The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-22
A Free MaSOn'S Corpse Turned Away
from Cavalry Cemetery.
REASONS FOR THE ACT.
The Law Of the Catholic
Church Defined.
AN APPEAL TO THE COURTS.


case. The matter will attract widespread interest
among the general public. well among those
connected with the Masonic and other secret bodies
On Thursday of last week Mr.. Denis Coppers OF
Hoboken n. j.. was accidentally shot and killed at
Morches, l.. l., while placing shotgun in boat.
He accompanied by his son and also by his
nephew. the latter being son of exCongressman
Morgan Jones. Mr.. Coppers was well known citi-
of Hoboken, and the Chief Engineer Of its Fire
Department He COMMUNICATE Of the Epis-
copal Church and prominent member OF the
Masonic Order The funeral took place on Sunday
in Hoboken the arrival Of the funeral cortege
Calvary Cemetery the person in charge. represent
ing the superintendent. informed the members Of
the family that the body could not be inferred in
ground but that it might be temporarily
placed in the receiving vault.
AIR. Coppers the owner of q burial plot in
Calvary Cemetery known as plot d. section 7. His
wife, mother sister and his two children buried
there and in his will he directed that his body, not
withstanding he Protestant, should repose
beside those OF his kindred. The three brothers Of
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT. George and Frederick Cop
pers-paced the matter in the hands of Charles w.
Brooke and after the preparation of forty pages Of
aidavits in the that gentleman applied to Judge
Van Brunt for temporary injunction against tho
cemetery authorities, which is to be argued to-day.
applicants last evening to obtain their version Of the
matter. Iu to an inquiry Mr.. Brooke said -
al have declined to give any information upon this
subject deprecating its publicity and only wishing
that the desire of tho family should be accomplished
without notorety. am now only induced to give
information upon the statement that the cemetery
officials have said to persons who called upon them
that they intended to resist the interment the bit
Ter end"
"Wl you relate the facts in the case?"
Under those circumstances 1 will. They are
:ha>c:--
REMARKABLE NARRATIVE
Denis Coppers prominent citizen Of Hobo
ken. He chief of its Fire Department and re-
spected member of the Masonic fraternity. On the
l4th of August he was accidentally shot dead while
cunning ut Moriches Long Island. On Saturday the
l6'h inst the undertaken applied at the Office OF the
Calvary Cemetery in this city for order to have
the grave dug in the lot of in Calvary
terry. presenting at the time, was necessary
the burial permit The usual required fee OF 81 was
paid by the undertaken for the digging the grave
and the receipt therefor given to the undertaken by
the superintendent Of the cemetery. Mr.. d. Bren-
man,"
"Was the deceased member OF any secret Order? p
elm his lifetime Mr.. Coppers has been p romne nt
and active member of the Masonic Order and wa 4
buried from the Masonic Hall in Hoboken Notices
were inserted in the newspapers inviting members
of the Order to attend the funeral. On sunday at
ternoon the funeral took place, the Masonic ges
and the Fire Department forming part of the
cortege to the ferry From thence the body was ac-
companied by number OF the friends of the falnil
to Calvary Cemetery, arriving there at five o'clock
+. NJ. The hearse and number Of the carriages en-
tered the cemetery enclosure and stopped momenta-
rily i'll order that the undertaken should present
the required certificates for actual inter-
ment The of the undertaken handed
to the superintendent in charge OF the
Office at the cemetery the deed of the lot tho burial
permit and the receipt of the cemetery trustees
the money paid for opening the grave. The super
intendent thereupon returned the deed and retained
the burial permit as well as the receipt for the
amount paid for opening the grave saying:-'This
body cannot be buried here The undertaken and
the three brothers of the deceased were about this
time summoned They anxiously inquired why the
inferment was prohibited. The reply OF the super.
intendent was that the order for burial had been
countermanded from the general Off q. The I'M
dertaker then inquired. What we to with
The body Are we to take it away. or
the receiving vaults? The superintendent replied,
You can leave it in the receiving vault tor
one day. Thereupon he wrote an order upon card
ordering the reception of the body the receiving
vault and informing the undertaken and the three
brothers of the deceased that they must apply for
the settlement OF any questions concerning the
burial at the office in New York the next day.
VICAR GENERAL QUINN APPEALED
'On the following day Edward Coppers, the eldest
brother OF the deceased; exCongressnan Morgan
Jones. a brother-in law of deceased. and Father
Curran (who had chrstened all the children of the
Coppers family and who had also performed the
ceremony when the deceased married to his de-
ceased wifeD called upon Vicar General Quinn for
the purpose OF procuring some order for
tile interment OF the body of deceased
in the lot owned by him. After
protracted interview Dr. Quinn suggested that the
matter might remain IA statu quo until he could
about it or until any newspaper talk should be
ended. He also suggested to them not to have any
conversation with newspaper reporters on the sub
jeet. This interview took place on Monday last. on
the following day, the 10Th. Mr.. Morgan Jones re-
ceived letter from Mr.. Brennan. the superinten-
dent of the Office of the cemetery in New York,
dated the 18th inst. notifying him that the body
could not remain in the receiving vault longer than
IL
less removed within that time it would be inferred
III unconsecratcd ground"
That seemed positive declaration" the reporter
remarked.
Eyes. Thereupon. in order to prevent IL possible,
that condition, an application made for an in
Junction to restrain the Calvary Cemetery officials
from removing the body from the receiving vault
unless tor the purpose of its burial i'll the lot
by the deceased, and also to restrain the Calvary
Cemetery Company from intcrrng il in any other
ground. motion was further made aud granted IN
open court before Judge Van Brunt for an order TO
show cause, IN the nature OF an alternative man
uamus, asking for writ of percmptory mandamus
through its respondents, John Kelly, Hugh Moore
aud Dr. James Okourke. to bury the body OF Denis
Coppers III the lot purchased by him i'll his lifetime
Ia that cemetery: These motions arc to be argued
Friday morning."
WHAT WAS SAID By THE RELATIVES
To a HERALD reporter Mr. Edward Coppcrs, the
eldest brother, remarked 1--WE have done every
thing In our power to get the demands of humanity
respected without making this painful matter pub
lie. bat they referring to the cemetery authorities)
have brought IL upon themselves. In my brothers.
and our sister. He wished to lay has body beside
them and made such wish expressly in his will. 1t
IL our duty to see that wish carried out"
reporter called upon Mr.. Morgan Jones to ascer-
tain what lac desired to say the subject He said
'fhis matter is ia the hands of the three brothers
aud have nothing to DO with 1t. dcprecato the
notoriety OF it very much. II is painful to every
one In that view ana to settle it quietly, offered
go buy lot In Greenwood Cemetery for the inter
mct OF the body, but the brothers would not listen
10 the proposition"
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES VIEWS.
n.
called last night by reporter of the HERALD
Tor his views the subject and the following
versation took place.
II was out of town when the body was brought to
the cemetery, consequently can only speak of what
occurred from hcarsay."
"But IL you had been in town would you have
buried itY'
Certainly not; couldn't / am only an officer
Of the trustees; must obey the rules.
.'And wuat do the rules say Z"
1--WE can e take but Catholics"