The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1907-12-06
C0R0NERS IN MAINE.
More Than Officials Fer Probing Gases
of Violent Deaths

Suppose you know all about the du-
ties Of coroner, Perhaps il would
be safer to say you think you do. for
the chances are that your real knOwl-
edge of what these officials do is some
what limited. IL wouldn't be at all
strange IL there are many lawyers
who are not thoroughly acquainted
with the duties and privileges Of these
officials
Time was when cOronerS OF Maine
outranked the sheriffs. Ever hear
about that: 1t wasn't so many years
ago. In those days the coroners were
required 70 give a bond Of $4,000 and
the sheriff one Of $4,000. Today it Is
different. The e:eriffs give the same
big bond, but the corOners have 20
have financial backing to the extent OF
only about a thousand. The legisla-
ture has changed the law.
Even now there are only two officials
who can serve a paper upon a sheriff.
coroner or high sheriff Of another
county. 1t used TO be that the coroner
was the only one who could do this.
There are times when IL becomes
necessary to serve writ of attach
ment upon sheriff. and this, too.
when he doesn't owe the man who
makes the attachment a single penny
A brings a suit against B and at
taches his property to insure getting
his cash. Il, however. owes G q GER
tain sum. Now, the property which
A has attached is worth a great deal
more than the amount of AS claim.
c can't very well attach It, because
there is already an attachment To
cover his claim be must attach the
sheriff as custodian of the property.
To look out for his own interests he
had the attachments made. Here is
where the coroner comes In. He or
the high sheriff of another county must
make the service. AS coroners are.
for the most part, most accessible.
they are called for oftenest in these
cases.
The coroner also does the work of
sheriff or his deputy In the case of
the death of a sheriff
When a sheriff dies his deputies die
with him." In such an event the coun-
~ is left without a sheriff or a depu-
ty sheriff. Its only officers to serve
civil papers are cOnstableS. and they
cannot make attachments above a GER
tain sum. Some provision has to be
made by law to guard against emer-
gencies. On the death of sheriff the
governor, first of all. appoints jail
breaker. so that there may be some
person legally to have charge of con-
victs in the penal institution of the
county. After that he names sheriff
to fill the unexpired term. But this
doesn't provide for the service Of civil
papers.
Here is where the coroner steps In.
He, under the laws of the state. has
power to serve these papers.
The last sheriff to die in Office in
| Maine was Sheriff Reed of Penobscot
county in 1895. In the time between
his death and the appointment Of his
successor, Charles r. Brown Of Spring
/ field, there came an important attach
| ment TO be made on a Bangor concern.
! A coroner was called In by the firm OF
| lawyers who had the case. and he was
requested to make the service. 1t was
a new duty for the man, but he sue
cessfully grappled with 1t.
You see, coroners are something more
than officials for investigating cases Of
violent deaths.-Lewiston Journal.