
cal standpoint such cases as are now in
vestigatod by the health officer and tho
coroner. Such deaths as are found by the
medical examiner to be due to other than
natural causes should be certified at once
to the chief of police for Investigation, and
reported to the district attorney. Should
the district attorney find as the result of
the police investigation that the circum-
stances required it, he should present the
case to the grand jury at once. and they
should return the indictment upon which
the accused is tried. Much needless ex-
pense and delay would thus be avoided.
The absurd requirement that the jury
shall view the body of the deceased should
be abolished. 1t serves no good purpose at
the jury viewed the body where 1t Lad
been found dead, and when such view aid
ed them in determining the cause Of death.
The custom Is repulsive to public senti-
ment and often necessitates holding an in
quest at some out-of-the-way place. 1t
often renders 1T necessary to hold and COM
plete an inquest before all the witnesses
In the case can be found, or requires an
adjournment from time to time that re-
suits equally disastrously to the onds Of
justice. 1t may nee essitate an inquest at q
time when 1t is important that ii should
not be known that suspicion has even been
aroused. This requirement is at the pres
ent day absolutely unnecessary, and can
not too strongly urge that steps be taken
to secure Its immediate abolition
Coroner's Jury.
IN the plan outlined by me II Is sug-
gested that the coroner's jury be abolish
ed. 1 DO not believe that this jury serves
any good purpose A better plan would be
to have the evidence given before the judge
of the Police Court, without any charge
being entered. as 1t is at present given be-
fore the coroner's jury. The Judge could
then hold for the grand jury any one who
might be implicated by the evidence The
crimes involved in these Investigations.
however. being of
ance, and the early conviction and pun
ishment of the criminals being of such vi
tai interest to the community, 1 believe
that the case warrants the immediate In
vestigation by the grand Jury. summonine
special grand jury with special powers IL
necessary, as suggested above