The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-22
MUNCE,s BODY RECOGNIZED.
Statement OF Captain Helms, OF the
Central Once.

statement OF Captain Helms, OF the
Central Once.
PHILADELPHIA. August 81, 1873.
To the telegram Of Captain Helms the following
answer was returned;-
WASHINGTON Pa, August 20, 1873.
The Munces are on their way. They will arrive
by tomorrow mornings train. 8 H. LITTLE
At the time indicated the parties arrived, and
they consisted OF two brothers and sister Of the
unfortunate man. They accompanied Captain
Helms to the building where the twenty-five
bodies were in soak, when, strange to say, they
failed to recognize in the body shown them by the
officer the face and the form OF their lost
brother. Then up from the depths OF those
watts other bodies we're nshed and in one
OF them they saw the form and features Of
him for whom they sought and they were satisfied.
The Information thus far, in it's real truth, had
been kept secret until tonight, when, before the
representatives of the press, Captain Helms made
the following startling statements:-
CAPTAIN HELMS STATEMENT.
Omitting what has been said above his remarks
were these-"ThOmas Munce was q man Of large
means. His farm at home comprised 500 acres. He
was unmarried. He left home the latter part Of
June. He was traced to Pittsburg, whence he found
his way to Philadelphia. His relatives all rich.
When found drowned he had no coat. 1t is thought
that he had none when he left home. When
went to the Morgue one Of the gentlemen In
service there, under the authority OF the Coroner,
Thomas Baxter by name, told me that the body,
which had been drowned, had been long ago
buried. When l asked him for the pair OF old
spectacles which know the drowned man had
worn, Baxter said that he had given them to
Deputy Coroner John Sees When asked John
Sees for the same he told me that Baxter had
never given them to him, and that he knew no.
thing whatever about them Returning to Baxter
and questioning him once more he positively and
emphatcally denied that he had ever told me he
had gwen them to Mr.. Sees
THE BODY NOT BURIED.
''When Jehn Sees was questioned concerning the
disposition made of the body of Thomas Munce he
also said that it had been buried, and burial
tiicate was at the ONCE tproduced) dated July s,
1873 When went to the burial ground they said
that there had been no body buried there July 5,
1873 When 1 questioned the driver OF the dead
wagon, william McEwen, ne said that Baxter had
informed him that he (Baxter) had held the body,
so l searched the medical college ana finally
found it.n
THE DEPUTY coRoNER's MISREPRESENTATION OF
STATUTES.
'There is special statute" continued Captain
Helms, "in this State which forbids that the body
OF stranger should be sold under any cOnsldera-
ton. This statute in this case has been violated.
There is another statute which requires that all
bodies at the Morgue shall be exposed Tor the space
of seventy-two hours From the time the man was
carried to the Morgue and the time Professor
Hodge viewed 1t at the medical college there inter-
vened but forty-eight hours or course this statute
has been violated. There is another statute which
requires that the clothing OF the dead under such
circumstances snail be kept for the space OF one
year. This statute has been also unconsidered.
Such were the remarks Of Captain Helms, veri-
fad in nj mt nv
and Galloway. In relating this whole affair have
sifted the matter to the utmost extent and cur
tailed all the detail that could, because it will all
come out at the Police Court more full and COM
plete than could give it now.
MR.. SEES ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN.
Thus far the evidence Is damaging against
Baxte. n Sees. When the Captain had concluded
his statements regarding the whole matter from
beginning to end, Mr.. Sees himself
came up and essayed few re-
marks They were altogether rointess,
and presented nothing but few unimportant con-
tradictions. Mayor Stokely has taken the matter
in hand and will penetrate 1t to its deepest depths
1t Is perfectly evident that there is a mystery in
the affair which is yet undiscovered. The officers
dare not state it, then would the ends justice
be defeated.
SUCH, THEN, Are THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
The body has been found and the body has been
identified How terrible 1t must have been for
those relatives to see their loved one in such
place, fished up from that loathsome brine. How
did he get there? Who carried the corpse
thther :? Where Is his watch chain Where are
his valuabes? With the exception OF one
unimportant letter addressed to him at New Or.
leans nothing else is at present in the hands OF the
police. The detectives will never give this matter
up until it is sted to the bottom. The chain must
be found, the papers must be found, and woe be to
that man in whose possession they find them.
During the next two days all we trust will .De
brought to light.
How did the old man meet his fate9 Was he
pushed in =? Did he walk in Was he robbed and
thrown int Or did he fall by accident in an un-
guarded moment?