The Detroit times., 1910-07-30
UNDERTAKES SORE
At VAN LERBERGHE.
Say County Official "Solicits Bust
ness" in Morgue, Will Protest
To Auditors.

Loren w. Burch, undertaken at No.
1879 FOREST west. mas died a COM
plant with the Undertakers' associa-
ton of Detroit against Henry Van
Lerberghe, county undertaken. No. 584
Mt. Elliott-ave.. who has charge or
the bodies brought TO the county
morgue. Mr.. Burch sets forth that
Undertaken Van Lerberghe is guilty
Of unprofessional conduct, alleging
that he, through his representative IN
the county morgue, solicited patron
age from one OF Burch's patrons dur
Ing a bereavement.
The association received Burch's
complaint In a recent meeting and APP
pointed the following committee to In
vestigate: John w. Nancy, c. E.
Bird. ] F. G.. Scbmalzriedt. No. 1345
Michigan-ave., Fred g. Marshall, No.
245 Beaubien-st., and Mr.. Burch, the
complainant. The committee will call
ON the county auditors within day
OF two and lay Burchs complaint be-
fore them.
I'VE want the county auditors TO
tell Mr.. Van Lerberghe that he must
not solicit private business In connec-
ton with cases which come to the
county morgue," said Fred G. Mar
shall, vice president of the Undertake
err. association Saturday. -"Mr.-Van
Lerberghe knows very we'll that he Is
not supposed 10 canvass for business
among the relatives of persons whose
bodies come to the county morgue
To get rid of Just such conditions was
the undertakers' hope In getting the
county morgue established. Before 1t
came into being we were troubled a
great deal by the coroners sending
bodies to their friends who were in
the undertaking business. The open
ing OF the morgue did do away with
the unfair work until the present In
stance. While Mr.. Creedon was do
ing the morgue work we never had
the slightest reason to complain. He
was fair In all his dealings.
And, speaking about the county
morgue, brings to my mind reform
which ought to be established. At
the present time the morgue is closed
at night, and II is even difficult to get
into Ii Saturday afternoons. Now that
should not be; there ought to be three
clerks for the coroner's Office, each
one working eight hours, so that the
place would be always open. That's
the way they do things in other cities.
and we should have the same conven-
fences here. We generally have
hard time getting bodies into the
morgue at night or on Saturday after
Undertaken Van Lerherghe. who Is
H. Of a " a Ia y
says that there is abso-
lutely no ground for the complaint OF
Mr.. Burch. =
"As matter OF fact said Mr.. Van
Lerberghe, "the party whose patron
age Mr.. Burch says we solicited didn't
the name Of Burch to my as
sistaSt, Robert A. Wilson, In the coun-.
L. morgue. The father OF the dead
girl in the case asked Mr.. Wilson for
his price to burg her and Mr.. Wilson
told him we'd do the work for $74.
The price was accepted and we buried
the body.
Later Mr.. Burch telephoned me at
the morgue and said he was coming
for the body. | said. All right, come
and get it. He didn't come, however.
Then | said to the father OF the dead
girl, Why. you have been dealing
with Mr.. Burch, haven't your He adj
mitted that he had. but declared that
he wasn't going TO give the job TO
Burch and pay $131, which amoupnt
Burch wanted for the burial.
Now that's all there Is to the story.
am not trying TO beat any under
tsker out Of q job; am dealing fair
" with one and all But ! am doing
4 good business and that's the trouble
With the other undertakers; they're
Jealous OF me. am going to keep
right on doing business as usual.
though believe in doing business on
a fair profit and getting lots to do.
don't go on the plan OF charging big
prices and getting about one job a
month, as many OF the city undertake
ers do. have Just put up fine
building at Waterloo-st. and Mt. FL
Iiott-ave. and guess the other under
takers think | am getting along too
we'll