Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-11
THE UNDERTAKES.
Defense of Their Work When Serving
as Coroners.

Henry W. PIummer of Augusta APP
peared before the judiciary committee
against the bill to prevent undertake
crs holding the office of Coroner.
| Mr.. Plummer said:
Not knowing that the hearing on
| this bill was to be held at the time 1t
was held, is the reason at this time L
wish to be heard in behalf of the UNI
| de1takcrs of the state who hold the Of
five Oh Coroner. 1t having been claim
| Cd at the hearing that it was very nara
| to get a body from a Coroner who was
an undertaken; wish to say there are
| very few. If any, of my profession but
what are gentlemen and being gentle
men would not, in the sense that 1t mas
| been placed before you. traffic with
dead bodies. When an undertaken
who As a Coroner, is called to investi-
gate a ease. he does not go there with
his sleeves rolled up to make matter
of business for himself but as Coro-
| nrr ard officer of the people. to deter
mine whether that person came to his
death by violence. accident or natural
| cause. After all the law governing
the Coroner has been complied with, n"
notifies the family or proper persons
| when they are free to choose the IN
| d, rtaker they prefer. I, myself, in my
duties as Coroner have many times
called other undertakcrs and given the
! body in their charge in accordance
with preference of the family. Out
| of l6 calls as Coroner in 1908 | acted
as undertaken in 10 of those cases In
| eight ont of the 10 cases I was the reg
| uar family undertaken. | know d
| great man. coronorS who are under
| takers with whom | have talked in re-
| gard to their way of handing such
| c,ses and I know that they consider
themselves simply as the Coroner In
| the c:sc
IF we nave a Coroner whether he be
| unicrtaIxcr or not who abuses his Of
| fee let the Governor revoke his COM
mission rs he has perfect right 10
do. one argument presented IN FAVOR
of this bill has been that the under
| taker does not know enough OF dis-
| case to Judge of persons death As
vou well know the Coroner Is not
Obliged to state the exact diseases
causing death but whether or not thr
p,,rsoa under consideration came I"
his death by violence, natural causes
| or an accident Even If diseases were
| to be considered the undertaken IN ms
| profession sees all kinds of diseases
and their results as shown on body
after death.
The thorough undertaken gives time
| ana studv to his work which hecessl-
tates a thorough knowledge OF Anato-
my.
When it comes to the handling OF
mutilatcl or drowned persons. the
average layman shrinks from coming IN
contact with them and it usually falls
| TO the lot of the undertaken to handle
the body for the Coroners investlGa-
| ton. II the undertaken is best fitted 10
handle the body for the investigation.
why is 10 not best fitted to make the
investigation himself? The charges
| have been made that the Coroners VINO
| are undertakers are more expensive
| than those who are not How can THIS
he true when the expenses are hXed ny
schedule. as they are in most counties
| IT may be that some bills handed In by
Ccroners who happened to be under
| takers NAV have seemed large. but
consideration should be made of the
| cases involved