The Republican journal., 1915-04-08

SSctlon .. Each medical examiner
bic o,n nelore entering upon the duties .,
nare o.nce De duiy sworn to the iallni ,.
perIormance of his duty, and shall make
examination as hereinafter provided up
o oa sne view Of the dead bodies OF such
con, .ot - only as are supposed TO nave a
lawful act.
Section 4. It shall be the duty Of any
one finding body of any person who
nay oe supposed to have come to his
uea.n py violence or unlawful act TO
ntna notify one of the municipal
memhs;, - police 9h officer or constable! e.
e.per OF the board Of selectmen. or
ICON constable II IN a town. . member Of the
Ooaiu OF assessors,-if in plantation
aau n IN an nnorganized place. the most
city. S to aegessinie Of such officials IN any
county 60 whose duty 1t shall be at once
70 TAKE charge Of such body and retain
Gus CUSTODY thereof without removal until
c enu arrival OF medical examiner. the
euuhty m, attorney or the attorney gem
eral Inc person 30 finding such body.
OF the Official taking charge thereof
snaH then Immediately notify the most
tS a accessible medical examiner IN
me county wherein the body is found
ana the county attorney thereof who
snau AZ once notify the attorney gener-
a.. Upon notice that there has been
h hodno Or as lying within his county the
poay OF q person who is supposed to
nave come to his death by violence or
unlawful act. the medical examiner
snalI forthwith repair to the place
Where SUCH body lies and take charge OF
lne same, and before said body is ro.
moved he shall reduce or cause to be
reduced to writing a description Of the
location and position of the body and
an any ana an facts that may be deemed
important in determining the cause Of
Death He shall then make an autop-
sy IN the presence Of physician and
one other discreet person sufficient in
ms Judgment to disclose such facts as
may pc attainable thereby which would
pc OF assistance in determining tho
cause OF death. He may compel the
assistance of such physician and per-
syn, py subpoena, If necessary, and he
snail then and there at the time of said
autopsy reduce or cause to be reduced
70 writing every fact and circumstance
dlsclosed by such autopsy tending to
snow the manner and cause of death,
WHlch record shall be signed by hirns
SELF and the witnesses who have at
tended, who shall in addition to their
names subscribe their address and place
q business In case at the time Of
hndlng of such body there be no medi-
cal examiner within the county by rea-
son or vacancy in the office, incapacity
OF absence from the county, any medi-
cal examiner in an adjoining county
may be notified whose duty it shall be
to attend and perform all duties pre-
scrlbed by this act as though he were
medical examiner within the county.
ne see.i9n a. .. IT upon such views with
petsonai inquiry or autopsy as is re-
CURED by the preceding section, the
medleal examiner is of the opinion the
death of the person was caused by yio-
fence, criminal or otherwise, he shall
at once so notify the county attorney
and the attorney general, and file with
eacn duly attested copy of the record
or the case. He shall also make a re
TURN OF the death of such person to the
u ,,,t or Town clerk as required by law,
winch shall he SI1n1l1ayo
personal description of the deceased for
Identification. -oA
section 6. The county attorney Or at
torney general may require the medical
examiner to perform an autopsy if in
their judgment the same is advisable,
IN cases where the medical examiner
mas not deemed it necessary to do so,
and on receiving the report of a medi-
cal examiner Of an autopsy made by
MN IN pursuance of the provisions of
sons probably implicated may, when
deemed necessary authorize the medical
examiner to take an inquest upon the
view OF the dead body of the person
whose death is supposed to have bee.
occasloned unlawfully, and such med4-
cal examiner shall thereupon summon
to appear before him. such witnesses
as the county attorney or attorney gem
eral may direct, who shall be examined
under oath by said county attorney or
attorney general. All such testimony
shah be reduced to writing by the med
iGal examiner or under his direction and
snail be signed by the witness and
sworn to. The medical examiner shall
preside at such inquest and shall renort
IN writing his conclusions when and
where and by what means the person
came to ms death, to the county attor-
ney or attorney general, and if it an
pears 10 him that it was a case Of
homicide, he shall so state and NAV
state the name of the person, who in
mt fhnr 50.
TO believe contributed to such death. if
known to him. The county attorney
and the attorney general shall then pro
coed to execute the laws of the State
and may direct CHE holdings of witness
es as they shah deem necessary
80 Section T. Iffa medical examiner re.
ports that a death was not caused by
violence or unlawful act and the county
attorney or attorney general is of q
contrary opinion, nothing in this act
shall be construed to prevent either OF
these officers directing an INQUEST in
accordance with this act
Section s. The medical examiner
win the advice and consent of the
county attorney or attorney general
may IT he deems necessary call a chem.
!sL or other expert to aid in the exam.
NATION OF the body or of substance sup.
posed to have caused or contributed te
the death of such person and such chem.
ISL or other expert shall be entitled te
such compensation for his services as
me medical examiner and the county
attorney shall certify to be just ant
reasonable Any person employed te
reduce to writing the results of any OF
the proceedings provided for in this ac'
SNAIL be sworn and shall be allowed
reasonable compensation.
Section 9. The medical examiner up
on the completion Of his examination
autopsy or inquest shall deliver tn.
dead body upon their claim therefor, tt
one or more of the persons hereinafte
to as follows First. the husband O.
wife, as the case may be; second, tn,
next of kin; third, any friend Of the de
ceased. But if the dead body is uniden
tined or Is unclaimed for a period o.
not less than forty-eight hours follow
ing the view thereof, the medical ex
aminer shall deliver the body to tn,
overseers of the poor in the town o.
II IN plantation or unorganized plac,
to the county commissioners who shat
decently bury the same, or shall delive
1t to the board of distribution as pro
vided in section three Of chapter seven
teen Of the Revised Statutes The ex
pense of burial shall be borne by tn,
municipality liable for the support o.
the deceased, If any within the State
and If not by the State
Section 10. In all cases arising unde
the provisions of this act the medica
examiner shall take charge Of any mon
tey or any other personal effects of tn,
deceased found upon or near the bod,
and subject to the right of the State tt
use the same as evidence, shall del.ve
= them to the person or persons entitled
thereto, or if there is any doubt regard
ing to whom they shall be delivered
this fact shall be made known to tn,
judge Of probate for the county, who's,
directions in the case shall be followed