New-York tribune., 1903-03-08
TO ABOLISH CORONERS.
Medical Mef: advocate Bill 70 DO
As6Gy W'ith the Office in THIS City.

There may soon be an inquest over the coroners
Prominent physicians OF this city and State are
making every effort to cause such turn OF the
tables and they have the support of the Controller
the District Attorney and other high officials OF the
municipality. The New-York County Medical As
sociation and the New-York State Medical Society
have secured the introduction Of bill by Senator
Eisoerg sboiishing this ONCE, and at the hearings
on the measure representatives. of the organiEa-
tions appeared with statements and statistics to
show the incspacity, the negligence. the extrava-
gance and the bufsoonery of the Eew-York coroner.
The bill was reported favorebly from committee.
but such opposition has developed in the Senate
that the future Of the bfl is still in doubt
In the Criminal Courts Building. where the four
coroners of this borough have their ofices, these
"dtgnftaries' have come 70 be known as the
vaudeville quartet" At the present time about
the only persons who take the coroners seriously
are the coroners themselves. and occasionally even
their magisterial Srovn mcIts a grin. Every
where else in this State the has been shorn
Of his ancient and farcicaI authority. In the up
State counties according to an act Of 1883, the
coroner has been made merely medical examiner
20 investigate suspicious deaths snd turn over his
evidence to the proper prosecuting authorities. His
jury and the sother antiQusted trappings Of his
mock tribunal have been all done away with. A
year ago Buffalo aroused at the abuses Of its
coroners' bureau, and through act passed in the
closing hours Of the legislature that city became
rid of its coroners.
Under Tammany Hall it was everyday talk that
certain New-York coroners used their authority for
purposes Of corruption and blackmaiL For ex-
ample, IL was alleged that one would shield the
name OF family one OF whose members had died
under suspicious circumstances. and for a stated
sum OF money would prevent the true facts from
becoming public. Investigation Furthermore showed
apparent evidence Of mutual understandings be-
tween coroners and criminals woman would be
found dead but the coroner might act so slowly IN
holding his inquest and subpenaIng his witnesses
that the person who caused the death could escape
Petty backmaiI was said TO be encouraged by the
coroners in various ways. The subordinates were
expected TO turn their salaries over to their su-
perior, and then obtain living for themselves
wherever an opportunity opened. For example.
merchants were subpRnaed for coroner jury duty
and then let or for consideration. The coroner
would Furthermore delay the District Attorney by
failing to file his papers and thus permit the
friends Of the defendant 10 cover the tracks Of
witnesses for the prosecution.
Examples Of the traditional sIoth Of the coroners
office are almost as numerous as the cases which it
handles. For example, in the times Of the old city
of New-York, the murder Of Charles E. Goodwin
showed not only the sIowness OF the coroners, but
the disastrous consequences often resulting from
such lethargy. Goodwin shot by Burton c.
Webster. in 1891, and carried away wounded to
Roosevelt Hospital. The tragedy happened at 1
O'Clock in the morning. a hurry call was imme-
diately sent to coroner. but. as it happened the
coroner was in bed. He received salary Of 5000
a year from the city: but the night was cold ard
his bed was warm. In q fit Of Indignation at being
awakened out of a sound sleep the coroner sent
down word that they would have TO walt until
morning. The next day the coroner took his time
about dressing. had his breakfast and then made
his way Ieisurely to the hospital When he arrived
there he found the lips of Webster sealed in death
The only facts that could be woven into an ante
rnorteu statement were uttered in a few broken
sentences 70 the surgeons and nurses OF the hos
pital.
The friends of Goodwin maintained that he had
sbot in seIf-defence, and because Of the half CO.
herent statement of the dead man the accused man
wss found guilty Of and was imprisoned for q
abort term on the charge Of manslaughter. The
eoroners simple explanation Of his failure to do
his duty
ct did not 20 until the next morning. and when
rsscbed the hospital the man dead.
In May 1893, Jane A. Cherry, a mulatto' oled at
+sr home No 255 West Fifteenth-st., from what
was said TO be criminal malpractice. A can was
sent for q coroner, but none appeared Inc woman
,5ie5 early in the morning Tuesday. and the