The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-07-15

Garfield. 1t was lined with No. l en-
vet, and decorated with silk fringe.
rosettes, cords and tassels. There Were
thumb screws and extension bar handles
of gold and of silver and draperies of
velvet. The name plate was also of sill
yer and gold. The charge for it was $500,
and ellow-undertaker swore it was
worth 500. Everything also correspond
ed. But the entire estate of the deceased
footed up only about $4,000, and the
heirs objected to deduction of nearly
quarter for funeral expenses. The ques-
tion went before 4 referee, who says he
thinks the heirs are in the right: the cost
of a respectable funeral need not have
exceeded SO, and lie recommended cut
ting the bill down to that sum. The I'M
dertaker declares that the deceased while
alive sent for him to prepare the most
elegant funeral possible. took his esti-
mates of cost, and agreed with him Old a
limit of 5000, and he would like to know
charge his estate with contract for :,
costly funeral as with any other future
expenditure. At last accounts the Su-
preme Court was chewing this law point.
If he loses his case it will be some time
before he again INDUCES his customer in
such fancies without cash i'll advance.
The story of a Philadelphia case last year
was that a young woman who died leav-
ing about 500 worth of property; also .
brother and sister who were entitled to
inherit it. An aunt, at whose house the
girl died, assumed to order a costly fun
eral. and the undertaken furnished an
elegant casket, price $40: shroud, $50;
10 carriages, $50; flowers, $40; black
plumes and other tokens, and carried the
niece to the grave at total cost of $3.50
and more than half of her estate. The
brother and sister objected, and the court
cut the bill down to 800, leaving the
aunt and the undertaken to settle the
balance between them.
The latest English pamphlets bring
singular case. Mr.. CTookenden died,
and his executors buried him, but not in
''consecrated ground His will, how
ever; contained direction that his re-
mains should be given to Miss vii.
liams, and that his executors should pay
any expenses she might incur in dispos-
idg of them according to directions he
had given in q private letter to her. Be
fore long Miss Williams came forward
with the letter, which proved to be re-
quest that she would see him cremated.
She asked the authorities for 4 license to
exhume, who answered: '.Not for the
purpose of cremation but you may have
license for removal to consecrated
ground" The lady accepted the license,
but no sooner had she obtained posses
sion of the remains than she exported
them to Milan, where they were cremat-
ed and she then brought the ashes back
to England and had them buried in the
consecrated churchyard she had propo,-
ed. She sued the executors for 1921 the
expenses of these proceedings; but the
court said that the legacy of the body
amounted to nothing in law: the execu-
tors were right in burrying it. Crema-
ton is probably unlawful in England:
and at any rate, as the lady had resorted
to a trick to accomplish it, she might
bear the expenses herself.
In Maryland after funeral was over
the executor invited all present to return
to his house for dinner and some seventy
or eighty persons, bringing twenty-five
or thirty horses, accepted and attended.
The cost of the dinner and horse feed.
reckoned at 800, the executor included
in his account against the estate. The
court struck it out. The executor said
it was the custom of the neighborhood'
to invite the surviving friends to dinner.
But the court said that such is not a
proper custom; it would expose estates
to be devoured to any extent Il plan;
Judge of Probate might permit.
Cost of monuments comes under the
same surveillance as funeral expenses. y
New York will directed the executor /"
appropriate portion OF the estate TO
procuring the erection of a suitable mon
ument over testator's grave. The estate
was $ll 900, and the executor contractet!
for monument to cost 81 .4Jo. The
court said this was too much, and reduc-
ed the expenditure to s100.-N. }. Tatn.