Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1901 — An Unnecessary Inquest [ARTICLE]

An Unnecessary Inquest

Coroner Wright held an inquest, Friday, aUthe residence of Luke Long in Wheatfield tp., on the body of a 4 months’ old infant child of George Erwin. The child’s mother being dead. The child died of summer complaint after a short illness, and though a doctor was sent for from Hebron, the child was dead before he arrived. He refused to issue a death certificate, and hence the supposed need of a coroner’s inquest. It was entirely unnecessary, however, if Dr. Hurty is good authority, for in the letter from him published in Saturday’s Evening Republioam and Tuesday’s Semi-Weekly, the householder can issue a certificate of death when the death occurs without an attending physician. •