The Portland daily press., 1901-02-07
MRS. KATE DE Witt.
10 ABOLISH CORoNERs.

Sweeping changes in the time-hon-
ored system are wrought by the tiil
now before the Legislature which seeks,
as its title has 1t 'to a5olish the oifics of
coroner and to provide for medical ex-
aminstions and inquests In cases Of death
by Violence" 1t is long bill which
gets down to business In the first section
That declares that "the office of coroner
in the state Of Name is hereby abolished. ="
Then the bill goes on TO provide that the
Governor shall appoint medical examin-
ers who shall not exceed in number one
for each senatorial district. The Fay of a
medical examiner Is to tie i've dollars
when employed and twenty cents per
mile one way from his place OF residence.
The term OF office is seven years and a
bond of 81, COO is required. The msdl cal
In the science OF medicine How this
medical examiners are to do this work is
told in the following sections;
'See. z. Whenever a medical examiner
has notice that theie has beel. found or Is
lying within his county the dead body OF
a person, who is supposed 10 come to his
pair to the place where such body lies
and take charge OF the same and te shall
also take charge OF the immediate PREM
ises and all the personal property and all
evidences as to the manner In which the
person lying dead is supposed TO have
come to his death; and II on view thereof
and personal Inquiry into the CAUSE ana
manner OF the death, he deems further
examination necessary, he shall upon
being first thereto authorized, either by
the county attorney, the mayor or city
marshal OF o city, or the selectmen OF a
town where such body lies. MAKE an
autopsy of said body and shall then and
there carefully reduce or canse to be re-
duced to writing every fact and ciroum-
stance tending to show the condition n OF
the body and the manner OF the death
together with the names and addresses
OF such Witnesses as he may have reas on
to believe can give evidence pertaining to
the cause OF death OF such person, who Is
supposed to have come to his death by
violence, which record he shall subscribe
and shall su bmif to the county attorney
OF his county.
''Sec Every medical examiner shall
in all Gases certify to the city or town
clerk Of ths city or town in which the
person deceased came TO his death, the
name ana residence OF the person deceased
IL known, or q description OF his person
as fully as may be for his Identification
when the name and residence cannot De
ascertained together with the cause ana
manner in and by which the person de-
ceased came to his death.
''Seo. 8 Mhenthe county attorney, after
his reception of the record Of autorsy
made by the medical examiner, shall
deam 1t expedient, he shall notify a
municipal court or trial justice In his
locality that he deems an inquest to be
expedient and to be for sne promotion OF
justice. Such court or trial justice shall
thereupon hold an Inquest which may
be private, In which case any and all
persons other than those required to be
present by the provisions Of this chapter
nay bs excluded from the place where
the same is held and said court or trial
Justice may als3 direct che witnesses to
De kept separate SO that they cannot oon-
verse with each other until they have
been examined. Inc county attorney
shall In all cases pending the inquest,
have charge OF the proceedings and ex-
animation OF witnessss. Ths county at