The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-07-21

easy ideas concerning the conuucI
<of affairs at the Morgue.
Strange as it may appear, the statutes
in such case made and provided do not
seem to conform to these ideas
So much the worse for the statutes!
When that mountain of f1esh-Hill. rath-
er-plants his brogans on poor statute
God help it! It's all day with it.
1t becomes a dead letter, indeed, and,
as such a fit subject for the Coroner-
Time and again within very snort pc
riod has Coroner Hill shown reckless
disregard for the laws enacted Tor the
government of his office. rms was De
leved at first by those that knew MN 10
be due to native ignorance or carelesSness
at the worst His acQuaintanceS have
had another guess, and they guess that
he had-Well, reasons,
His most recent actions cannot De eA
Take, for instance, the case. of Florence
Parker. She was found dead in her BED
Saturday morning last. One OF HlLi
deputies, Gately, was informed by DR..
lLevison, the Parker family physician,
that the girl had committed suicide.
in such case 1t reads: Whenever any
/ Coroner shall receive notice that any per
son has been slain, or has committed sui
eide, or has died suddenly, or has been
found dead under such circumstances as
to require an inquisition, it shall be his
duty TO go to the place where such PER per,
summon jurors to appear before
him forthwith and make inquisition con-
corning such death
Of course, for his own purposes, Coro-
ner Hill contends that Florence Parker
did not commit suicide; but ne cert t ny
will not contradict the statement that sne
died suddenly. Taken for granted me
testimony of all parties concerned that
she died suddenly and not Insisting that
she committed suicide, what was Coroner
Hills duty under the circumstances
The law provided it. 1t said he must
go to the place of death, summon jurors
and begin an inquisitiOn into all the cir
cumstances attending such death
Did Coroner Hill obey this Eba law w IN 5He
She committed suicide or died suddenly
was a subject for inquisition?
Not much He diSregarded the law IN
letter and in spirit He went to the place,
but he summoned no jurors ana ne began
He did one thing. however. and, like
several other things he has done, II was
absolutely Illegal. He called In a physl-
clan and caused him to perform an au-
IN In this Coroner Hill violated the law
made for him and every other coroner.
The law governing autopsies specially
provides that the Coroner shall appoint
a competent physician, whose duty II shall
be to perform autopsies upon the bodies
of all deceased persons WHEN IN
QUESTS ARE HELD"
Will Coroner Hill have the temerity to
say he held an inquest on the BODY OF
Florence Parker? Who can tell!
He went to the house in person, 1t IS
true, but he did not summon any Jurors
to view the body or hear testimony con-
corning the circumstances attending the
girls death. There is no record at the
Morgue, as required by law when one is
held that there was an inquest. Under
what right, then, did he order an au-
topsy? Why?
Read Coroner Hil's report to the Super
viSorS:
have adopted plan of holding inquests at
the homes Of deceased persons and find that
it gives a great deal of satisfaction TO bereaved
relatives and friends.
That autopsy, God save the mark, was
intended to prove nothing and allowed to
prove nothing that did not give "a great
deal of satisfaction to the bereaved reia-
tives and friends of Florence Parker.
1t was not allowed to proceed far
enough to determine beyond question, as
the law contemplates, the cause of death.
But what is the law to Coroner Hill!
All Greek. apparently, or some other de
ceased letter, to be thrown on a slab at
the Morgue and autopsied to determine
what allied it.
But the day of retributfon is coming.
In the great mOrgue of public opinion a
jury of the public will sit on the political
corpse of Coroner Hill to return a verdict
of suicide at the polls. He will be borne
up Salt River to the dumps and planted.
A double cross will mark the spot On
it will be the legend, Here Lies Stiff