The New York herald., 1874-11-19
THE YoNKERs CORPSE MYSTERY.
An Unexpected Finale to the Sad Affair
Death at Length Claims Hts Own.

An Unexpected Finale to the Sad Affair
Death at Length Claims Hts Own.
In the case OF Bertha Miller, the little girl at
YonKers, Westchester county, who, It was sup.
posed. died on Wednesday night last week, as al
ready set forth In the HERALD, the question as to
whether the child was really alive or dead mas az
length been somewhat Unexpectedly decided In
favor OF mortality, and the grave had claimed It's
kindred earth. Yesterday morning being The
sixth day since the little one was pro-
nounced dead marked change was observed
by the watchers to overspread the hitherto
perfectly natural appearance Of the face OF the
corpse, which In q short time lett no room to
doubt that the process OF decomposition had COM
menced. This melancholy discovery was without
delay gently communicated to the orrow-strlcken
parents, whose oyerweening hopes Tor con-
trary result prevented them from AZ nrst believing
the dread intelligence. The inevitable process OF
decay, however, set In so rapidly that in lew
hours the body emitted such an offensive odor as
10 render immediate interment necessary. Ac-
cordingiy, at an early hour In the AFTERNOON, the
casKet % was closed. and after the Rey; Leo hoenlg
had read the simple yet touching burial
service OF the German Lutheran Church
the remains were taken to ST. Johns Cemetery and
there buried IN the presence OF concourse OF
sympathizing spectators.
In a conversation with the father OF the deceased
last evening the writer aseertained IRON him that
he did not believe the child was dead when taken
from the ice coffin. and also that he could not be-
ieve death had occurred until he saw the DIS
coloraton OF the body yesterday morning.
he further expressed entire confidence in the
skill OF the physician who attended the patient
served what was lett OF the medicine prescribed
for the child and intended submitting IT to a doc.
tor OF MS acquaintance in New YORK, IN order 10
fully satsiy himself as to its composition.
Letter from . Westchester Physician.
KNGsBRIDGE, N. Y, Nov. Is, 1874
To THE EDITOR OF THB HERALD:-
Being In YonHers yesterday a short time after
reading she case OF little Bertha Miller In the
HERALD, Iwent to her house, and after inquiries
and careful examination OF the body lound the
following facts This child had scarlet fever
thirty days before her death. She then, as mega
tive OF the fever, had what her attending hysc,an
pronounced to be dropsy of the heart-an acci-
dental consequence OF scar!atina. She died
on Wednesday night. The iather Immediately
after her death wen: 70 the undertaken and asked
him TO put the body on ice in order keep her until
sunday when the unera would take place. Four
mll days taen elapsed between the time or death
until the time when she WAS taken out OF the ice
70 be put In the CONN. Now, the only signs tina {
led the undertaken ana his assistants TO believe
that the child was not dead was that the body
was limoer, that there total absence OF ri0o1'
nofrtS or stiffness. Besides TINS condition the
child never showed any signs OF being alive since
IL dled, and the phenomenon observed was nothing
else but a natural one.
STIFFNESS OF the body begins generally from three
to twenty-four hours after death. This stiffness
has sometimes a duration OF only few hours and
sometimes persists for one two or three days II
the temperature Is dry and cool; to TINS stiffness
succeeds a complete relaxation OF all the organic
tissues. Abandoned to physical laws the body
Is at first subjected to very few apparent changes
and the skin still keeps It's natural
color. This condition may extend to the sixth or
eighth day, sometimes longer; but between the
sixth ana twelfth day the phenomena OF putrefac-
tiOn are always developed. Thus, every time that
the body OF an individual who has died suddenly
still preserves little neat, II may be concluded
that death has only occurred a lew hours (twenty-
four at the mOst) before. II rtgOr mOrtiS exists
death has occurred one TWO or three days before.
II there Is neither heat nor Stiffness nor begin.
nlng OF putreIaction, death may have occurred
three four or flve days before. The first signs OF
decomposition Are the soitening OF all the tissues
and the yellow or green color OF the abdominal
walls, col0raton which soon extends to the
tnorax, the neck, the lace, the inferior lnDs the
superior limbs. when follows general empty sema
OF the body, caused by the distentlon OF gas.
Now, when tnat child was changed from the Ice
to the coffin lt was the fourth day. Relaxation ol
the tissues had already taken place, probably the
day before. When / saw this body yesterday the
right side of the abdomen was green. indicating q
beginning OF decomposition. This was the sixth
day. then made lew lncsi0ns on the right hip
but without the least sign OF blood oozng through
dead but thought proper to advise the father t(
keep the BODY until putrelactlon mad fairly set In
IN order 10 Danish from ms mind Tor the future tn
idea that he might have buried his cnild awe
Yours very respectfully, p. DE NJ, NJ. D.