The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-02-28
cREMhT,Nc MRS. PlTTMAN.

-EEMh iNI Mf1o. r. ! H'HN'
\ correspondent writing from
WASHINGTON. Pa. on the 18th, gives
the following additional particulars
Of the burning Of Mrs. Pittmans re-
mains
DR.. LeMoyne, the cremationist,
who is the pride of the town Of Wash
ington, has been q happy man to-day
for lie has cremated the body OF Mrs.
Jane Pittrnan, wife of Ben Plttman.
of Cincinnati, the noted phonographlc
author. Mrs. Pittman's body reached
Washington this morning, accompa-
MED only by Mr.. Pittman and one OF
his newspaper friends from Clncln-
natl. 1t was enclosed in an oiled
casket. shaped somewhat like dry
goods case; the same width all the
way from head to foot. When 1t ar
rived in Washington the casket was
covered with a piece OF black ollcloth,
on the centre OF which was tackled
permit from the health officer OF On
cinnati for the removal Of the body
from that city, and stating the cause
of death to be cancer of the stomach.
A very shabby and very muddy
hearse. a relic of the war OF 1917, was
in waiting at the Washington depot
to receive the body. The ollcloth was
pulled off, and the casket was showed
into the hearse. twas noticed the un'
dertaker took particular painsto tasten
the back doors of the hearse, and the
cause of this was apparent when the
hearse began to roll up the long in.
clined plane that leads to the house OF
burnt bones. II the coffin had not
been securely fastened in 1t, would
have slid down the hill.
The corpse of the woman went uI
the steep hill unaccompanied, save by
the driver of the hearse, and when 1t
reached the little brick house several
of the curiosity hunters who were
sitting on the fence, helped carry it
in. and lay it on the table. Mr.. Pitt
man. meanwhile was seated in DR.,
LeMoyne's parlor, talking with the
old gentleman about the beauties OF
cremation.
At about | o'clock Mr.. Pittman's
and LeMoyne's two sonssand daugh
ters started for the top Of the hill
They and the newspaper friends OF
Mr.. Pittman from Cincinnati were
the only mourners. The furnace wa:
then at q white heat, the De Palm
fireman, James Wolf, having beer
dismissed and IL fireman from thu
Washington gas-works taken III HI:
stead. There were no religious cere
monies Of any kind. Several OF Mrs
Pittman's lady friends in Cincinnati
had read poems and delivered address
es over her, while her body lay il
that city, and Mr.. Pittman himSel
had delivered a short address, bu
neither time was there prayer, or ;
tear. or even Il sigh.
Are you readyt' said the fireman
at two or three minutes before
. O'Clock. "All ready replied
Young LeMoyne. The big iron doc
of The retort was taken off, film.
both rooms with almost nnbearabl
glare and heat. The young LeMoyne
picked up the body, which had beer
laid in the same iron cradle in which
De Palm was cremated. and. restln;
the head on the edge Of the furnace
showed the body in like an oyster
knife going into clam. The bod.
was encased in y white sheet soaked
in alum-water, but this did not en-
tirely cover the head, and, as soon a
the head of the corpse was within
foot or two Of the furnace door, TIL
dry cloths in which the head was Ell
cased caught fire, and III an instanc
the entire building was covered wit
4 dense black smoke, with II slckenin
smell The door WAS quickly closed
but the overpowdering odor of burn
ing hair and flesh lasted for tiftee
minutes or more. although the VIII
dows were opened to get rid of ii
Dense clouds Of this black smoke ais
poured from the chimney of the 1t
tort, filling the air about the bulldln
with the disagreeable smell. Ate
the body had been resting for abou
fifteen minutes, slight blush tlam
came from it. and this continue
throughout the cremation. Ate
three-uuarters of m hour, n skeleto
of fire could be seen through the peel
holes. the head burned off and rolled t
one side, and in few minutes NOR
the bones had all separated and In
loose upon the floor OF the retort
The hip bones were last to give way
and. when they fell in, and hour an
iifty-one minutes after the body wa
put in. the cremation was pronounce
complete.and the building was cleare
and locked up. Mr.. Pittman too
frequent looks through the peep-hole
to see how his wife was cooking. \
the end he expressed much admiratio
Of what he termed the ''heautift
sight" It was decided that the ashe
must remain in the retort until mex
Monday, so that it may cool beyon
any possibility OF cracking when TIL
air is admitted. rs it is badly cracAet
already. Mr.. Pittman is to return
Cincinnati tomorrow morning. an
his wife ashes are ~ be sent on t
him Nv express. Experts say tina
Mrs. Plttfnan burned SO much quicke
than De Palm because she WAS Il fires
corpse and he WAS stale and dry.
JOSH BILLINGS TO GIRLS,