The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-01

many states.
1.-The verdict reached at an inquest
cannot be introduced in courts. nor any
That is why 1 held very few inquests
while I was coroner.
This subject was being discussed
considerably among the undertakes
while I was over on the Sound, re-
Gently. Harry Watson of the Bonney-
Watson company of Seattle, which took
care of los bodies in November and "a
in December, said the office should be
abolished: that it was nothing but
grating Office.
Conrad Hoska, who does the largest
business in Tacoma. also told me he
thought the Office should be abolished.
If the cause of death should be eX-
| amined into, let the prosecuting attOr-
ney do it,
Pay Good Salary"
eff the coroners Office is to be con-
tinued a doctor would be preferable if
one could be found who would take it.
I would favor putting the office on an
annual salary of $4,000 to $4,000 and
letting a man devote his whole time
to it and then let the evidence the
coroner collects in thorough investi-
cation stand in court.
"Quite frequently when a coroner is
called. the relatives of the deceased
prefer a certain undertaken. If he is
business rival of the coroner, the lat
ter has it in his power to make it OBJ
noxious for him because he can hold
the body. 1t is not right to have
body sent about from pillar to post in
this fashion. If the coroner viii
act right all would be well but some
great deal of trouble in some places.
There was a case of that kind here
in the State hotel some two years ago.
The coroner ran the man up to his
place and held the body which we af-
forwards got with difficulty.
another case is that of DR.. Baker
the veterinary, who died little over
year ago. The coroner went up to his
house at night. l think DR.. Baker died
suddenly of heart disease. Without
any authority the coroner took the
body down to his place of business.
He Got the Case.
Il had been quite a friend of the de-
ceased and mis- sister sent note to me
authorizing me to take charge of the
body. But he refused to give it up un-
y; ,nf
know the man was dead when the note
came from his sister. I told her
rather than to go to the expense of
putting up the $50 to let him keep the
body and go ahead with the funeral
which he did. He held no inquest at all
but took charge of the funeral.
mo. an undertaken is only human |
and the tendency is to try to hold cases. |
That is one reason why 1 think an I'M
dertaker is not the best person to be
coroner. 1 believe in the family and |
friends having the choice as to who
shall have charge of the services which |
they can hardly do with freedom when |
a coroner can step in and take the !
body
Il am not particular about the cor
chant would do as well under present |
conditions as jury must be called |
anyway if there is any suspicion OF !
foul play. The way the statute is now
there is little use of having a coroner.
He is given hardly any power. l be-
lnl<
in the prosecuting attorney.
F.. S. Hennessey, who is secretary of
the undertakers' association of Wash
ington, is strongly opposed to the bill.
Mr.. Hennessey has never been coroner
or a candidate for coroner himself, but
he has a decided notion that some I'M
dertaker should hold the office. When
asked about the Abrams bill. he said:
II am opposed to it. The undertaken
knows more about the dead than the
Doctor In modern embalming and
caring for the dead death is caused
from different diseases which have to
be treated with consideration for the J
cause of death and state of the body
after death. therefore. the undertaken
becomes schooled in the causes of
leath. t
1.-The undertaken becomes familiar
with rigor mortis and discOlOratiOn Of 6
bodies which shows the position at the
line death occurred and the length of t
lime since death, while the doctor +
.ares for the patient in life but leaves
is soon as death occurs. 9
Every case which an undertaken
leals with is treated according to the
.ause of death and the necessity of de-
ermining this in every case peculiarly +
it's the undertaken for deciding what
nay have caused death, in a case of
ioubt
In the case of a post mortem the
coroner, even though he be a doctor. G.
ever holds the post mortem alone. but
alls in other medical aid.
RECEIVES Al PROPOSALS.