Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-12-31

Cne Phase Of City Life About the County
Coroue-'e Office.

: AZ : ttssSe ga I3Ls 241fe AHCuI tile sOunEy
Coroner'@ Ofiice.
Almost any tine or any day there can
be seen an odd-looking collection OF
rnen standing about the entrance TO
and Ia the Office OF the Cook coun-
t. coroner. They look like 7ultures
waiting for their prey. They have
a greedy and hungry appearance, and
if watched closely can be seen to cast
fitfui and suspicious eIances at their
neighbors. For the most part they
a9e poorly dressed though some among
them show signs of having been in bet
ter circumstances.
The idea of yuitures is not so very
far from right, for these men are really
waiting for dead bodies. They are
waiting for some poor victim to fail
into the hands Of the coroner. that they
may get a chance 10 sit on the coro-
ner's jury. Among this lot of regular
hangers-on is one man who shows
plainly that he has been driven TO this
sort OF life hy sheer distress. Indeed,
there IS more than enc well known and
respectable citizen of Chicago who,
not so very long ago, was glad to asSo-
ciate with this man and call him his
friend. But for some years past he has
been going Down the scale OF life. From
a prosperous business man he has be-
ccn1e a companion of ghouls, waiting,
perhaps, for misfortune to come TO
some poor fellow creature, that lie may
gain enough to buy a glass of whisky,
and after that perhaps bowl Of soup,
1t was family troubles that first
sent this poor man on the downward
road. He took to drink to drown his
sorrow, and now all he Graves is enough
money each day to buy liquor and food
sufficient TO barely sustain life.
The fee for coroner jury service is
$Is,, and if the juror got it all
and had but one chance day he would
consider himself pretty lucky. But
he does not get the whole of the fee.
That is to say, the necessities of his
condition compel HIM TO discount his
voucher at once, and there are some
among the deputy coroners who have
no computations a0out playing Shy
lock. The usual discount on one OF
these vouchers is 80 per cent, some
thing over half, but the poor fellows are
glad enough to get 40 cents cash down,
for that is sustenance for them for a
day.
But does the deputy coroner have to
wait for the county treasurer to pay
him the dollar? Oh, no. In the near
vicinity of the county building there
is a saloon keeper who is willing to turn
an honest penny aside from selling
whisky, and he gives the deputy o..
cents for the warrant, the deputy thus
! making 50 cents on the deal.
This may be a legitimate way to
make money. At least it is made in this
way by more than one Of the deputies
! There are some, however, who are above
such a practice, and it is to be hoped
| that when George Berz enters upon his
| duties, being the corOner-elect, he will
| abolish the practice altogether.
He will certainly if he will take the
| trouble to watch this once happy and
! prosperous man and see him hustle
| after some deputy who may hastily
| leave the office to hold an inquest and
note the eager, eNpectant and hungry
! look upon his face, mingled with Tx
| fear that some Of his companions, whG
! also follow the deputy, may be more
| successful than he.--Chicago Chronicle