The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-06
A CRISIS STAYED OFF.
Unburied Bodies Disposed of. but Hea-
ton and Askam still Quarrel

The trouble between the county COM
misslOners and Coroner Askam is as far
from being solved as ever. even though
the body Of Baby Hanson. which has been
lying in the morgue for over ten days.
was buried and the remains Of George
Gates, the North Seattle suicide were
shipped TO Marysviiie Cal. yesterday for
interment Neither Of the certificates was
signed by DR.. Askam. he being out OF the
city. The coroner and Commissioner Hea-
ton each stands his ground. and 9eston
continues 10 scale down the coroner's bills
In the ease of the baby. DR.. Palmer
signed the certificate and issued the burial
permit and soon after the little body was
placed In its last home in the potlers'
field. In Gates case the question took
another phase. Mr.. Clark and Mr. Ran
DALI two friends OF the deceased. called
on the board of county commissioners, the
mayor and DR. Palmer in the forenoon.
and were advised 10 demand Of Or. Ne
vile that he sign the death certificate, as
he attended the man number of hours
before death. This they did and secured
the needed paper. DR.. Palmer az once
issued the removal permit. and the body
was packed and shipped to California on
the SIS Portland express.
When DR.. Askam returned in the even
ing he was seen by a Post-lnteuigencer
reporter, and said Il certainly DO not
propose 10 sign any more death certificates
until l am paid what is justly due me
by the board Of county commissioners. In
the past / have acted square with them,
and in return they have cut my monthly
bills in pieces The state law on the
matter is that when information * given
that a body has been found the
cause of whose death IS I'M
known. and there is reason 20 be-
iieve that death has been cause by unlaw-
full means at the hands of another. II IS
my duty TO summon jury and inquire
into the cause of death. This entails
good deal of expense 10 the county. and
instead of that. coroners in the past have
made agreement with the county COM
missloners TO personally investigate such
cases and charge only for their services.
I stated TO the commissioners that if they
would allow all the inquest bills / woud
sign all death certificates, when was rea-
sonably sure of the cause Of death, Tree or
charge.
From now on I am going to live up to
the letter of the law, no matter how much
Il costs the county. I contend that the
Gates case was a coroner's case, mas
much as the man never spoke after taking
the drug. therefore causing a doubt as 10
his death. which could only be explained
by an examination. | intend taking TINS
matter into the courts and seeing II L
am right.
DR.. Neville claims he did not know the
cause Of death until a private autopsy
was held on Wednesday night for insur-
ance purposes, and for that reason would
not sign the certificate before,
When Mr. Heaton finished with the cor
oner's August bills yesterday afternoon
there were only three marked approved.
50 the war goes on. This slaughter was
made. too. just after A. ID. Warner mad
made a speech explaining that coroners
inquest was necessary in the case of the
death OF Engineer Neal Mckinley IN or
der 10 place the blame. Following IS the
list Of bills rejected by Heaton, but not
acted upon by the other members OF the
board:
August l. Edwin Hector, drowned Y.
N. c. a tank. 5000.
August 3. Baby Eklund. cause death I'M
known, Slo2o
August Is. Charlie Ling, stabbed by Joe
Carter. $12s.
August q, Joseph Cicero. killed at Avon
dale, sI1AS0.
August o, Neal Mckinley, killed by
Great Northern engine, $500
Approved by Heaton:
August IS Joseph Sisson, found on tide
flats, $7060.
Date unknown. unknown man murdered
ten miles east Of Skykomish.
August p. Thomas F. Manning, fracture
Of skull, $40.