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

No. has the district above the Harlem River,
and ostensibly is on duty day and night. ne
Is not kept busy. as .ule, although ne occa-
sionally has to make long journeys HIS con-
tingent fund enables him to hire carriage at
times. The fourth Coroner has nothing TO 90,
although II summoned to take an ante-mortem
statement he must do so-if he feels like IT, Inc
four physicians are assigned with the superors
who appointed them.
FREE ONE WEEK IN FOUR.
These tours last a week. and each Coroner has
them in rotation. AS the Coroners are supposed
to be on duty seven whole days each week, 1t Is
urged that they justly entitled to vacation
of one week out of four. This gives them ninety
one days to themselves each year. If they had
holidays on Sundays. Christmas, New Years
Day. the Fourth Of July, etc. and half-holidays
on Saturdays, as other officials do. they would
have nearly ninety days free each year. Other
arrangements have been tried, but none has
given such satisfaction as the present one.
calendar giving the assignment OF each
Coroner is printed, and copies hung up In
all the police stations and hospitals When one
OF the officials is needed word Is telephoned to
the station nearest his house. and a policeman
takes the message to him. II the Coroner on
duty Is attending to some case or Is away from
home for any other reason, effort is made to
get one Of his colleagues. Coroner SchultZe said
that when he went to the theatre elsewhere
he left word with his family where he might be
found. But Coroner Shea (whose term expired
on January u had different notion of his duty
He insolently declared that his servants and the
members of his family are not attaches Of the
Coroner's office. and he did not expect them to
tell callers where he may happen to be.
THREE OF THE TOURS MAY BE sINECUREs
The idea ABOUT the Coroner's office Is that the
man who has the night tour of duty is likely to
have a hard time. He may have to get up out Of
bed two three times nlght-that Is. unless. as
Coroner Schultze did in the Goodwin case, he
to hic I,tx n
the other tours need involve little labor The law
says that when any person dies from criminal vio-
lence. or by any casualty suddenly when in
apparent health. or when unattended by phys-
clan or in suspicious unusual manner. the
Coroner must send Coroners physician to view
the body and make an autopsy II necessary. Inc
superior officer signs certificates OF removal on
the report OF his subordinate but need not see the
bodies himself. Indeed. his duties are more regal
than medical He must hold inquests In certain
cases but these seldom need involve much LABOR
although they sometimes do For example IN the
q Rrien murder case. the testimony, as the Grand
Jury learned covered only half a page of paper
The verdicts of Coroners jurles have nnen a
byword for years. These bodies are now entireiy
superfiuous. Their functions are performed by
other agencies. In a homicide case there Is an
examination in the police court, nearing before
the Grand Jury and finally trial In court. Inc
COroner's inquest serves no adequate purpose, ~
IS merely A needless expense ana an extra ootl'l
IN witnesses I'm criminal cases who generally
have their lives made burden for them by nav
ing To- make repeated visits to the police ana Ten
oraI sessions courts Besides. the inquests re-
nuire the attendance OF an Assistant District-a'-
torney. whose time might be more usefully en-
ployed. M, ,.ha.
the annual appropriation has been sof,oVo lor d
number Of years. The expense TO the county mas
been practically unchanged for thirty years d,
though the work has largely increased. Two au-
ditlonal Coroner's physicians are wanted ana are
said To be necessary with its terrible reputa-
iion the office has received no ta'ors l'.Iii Wv,
t,oar1 ~ Estimate and Apportionment. Any in
creased allowance To this corrupt ana disorsaii-
ized bureau would have resulted in great PUBIC
cutlery