Physical Description:
616 volumes
Arrangement
Volumes bound chronologically by date of death, mostly one volume per month. 1906 and July 1929 consist of three volumes each.
Scope and Contents
Death Report volumes contain two-page (11" x 17") forms documenting individual deaths. Each death report is divided into five
sections. Depending on the case, some or all of the requested information may be filled in. The first section records general
information: date and time body is received; name of person reporting the case; name, address, telephone number, sex, color,
age, nativity, marital status, occupation, and residence of deceased; time of death or time discovered dead; place of death;
presumable cause of death; time body received at morgue; deputy's name; messenger's name; undertaker's name and address; signature
of person who signed for the burial, and his or her relation to the deceased.
The second section, labeled "In case of accident, suicide, etc.: information prior to time of death," records time, place,
and nature of accident or suicide; time/date received in hospital; predisposing cause (if suicide); and date and verdict of
inquest.
The third section, labeled "Autopsy Certificate," records date, name of deceased, date and time of autopsy, cause of death,
and signature of physician.
The fourth section records names and addresses of witnesses, along with any information provided by them, and the signature
of the person receiving the report.
The fifth section, labeled "History of the Case," contains narrative notes related to the death. By 1923, this section also
includes a brief "Property Receipt" area.
As mentioned above, the Coroner's Register form has a re-designed and expanded format, titled "Record of Death." As with the
Death Reports, depending on the case, some or all of the requested information may be filled in. Besides the information included
in the Death Reports, Coroner's Registers include additional information on the decedent, disposition of the body, and notification
or involvement of officials, as well as new categories of data on insurance, emergency hospital records, evidence, autopsy
surgeon's report, result of inquest, property, disposition of property, receipt for clothing, and newspaper clippings. Some
volumes contain cumulated statistics and indexes by last name in the prefatory pages.