Chap. 256.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 4806, 4811, 4812 and 4815
of the Code of Virginia, section 4806 having been amended by an act approved
March 20, 1924, and to repeal sections 4809 and 4984 of the said Cade, all
of the said sections being in relation to coroner's inquests. [H B 368]

Approved March 23, 1926.

1. Be it enacted bv the general assembly of Virginia, That sec-
tions forty-eight hundred and six, forty-eight hundred and eleven,
forty-eight hundred and twelve and forty-eight hundred and fifteen
of the Code of Virginia, section forty-eight hundred and six having
been amended by an act approved March twentieth, nineteen hundred
and twenty-four, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 4806. Coroner to be notified of any sudden, violent, un-
natural or suspicious death, or death without medical attendance.—
It shall be the duty of the physician, undertaker, or other person in
attendance, to notify the coroner of any sudden, violent, unnatural
or suspicious death, or a death without medical attendance, and upon
notice of such a death, the coroner of the city of Richmond, if the
dead body be in the penitentiary, and in any other case the coroner
of the county or corporation in which the dead body is, shall view the
body and make inquiry into the circumstances of the said death, and
after an inquiry had, as aforesaid, if facts are revealed sufficient to
create in the mind of the said coroner a reasonable belief that the per-
son whose body he shall have been called to view came to his or her
death by murder or manslaughter, or by the contrivance, aiding,
procuring, or other misconduct of any person or persons, he shall fix
a time and place for a hearing to determine when, how, and by what
means the said person came to his death.

Section 4811. Inquisition; its form.—The coroner after hearing
the evidence and making all needful inquiries, shall prepare his in-
quisition, wherein he shall state the name of the deceased (if it be
known), the material circumstances attending his death, and if he
find that he came to his death by unlawful violence, who were guilty
thereof, either as principal or accessory. The inquisition may be to
the following effect: “.................. county (or corporation) of
Lecce e ence eens , to-wit: An inquisition taken at..............
in the county (or corporation) 0) ,on the......
day of.................. , in the year........ , before............
a coroner of the said county (or corporation), upon the view of the
body of.................. , (or a person unknown) there lying dead.
J hereby find that the said.................. (or person unknown)
Llc e eee e eens (Here insert when, how, and by what person,
means, weapon, or instrument he was killed, and any material circum.
stances). In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.”

Section 4812. Inquisition, evidence, et cetera, to be returned to
court; witnesses to be recognized.—The coroner shall return to the
circuit court of his county or corporation court of his corporation the
inquisition, written testimony, and recognizances by him taken; anc
if he find that murder, manslaughter, or assault had been committed
on the deceased, shall require such witnesses as he thinks proper tc
give a recognizance to appear and testify at such court when it sits
for the trial of the accused.

Section 4815. Coroner may require physicians to attend inquest
their pay.—In taking an inquest, the coroner may require one or mort
physicians to attend, and give information and render services inciden:
to his profession useful to said coroner; and reasonable compensatior
therefor shall be allowed, as part of the costs of the inquest.

2. Sections forty-eight hundred and nine and forty-nine hundrec
and eighty-four of the Code of Virginia, are hereby repealed.