Corpse:

Water:

From the Los Angeles Daily Times, August 7, 1900
Smelly money from a corpse is forced upon a reluctant county treasurer, who gets even when payday comes around

Coins like these were found upon a body, turned over to the County Treasurer, then later passed to Coroner Lauren T. Holland as part of his pay. But Holland threw them to the floor.

Top row, two silver dollars, two quarters and two dimes. Bottom row, five pennies. Total: $2.75

County Coroner Lauren T. Holland examined a body found in the foothills north of town and retrieved a purse full of coins from the dead man’s pocket. As required by law, he turned the putrifying purse — with its $2.75 in coins — over to a decidedly reluctant County Treasurer Mark G. Jones.

Read what happened next, below.

The Treasurer planned revenge on the Coroner, and when Holland came in at the beginning of the month for his pay, Jones counted out Holland’s money very carefully, as follows:

bills, $200 — gold, four tens and one five — silver, $2.25 — and then the dead man’s coins, $2.75, which had been carefully laid away in an envelope for the occasion. Total, $250.

“Whew!” snorted the Coroner. “What is that? Don’t you pass that off on me!”

“But,” suggested the Treasurer, “you gave it to me, and nobody else will take it.” . . .

The Coroner was sputtering like an overheated frying pan.

At this juncture Judge Fitzgerald entered. The Coroner appealed to him.

“I am not on the bench now,” replied the judge . . . .

In a moment the Coroner had grabbed up all his money and slipped it into his pocket, save the “offal” coins, which in his rage he tore from their envelope and threw one by one over the counter onto the floor. . . .

Upon consultation with the District Attorney’s office, the Coroner was advised that “the money, though deceased, was still legal tender,” and that smell had nothing to do with its value.
From the Los Angeles Daily Times, August 10, 1900

(At the Courthouse)

WAR OVER “OFFAL” MONEY.

Coroner's Second Demand on County Treasurer

Hot Time and Picturesque Profanity

That “offal” money is still causing trouble.

Coroner Holland has made another formal demand on County Treasurer Jones for the $2.75 that he claims is still owing him on his last month’s salary. It happened at noon yesterday. Both the officials lost their tempers. The scene was profanely stormy, and the compliments that passed were fast and furious and picturesque.

The Coroner‘s first demand was made on Tuesday, but it evidently wasn’t satisfactory, for the only witnesses on that occasion were the Treasurer’s deputies, Charley Logan and Johnny Myers.

Yesterday the Coroner took a witness along with him. It was none other than [local attorney] E.L. Hutchinson, Esq. (“El Hutch”) . . . .

Into the office went the pompous Coroner.

“I have come to make demand for the balance of my money,” he stated very positively, and then added, “and I have brought along a witness.”

At first the Treasurer was amused.

“But I paid you that money once and you wouldn’t take it,” he replied with a short laugh.

“Well, but in that stinking money which I won’t take,” snapped back the Coroner.

“It was the very money, though, that you gave me, you selfish —,” but Jones hadn’t time to finish the compliment before the Coroner repeated:

“Well, but I won’t have that stinking money, I tell you!” and the heat began to get oppressive under the doctor’s collar.

“Well, then,” said Jones, “I’ll pay you again what the office owes you. But it’s the last time.”

And he quickly turned to the counting table, fished around for a suspicious little yellow package and shoved it over to the volcanic Coroner with a disgustful, “There, take that.”

 “Is that the stinking money?” demanded the Coroner in his loudest.

 “Well,” said Jones (his ire by this time was running like a smelter), “you can take that or leave it alone, just as you please! I’m getting d—d tired of your bothering around here.”

And with this suggestive remark, Jones shoved the odiferous coins out toward Holland upon the floor. Fireworks followed. All sorts of indelicate language was now on the exchange.

The Coroner was greatly moved. He hastily scrambled around the floor and picked up the coins, smelling them one by one with awful whiffs and cursing the filthy lucre.

Then he wanted “El Hutch” to smell, so he stuck the stuff up under the lawyer’s nose, and while the latter bent down to get four good snuffs, this is what the Coroner said, only worse:

“There’s the d—d stinking money he’s been saving up for me. Isn’t it awful?” . . .

Then the Coroner threw the money through the window at the Treasurer, and, this being a first-class declaration of war, a tremendous fusillade of bad words began, and people were called “overgrown hogs” and all sorts of sons, and other powerful epithets.

Finally Jones thought to end the engagement and said:

“Well, that’s enough! Take your money and get out of here, or I’ll throw you out!”

Then the Coroner, with sundry profanity, told him to take the money and deposit it where it might smell a thousandfold worse.

Then he left. But as he went he said, “I’ll settle with you, young man!” and the fray was over.

When seen immediately afterward, Coroner Holland stated positively that he intended to begin a civil action to recover the now famous $2.75.

Note: The illustrations are modern, not from the 1900s.
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From the Los Angeles Daily Times, August 7, 1900

Forest Ranger Hired

The City Engineer came before the Council yesterday asking authority to employ a ranger to watch the Tejunga [Tujunga], where the water supply of Los Angeles is

threatened. The Council voted to grant the request. K.W. Crable will probably be employed for two weeks or a month, as may be required.
From the Los Angeles Daily Times, August 10, 1900

Westlake Needs Water

How to secure a sufficient supply of water for Westlake [now MacArthur] Park is greatly perplexing the . . . Board of Park Commissioners. . . . it was openly asserted that unless something were done soon to secure a supply of water for that park, much of the shrubbery, most of the grass and many of the trees would be killed. . . .

There are three plans . . . . One is to construct a new pipe line from Echo Park . . . . Another plan, and probably the cheapest in the end, is that of thoroughly repairing the existing pipe line between the Sixth-street reservoir and Westlake. A third plan is . . . to raise water from the lake for distribution.
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To Help the Busy Housekeeper

We are fond of cutting prices on things useful — those articles the housekeeper uses every day — has to have. And we know how these low prices are appreciated — the throngs that come for advertised articles testify to that. We have many conveniences in our household department at little prices that would help you wonderfully with your work.

Vandergrift Rotary Washer. $8.50. Light running, well made and does perfect work. It is steam tight and retains the heat in the water. By turning the large balance wheel one way, the dasher inside reverses or rotates in opposite directions. The flywheel weighs 17 pounds. If not fully satisfactory, this machine can be returned and we will refund the $8.50.

Still the Same Low Prices on Granite Ware. Did you think you could buy out our stock of granite ware in a week or two? Oh, no! To be sure, you have carried away a great deal, but there’s plenty left at these ridiculously low prices. But the low prices may not last forever.

1 qt granite tea or coffee pot, 28c 6 qt granite coffee boiler, 60c 2 qt granite mush boiler, 63c 1 qt granite covered bucket, 14c 10 qt granite bread raisers, $1.00 1 qt granite pudding pans, 10c 5 qt granite milk pans, 10c granite cake pans, 21c No. 6 granite steamers, 45c granite jar funnel, 20c granite basting spoons, 7c granite wash basin, 14c granite pieced cups, 6c granite colander, 20c.

A Few of the Wonderful Bargains Offered Throughout the House. Great big 20c Turkish towels, 12 1/2 c 85c camping blankets, 10-4 size only, 65c swell new imported fancy percales, 15c good American percales, new styles, 7 1/2c ladies’ 20c ribbed vests, 12 1/2c fine linen napkins worth $1.30 doz, $1.00.

The Up-to-Date Department Store, 113-115 North Spring Street.
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