The Washington herald., 1907-01-13

A bill providing for radical changes in
the law governing the appointment of the
/ coroner of the District of Columbia ard
/ the conduct Of coroners inquests. was
forwarded yesterday 20 q member Of the
House Of Representative and "a member
/ of the Senate by Attorney Henry r.
/ Davis OF Washington. Accompanying the
copies Of the proposed measure Mr.. Davis
sent detailed memorandum explaining
his reasons for wanting the bin intro
duced
/ The proposal Of Attorney Davis is the
direct outcome Of his participation in the
recent inquest and investigation into the
/ Terra Gotta railroad disaster, when he
/ appeared as counsel for Engineer TIllds-
| brand and Conductor Hohmeier.
/ On several occasions during the pro-
/ ceedings Mr.. Davis expressed himself as
highly dissatisfied with the manner in
which the inquest was being conducted
and finding his opinion substantiatcd by
+ other lawyers present, Mr.. Davis was
prompted 90 take action by drafting a
/ bin. The adoption Of which, he believes
/ viii prevent a recurrence Of the incl
+ dents that reused his objections at the
wreck inquiry.
Provisions of Bill.
/ Mr., Davis bin provides that the coro-
Her be appointed by the Supreme Court
I OF the District instead Of by the Commls-
/ sioners. and that no person shall be ap-
/ pretended on account OF any death until
/ first formally charged 10y affidavit before
/ the Police Court and that such a per
/ son shall have the right 10 be admitted
/ 10 bail TO await the inquest
/ The third section OF the bill provides
I that the production and examination Of
/ witnesses at the inquest shall be in charge
I OF the United States district attorney.
/ that any witness shall be entitled to De
present and represented by counsel and
/ to produce witnesses and interrogate any
witnesses. and that upon petition by any
person liable to be- affected by the in
guest any justice OF the District Supreme
Court may taRe charge o. and conduct
the inquest.
Explains His Measure
Mr. Davis explanation Of the bin fol-
lows;
Aitftf ~ ilF l+Rh4TlRAi VA FAt1a+la- lf ~
which authorizes or permits the coroner.
or anybody else, TO arrest q person iu the
/ District Of Columbia merely on suspicion.
/ and "a very reprehensible practice has
I grown Up Of the coroner's assuming the
I authority 10 order arrests without war
rant or complaint of any kind. In the
case Of the recent accident III Terra Gotta
/ the coroner caused the arrest on the day
/ of the accident of six persons of whom
only two We're held by the jury Of in
I quest. and the person whom the jury
found directly responsible for the accident
! was not arrested.
/ "Of The six persons arrested, one who
was absolved by the jury's verdict from
+ any responsibility was put under SlGWt
[ bond, and the other five were imprisoned
four days and nights When I endeav-
( ored 10 arrange the giving of bail for
+ these FIVE men. I was referred back and
/ forth from The district attorneys Office
/ TO the coroner, and. at the close Of the
/ second days session of the inquest, ]
I suggested to the coroner that three Of
the FIVE men, namely, the fireman, brake
man, and haggagemaster of the train
which ran into the other. seemed wholly
unaffected by any testimony produced. or
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