Directors of Poor v. Wallace
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
ERROR to the Common Pleas of Washington county. This was an action of assumpsit by Oliver Wallace against the Directors of the Poor of Washington county, to recover the price of coffins furnished for the burial of poor and destitute persons, who were carried off by an epidemic which prevailed in Taylorstown some years since.
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ERROR to the Common Pleas of Washington county. This was an action of assumpsit by Oliver Wallace against the Directors of the Poor of Washington county, to recover the price of coffins furnished for the burial of poor and destitute persons, who were carried off by an epidemic which prevailed in Taylorstown some years since. In one of the cases an order of relief was made whilst the pauper lay on his death-bed, and a few days before his death, but was not presented to the directors until after his death and burial. In the other cases no order was previously made; but subsequently to the death…
1Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Huston, J.
The Act relating to the support and employment of the poor passed the 13th of June 1836, though most of its provisions relate to them while alive, yet in several sections have relation to the funeral expenses. See sections 14, 23, which seem to put the funeral expenses on precisely the same footing as the maintenance of a pauper while alive; and the 33d section' gives the overseers the same rights to recover any property belonging to a pauper, and apply it as well to pay the expenses of their funeral and burial as of their maintenance while…
2Cited by5 opinions
- Danville State Hospital for the Insane v. Bellefonte Borough Overseers of the PoorSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1894
- Directors of the Poor v. WorthingtonSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1861
- Directors of the Poor v. MalanySupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1870
- Overseers of the Poor v. Overseers of the PoorSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1865
- Directors of the House of Employment v. MurrySupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1858