The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-10
HE DRAWS THE LINE
Coroner ASkam Will Hold No
More Autopsies.
UNLESS HIS PAY IS m SIGHT.
county Commissioners Must Arrange
the Matter With Him Deaths
From 'Unknown Causes

shall sign the death certificate of c.
"a. symlngton as cause unknown. said
coroner Askam yesterday afternoon. He
may have died Of alcoholism. strychn.ne
poisoning or apoplexy. l Do not know what
the cause was, although I have my opin-
ion Tie Law does not authorize me 10
hoid an autopsy. and acting under the
aaF4ce OF nav attorney | do no; intend 70
hoid any more autopsies unless author
ized oy the county commissioners and as
sufeG OF my pay. | shall proceed as
nave been doing in relation 10 .nqaests''
these remarks were accustomed by an
inquiry as 10 what would BE done about
the death of Symington, the coroner 5
jury having returned verdict Of dealt
by unknown causes" with the recon-
mendation that the prosecuting attorney
order an autopsy.
l always prefer" continued the coro-
ner, that the jury make no recommen-
dalton. 1t does not do any special good.
Since have been coroner | have tried TO do
my duty. The public full we'll knows how
my biiis have been treated by the county
commissioners. The sum and substance
of the matter is that | have done the
work and got nothing for II. No one is
more DESTROYS than | OF having harmony
between my Office and that Of the county
commissioners and the prosecuting at.or-
more than half way 10 have matters adj
justed in a satisfactory manper. At re
cent meeting Of the commits ioners wen;
before them. told them | wanted 10 have
an understanding and agreed 10 make all
invest legations CT cases that came into my
Office al the rates of s.. $50 and $40. or.
in other words. according to the time re-
quired TO Investigate | also agreed to per-
form all autopsies at the rate Of SIS. viii h
is so less than my predecessor was al
lowed. / went still further and said that
| would he controlled by the opinion of the
prosecuting attorney as TO holding IN
quests and autopsles. except in such cases
as the distance made IL impossible for
me to communicate with him without great
delay. Prosecutor Haste was willing to
abide by this plan and so expressed him
self. County Commissioner Nickerso1
wanted Mr.. HASTE to give a written op y
ion covering the case. Mr.. Haste said he
had already given one opinion and did
not care to give another. Then Mr.. Nica-
erson would not give his sanction. l
thing Mr.. Heaton said he was fayorably
impressed with the proposition. No vote
was taken and matters are still unset
tied. | have done all can. and from now,
if the county can stand it to have the GER
tificates marked cause unknown l can.
Now in this Symington case presume mat
the relatives would like to know the cause
OF death. Without the sanction OF the
county commissioners | would not 70
ceive pay fo' my work in holding an au-
topsy. All there is 10 It. If the county
commissioners desire that altopses be
held they must settle the matter.
Undertaken f. r. Butterworfh Yesterday
communicated with John G. Symington. Of
1t I4eavenworth street, San Francisco. a
brother of the dead man, asking what
should be done with the remains. Sym
ington was without money. Nothing has
been heard from his wife
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