New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-14

,c,sv RY THE Observation-Disclosures OFFICE.
cp.Sp JURY AND THE PRESS UTTERLY
,,xuEEpED-soME suBoRDlNATEs EXPECTED
uo LIVE ON BLAcKMAIL THEIR ST.
,rp,oRs WITHHOLDING HALF OR ALL
rur1R sALARIEs-THE REMEDY is
COR THE LEGISLATURE TO
ABOLISH THE OFFICE AND
INTRODUCE THE MAssA-
cHusE1-rs SYSTEM.
.,n,c mistrust Of the Coroner's office is
1n s., and deep-seated. That laziness. soth
seh..,,nation and utter disregard of duty have
PRIV the rule there is the inevitable conclusion
oes" ,hs numerous and fragrant instances Of neg
~, which have come 10 the notice of the COM
N.,,v But that is not all; that department OF
.,,v government has unQuestionably been a
- corruption. The chief and in some in
.as the only. source OF income Of certain en-
,.s has been what in Tammany parlance Is
m.a the "pcklngs." but which is really black
mail
~ illegal gain. The system was such that
certain subordnates could not retain enough OF
,Aa,r salaries TO support themselves and their
,onires For example. a man was once upon
.,u,. appointed to cierkshp in the office. He
h.d worked hard for Tammany and had spent
,,rch time and energy in setting his various
nor,,s' at work as 10 obtain the place. The
,av was ostensby $1,000 year. and he was JOY
trl in the thought that he had good berth He
,orrsd ndustrously for month. AT the end OF
.,e time the Coroner to whom ne owed his ap-
no,,tment brought him the payroll to sign The
.,s,t wrote his name TO acknowledge the receipt
=, s125 the salary for one month The Coroner
thanked him and went away
THE CORONER WANTED ALL THE SALARY.
This was a surprise to the new ofHce-holder. but
=. tboueht that the cash would be forthcoming
On dav or two, so he went with his work.
Hearing nothing more about his salary, he asked
bis superior when he was to receive II.
.your salary?" growled the Coroner. why.
rou don't get no salary. None Of the Coroners
nav their clerks any salary"
How am going TO live?
you'll have to look to that yourself. You can
find way all right
The clerk made some inquiries and learned how
1, was possible to make a living out OF the once
without receiving a cent from the CITY. lhere
were ways of fleeing those who were proush' i'll
contact with the office. which could be maze 10
Weld s. 500 a year or more. This particular clerk
wasn't made of that kind of stuff, and ne re-
signed. 1t was easy to fill his place with another
Tammany man, who was content 10 give MS SUI
nerior his salary and forage for himseh. ohe
man who is especially familiar with the once de-
cla-ed that in the last decade not half dozen
employes there had received their entire salaries
II 10 not believed that these old quotations hoio
The understanding among the Tammahy once
holders In the New Criminal Courts buhui"e j.
that only one-half OF the salary OF coroner
clerk has "strng tied to It,. or ra'her' never
o,. - hin, at all Deputy Coroners have been
letter treated One gives check for Sl.ooo 10 MS
.,,ner,or each wear. and this may have been the
r,,,a The Deputy Coroner, or Coroners phssi-
M,r receives his pay. $1,000 year. from the Con-
ur.s ofBce. the Coroner's clerk. or messenger,
T., a,d on, NJ his chiefs contingent fund TINS
s,rre,ce nrobably operated to the benefit OF the
nbvs,cian II may be that one OF the present
Coroners received no rebate from those whom ne
Amounted. He is credited with exercising TINS
astonishing forbearance. At the same time the
mon were not relieved from their annual assess
,nents pavable TO the Tammany Wiskinskie.
PRETTY EUPHEMIsM.
n, course. these SUNG which the Coroners have
Tins wrenched from their subordina'es are
.o~r,ed "noltical contributions" The Coroner
r,u explain that IL cost him a good deal OF
money N he elected His salary for his term ot
,h-ee wears is only $4,000. Those who obtain
oe6ca through his success should share his cam
na,rn expenses is his plea A Coroners physi-
c,.n NAV ho willing 10 work for $1,000 year
". ,s usually young man. recently graduated
from the medical college He could not nope ~
clear 80 900 year from his practice FOR iohe
time 10 come BY taking office. he Is not oniy
gaining valuable professional experience pu' j.
building I'D circle OF acquantances anu ii'c"u9
which will insure him a profitable prac'ce "hen
no leaves tie service of the city. 80 IL "ouiu
he unfair 10 infer that all COroners physicians
who give up one-thrd Of their salaries DR.
venal Indeed. the present set nave rePu'"
ton for great industry. and at ufhes' ul'd"''
,ionably have TO work hard ana Tor long h"uiS
pu+ tho natural human intellect cannot con-
ceivo that a Coroner's clerk or messenger wouio
Give Nh tho whole or even the half OF glow
ealary and not seek TO rccoup himseir IN so'''
wav Sheriff or a City Chamberlain couiu
surrender half his emouments and SUI nave
enough left to live in good style. coroner
messenger. or a salary Of even 1850 year. can
M. remain honest. This must be held to be
automatic. ,
7, wouo not be easy TO describe every method
in which Coroners cIerk can pm" "P
e. SO and $40 bills. The well-informed pupn'
long knew that the police levied blackmaii upon
vice and crime. Few, however. who were not
brought In actual contact with the shameless
proceedings ever dreamed the extent to which
ward men carried their collections. Only the
Lexow Committee or some other body with SIM
lar power. can lay bare the whole history o.
wrongdoing in the Coroner's office. IL If known
however that notices to serve on coroner
juries are welded with fine effect 10 eNto'
money from citizens
In Its powerful presentment against .he III
ners Office, the Grand Jury OF September 1870
called attention to the wretched ana mega