Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-06
CHARGE HARTWELL
HAS IGNORED LAW
Leading UndertakerS Make Ac-
Cusations Against Coroner
in Conduct of Office

Leading undertakers of Los Angeles
have Investigated the advertisements
of Coroner Calvin Hartwell, which
have praised the Southern Pacific ad-
herent to the skies, and as a result
have made a direct charge of misrep-
resentation.
In the following communication the
investigators explain what they have
found:
THE frantic efforts made by Cal
win Hartwell and his machine friends
to save. to themselves the coroner's
office Is almost pitiful. In paid ad-
vertisement, which they are publish
ing In the columns of the press
throughout the county, entitled "A
Statement of Facts they try to tell
to the voters of Los Angeles county
that the coroner's Office is conducted
in a manner quite acceptable to some
of the undertakers and that courteous
and businesslike treatment Is handed
out to all alike.
STATEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS
"a Statement of Facts is nothing
but political buncombe of very poor
quality. The majority of undertakers
whose names are attached TO thlS
statement are outside of the city and
each is the only undertaken in nus
town. Many of these are putting forth
their best efforts to elect DR.. A. Z.
Pratt, a reputable, highly-respected
physician, and will continue TO 90 SO
until the polls close.
"It is a fact well known to all that
the office Of coroner has been DOM
mated and controlled by The corpora
tions. Four years ago Calvin Hart
well. who was then county recorder,
could have been elected to that otf1ce,
but he was forced by the corporations
agent at a packed convention, TO ac-
cept the nomination for assessor, an
office that paid exactly the same sal
ary, in order to beat Ben Ward, VINO
was recognized as the best assessor
Los Angeles county ever had. In
most strenuous campaign, which cost
him his life, Ben Ward ran indepen-
IDENTIFY and won out by an overWheln-
ing majority. Later on when Dr.
Lanterman resigned from the Office the
machine took care of Calvin HartWell
by appointing him as coroner, but COM
pelling him to retain practically the
same office force that served under
DIR. Lanterman.
1.-THE incumbent is no more a cor
oner than you who read this. Fred
Williams, chief deputy, and DR.. Camp
bell, autopsy surgeon, are the moving
spirits of the office, and until tnlS
campaign started you were told the
bodies of your relatives, who met an
untimely death, must go to one OF two
undertaking firms. Why? Because
many of the 'higher-ups,' who placed
and keep them there, are stockholders
in one or the other of these two houses
1.-THE chief objection to Calvin Hart
we'll is that he is absolutely powerless
in the office A man who occupies the
position of coroner should be coroner
in fact as we'll as name, carrying all
the power and responsibilities OF the
office, and they should not be dele
gated to anyone, much less to one VINO
is placed and kept in the office by the
agents of the corporations.
I'm view of these facts, which, deny
as they may, are still facts, the voters
should support for the office Of cor
oner DR.. A. G. Pratt, not because he
is a Democrat, Republican, or of any
other party, but because he states
plainly that if elected he will be the
coroner and that the wishes of the
families or the friends of the dead
shall at all times be respected and JUS
tice and fairness shall be done to all
alike.
TSigned) w. H. Sutch, Robert L.
Garrett & Co., Overholtzer Sons COM
pany, Robert Sharp & Son company,
Connell company, Riedeman & Meyer,
Dexter Samson company, Boyle
Heights Undertaking company, Los
Angeles Undertaking company.