Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-06
INVESTIGATING HEIsER.
How Corpses Are Disposed OF A.
the City Cemetery,

On February lltn tue louoNht |
charges were preferred u Council;
To ne Honorable Aay0road cOunea;
The undersigned prefers charges
against Philip Heiser, City Sexton, ior
chSying illegal fees and conducting him
self in manner unbecoming an otiicer
aud gentleman, in this:
1. That on the 18th day OF August,
1879, said Philip Heiser demanded nom
Waldemar Gepp, and received from said
t;epp, the sum Of s. 50 for the interment
Of he body Of deceased inlaut. -.
9. That on the 9th OF January. 1851,
said Philip Heiser demanded OF and
from Waldemar Gepp the SUN Of s4;oo
for the interment 81 the body Of de-
ceased infant, but said Gepp refusing 70
pay said sum, said Heiser accepted the
SUN Of $50 for said interment.
3. That on the 18th day OF August,
1879. said Philip Heiser threatened SAID
Grpp that il the sum OF ~ % was NOT
paid he would throw the said Gepp out
of the cemetery; and further said that u
said Gepp did not pay said SUN oil s4.J1
fD- Gepp To- 70 home, that he, SAID
Henser. would not be bothered with the
interment.
The undersigned prsys Council to IN
yestigate the above grievances, ana u
ready and willing TO furnish full proof oil
the same. WALDENAR GEPP.
The charges were referred to the Com
mittee on Cemeteries Tor investigation
and meeting was held last night Tor
that purpose. Chairman Kimberly
acted as foreman Of the grand jury,
composed of Messrs. McNash, Nc
Adams, Meyers aud himself. The com
plaiuant, Gepp, the defendant, Heiser'
as well AS several city officials and spec
tators were present 10 witness the hear
ing which began. ~,
Mr.. CraCraft said he appeared ~ MI
IIeiser counsel lie said that as lar a.
the money was concerned, the city had
ratified the receiving Of 1t by taking u
when reported As for the othercharges'
they were different matters.
Mr.. Gepp was then called anu sworn
by squire schultz. Diyestlng his test
mony Of its German il Was as follows:
| heard that 81 30 was too much, anu
| could bury in the poor ground much
cheaper. And MIR. lieiser was very
saucy TO me told Mr.. Halier and he
took me down and put it down on pa,
Der, and | signed it. thought !
might get little piece OF ground Tor
three dollars, but MIR. lleiser was
| very saucv, and told me could
lust pay that - so OF take that boiy
and bury il where | wanted to. lie
sald he was boss and he could do Just
AS he pleased. aud nobody could make
him do anything else. THIS Was my
first baby, aud when the second one
died | went TO him again aud lac wanted
tn charge me - 10 again. told him
could not pay It, aud II he wouldn't
bury il would have 10 get Council TO
Ito IL. After long talk in German he
agreed to bury it on top OF the other one
Tor 81 50. lie told me didn't live IN
the corporation, and would have to pay
more. | can't exactly remember what
was said, it was last August and 80
'long ago. have heard from many
people that II only cost 81 30 to bury a
child on the poor ground and sZ'VO ior
grown person. had to talk to Mr.
Heiser very much, almost cry, before
he would bury it, | have been IN this
country only ten months and lost two
children. aud had my wife sick all the
time. And il is very hard Tor u poor
| man To pay more than rich one.
lie volunteered plenty Of Information
that was irrelevant To the matter under
hearing. but was checked of aud the
next witness called.
Mr. Fischer had gone with Gepp, her
son.in-law, to get the grave dug MI
Heiser had not wanted to bury the
child ON account Of its being from tul-
ton. She said many others from ful.
ton were buried there, but lielser said
il was optional with him whether To
take il or not. She then currObOrated
Gepp's testimony in regard to the con,
yersation which took place. She had
not been with him when the second
child WAS buried. She said Heiser had
talked very impudently, both to Gepp
and herself.
Health Officer Edwards told Of iepp' =
coming TO him for a burial permit, at
the times OF the deaths OF both infants.
lie never knew Of refusal 10 bury any
person who died in Ohio county. tie had
told Gepp he thought the second child
might De buried in the grave OF the
other. IA sufficient time had elapsed be-
tween the two deaths.
Mr. Burt, who was City Sexton from
1873 to 1860, gave his experience and
certain rules which governed the yard.
As fus putting bodies in one grave, he
said there MAS no rule and he could
lust pile bodies in clear to the top, II lac
wanted" The general price was - Tor
ground Tor child aud - Tor an adult,
with 81 80 for digging graves for the
former and g. for the latter. The only
difference between residents OF the cor
poraiion and others was that the former
lid not have to pay for the ground. lie
said il any party had come without
money or order aud had n corpse, he
hurried IT, lie had never refused SIN
gle person.
Councilman Boring then told what he
knew OF the running OF the cemetery.
having been long member OF Council
and Of the Committee on Cemeteries
During his examination Mr. McAdams
wanted 10 know il lac knew what he said
by personal knowledge or heatsay, and
the result was little tilt between him
aud Cmcrait Considerable warmth
was developed in the course OF the dis
| pute. and after Chairman Kimberly had
poured oil on the troubled waters, MI.
Relman, former sexton, gave his ex-
perience.
Mr.. IIeiser was then called upon for
his version OF the affair. From what he
said might be gathered that he admitted
the truth II the - 50 aud 81 90 charges,
1 L. 4 al. y. a.. "a. Ia "A
an unfortunate mannerism that s
against him 4 stranger would ina
| CINE he WAS ia hugh wrath wnen he Is
really inwarlly smiling and his face is
continually subject to spasmodic witch
ings. probably robustness
In looking over his returns 10 the
committee. the extra 50 on the tirst
charge did not appear. But he was not
expecting trial aud hal all Of his pa.
| pers at his home, lie claims that
/ he put a pauper interment on the
wrong side Of the ledger, which
make the difference, but the papers viii
show. They will be brought this even
/ ing. until which time the committee al.
iOurned.
Cracraii and McAdams hal another
little tilt over the hearing. in which no
blood was split, however.
In view oi this case, Council bad best
settle down and adopt an ordinance FIX
Ing regular rates for lnterments and also
rules governing them. Let the Gene
terry Committee attend 10 this and avoid
further trouble.
The Rush 10 "a Twelfth strset-Kline