A Coroner’s Clash in the Coal Fields
A King County coroner disputes a secret inquest held by mine officials, sparking a public confrontation over workplace death and legal accountability.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In reference to the article in the Intelligencer this morning, that, with H.H. Hancock, I had told the 'fullest particulars' of the accident at the Nemaw mines in which James Wew was killed, I wish to say that I visited the mine Tuesday with Mr. Hancock, but made no 'official' investigation, given that I found that, instead of notifying me, as required by law, the authorities at the mine had caused an inquest to be held Monday afternoon by Thos. Donald, a neighbor of the deceased, at which inquest a verdict of accidental death was rendered at the mine. I make this explanation because the published statement this morning was without my knowledge or anticipation. - A.C. Gault, Coroner King County.
“I make this explanation because the published statement this morning was without my knowledge or anticipation.”
This 1885 dispute captures an enduring tension in Washington labor history: the struggle between industry-led 'internal' investigations and the push for state oversight. Today, this conflict resonates in debates over industrial safety regulations and the power dynamics between corporate interest and public accountability.
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