Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-09-20
CORONERs IN MAINE.
More THIS, e5dic. als Fcr Probing Cases
Of Violent Deaths.

More Than OTic,als Fer Probing Cases
Of Violent Deaths.
Suppose you know all about the du-3
ties OF a coroner. Perhaps 1t 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. 1t wouldn't be ait 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 that2 1T wasn't so many years
ago. In those days the coroners were
required to give a bond Of SOC, 900 and
the sheriff one Of $40 900. Today It is
different The sheriffs give the same
big bond, but the coroners have to-
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 sheriff.
q coroner or a high sheriff Of another
county. 1t used to be that the coroner.
was the only one who could do this.
There are times when It becomes
necessary to serve a writ Of attach
| ment upon sheriff, and this, too,
when he doesn't owe the man who
makes the attachment single penny.
| A brings suit against B and at
taches his property to insure getting
his cash. B, however, owes g a GER
tain sum. Now, the property which
a. has attached is worth a great deal
more than the amount Of AS claim.
4 g can't very well attach it. because
there is already an attachment. To
cover his claim he must attach the
I. sheriff ais custodian Of the property.
\ To look out for his own interests he
had the attachments made. Here is
where the coroner comes In. He q
4 the high sheriff of another county mus
q make the service. AS coroners are
Il for the most part, most accessible
they are called for oftenest in they
cases.
A The coroner also does the work o
a sheriff or his deputy In the case Q
& the death of a sheriff.
When sheriff dies his deputies sdi
/ with him. In such an event the coun
I ty is left without sheriff or depu
ty sheriff. Its only officers to serv
fciyil papers are constables, and the
{ cannot make attachments above Gel
, tain sum. Some provision has to b
, made by law to guard against enlel
) gencies. On the death Of q, sheriff th
governor, first Of all, appoints a ia
breaker, SO that there may be som
$ person legally to have charge Of co,
= victs in the penal institution Of tt
Q county After that he names sheri
S to fill the unexpired term. But sth
s doesn't provide for the service OF civ
4 papers.
s Here is where the coroner steps 4
d He, under the laws of the state, n
,f power to serve these papers.
The last sheriff to die In Office
v Maine was Sheriff Reed Of Penobsc
county in 1895. In the time betwe
b his death and the appointment Of
successor, Charles r. Brown Of Sprin
81 field, there came an important attac
q ment to be made on a Bangor concel
Z IA coroner was called In by the firm
LAWYERS who had the case, and he W
requested to make the service. 1t W
la new duty for the man, but he 8,
! cessfully grappled with it.
- You see, coroners are something me
than officials for investigating cases
Is violent Deaths lewiston Journal.
ia "a