The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-22
Youth Run Over Was Elected
by Conductor Shortly Be-
fore the Tragedy That Cost
His Life Occurred.
POLICE SAY NO PROPER
INVESTIGATION MADE
Law Requires Prompt Report
in Such Cases. but Contra
dictOy Tales Were Told
Concerning the Accident,
DEMAND AN INQUEST NOW

Investigation is being made by the
police 10 determine the manner in
which Leon Nelson of Sandy met
death under Murray street car No.
40 In State street near Eleventh
South Saturday night. Conflicting
stories told by employees Of the street
railway company, and the fact that
neither the police department nor the
sheriff's office were notified of the
accident by the company, together
with the sending of the body of the
young man to Sandy for burial with
out the fOrnality of a physicians
death certificate being issued in this
city, caused Lieutenant John Hempel
to take the matter up with Acting
Coroner Stanley A. Hanks yesterday
afternoon.
Two stories Of how the young man met
/ death have been told, the first being that
he had swung himself from the platforms
of the car under which he ives killed, but
! the police believe the true version is
/ that he. was put off a southbound Muir
ray car by Conductor Ira Smith and
struck by the northbound car in charge
| Of Conductor B. Halperman and Motor
man H Wilkinson.
/ The victim was positively identified at
/ the 5. d Evans undertaking establish
/ ment sunday morning, and the body was
/ taken to the home of his parents, Mr..
and Mrs. James c. Nelson of Sandy, for
| burial. IS. D. Evans stated Yesterday aft
ernOOn that no death certificate had been
issued, and that so far as ne had been
| able to. learn, no physician had seen the
body after the accident The body was
| turned over TO the Sandy undertaken on
the statement that a death certificate
would be properly made out today.
| Police Demand Inquest.
Acting Coroner Hanks said last night
! that he had been asked by telephone If
he would issue a certificate Of death. He
said he informed the undertaken that that
was matter 10 which Dr. NJ r. Stewart,
/ registrar Of deaths, should attend to- Mr..
! Hanks said that in case DR.. Stewart be-
/ lieved II was a matter requiring investi-
cation, he would investigate Immediately.
] According to the Compiled Laws OF
/ Utah for 1907, paragraph 2036, under the
/ heading Of death without medical atten-
dance, the law is as follows:
| In case Of any death occurring with
| out medical attendance, it shall be the
duty Of the undertaken to notify tho
! registrar Gn Salt Lake the registrar IS
| the city physician, DR.. NJ. r. Stewart
Of such death, and when 50 notified the
/ registrar shall inform the local health
| officer and refer the case to him for i'm
| mediate investigation and certification
prior to issuing a permit; provided that
when the local health officer is not a
/ qualified physician, OF when there is no
/ such official. and IN such cases only, the
! registrar is authorized to make the GER
| tiIicate and return from the statements
! Of relatives or other persons having ade-
| quate knowledge Of the facts; provided
further, that If the circumstances Of the
/ case render IL probable that the death
/ was caused by unlawful or suspicious
/ means, the registrar shall then refer the
| case &c the coroner for his investigation
| and ceTtificatiOn."
| forth in paragraph 2)3SX, as follows: '@The
/ undertaken or person acting as under
! taker shall be responsible for obtaining
and filing the certification of death with
/ the registrar and securing a burial or re-
moval permit prior TO any disposition Of
/ the body"
| F. E. Hansen. claim agent for the street
/ car company. said last night that II was
not considered necessary to call a phvsi-
| clan, the man being dead when picked
/ up.
| Acting Coroner Stanley A. Hanks said
yesterday AFTERNOON that he knew little
/ about the case. He said he was informed
/ that a man had been killed. and was
given no information concerning the de-
/ tails OF the accident.
! Lieutenant Hemple said yesterday that
/ the police department should have been
notified Of the accident If It happened
/ within the city limits, and IL II were
outside the city the sheriffs office should
have been called. he asked Acting Cor
| oner Hanks to make an Investigation OF
the case today, and stated that the police
Continued on PaLe 3.