National Republican., 1884-10-25
CORPSE In THE CAR
SMUGGLING A DEAD MAN THROUGH FROM
FLORIDA TO JERSEY.
A Railroad Conductors "reminiscences or Con-
sumptives He Has Carried to the South Alive
and Brought Back In Boxes.

1T wonder how soon he will beshipped
back by express9' meditated railroad
man last night, as muffled up hgure
passed painfully along the platform OF tho
Baltimore and Potomac depot on its way
10 the southern express.
"Do you sec many Florida invalids
como back that wayP" asked REpuBLI-
CAN reporter.
"From three to fivo week In good
seasons, md sometimes as many as
hat in q day. Some die on the way
there and few on the return trip. but
st the places cracked up as consumption
sures the coffin trade is lively, tell you,
while the 'curers are called embalmers,
and 20 down there every season with the
fush Of sick men and women. They
pick out their likely early victims rs
soon as they see them. used to run a
sleeper down there; that's how know"
"Does it cost rs much to bring back tho
dead as II did to take them DOWN."
"Just about double. You see there's
che care that has got to bo taken Of tho
cofins. They are not m ade like Saratogas,
and q breakup would be verv awkward.
And then there's the permits that have
TO be got TO pass the corpses through
each state, and some charge high for al
lowing the bodies to go over their boun-
asry lines"
"Do you always got permits ~
"When we know there Is corpse on
board we do, becau all concerned would
be liable to are the next time we
passed into the state
"But you could scarcely be imposed
upon, except In the case of medical sub
jects, suppose ?"
II guess not easily, because man must
be pretty mean who would crowd his
wife's body into cask. and certainly nc
woman would serve her husband 30. how
ever badly she might have treated him
when he was about and we'll. But re
member one case where We brought
corpse nearly all the way in sleeper and
never know II till we got to Jersey. You
see. poor sick cuss in charge OF two
friends got on at jacksonville. He wal
very far gone. and expected to have II
leave the party at one Of the towns we
passed through. But when no such thint
happened did not trouble; only though
I'd missed my guess for once. The party
occupied whole section, and refused II
let the porter make the beds up, and the,
kept in their seats all the way. At las
The sick man was never seen to move, ant
the other two seemed to be very attentive
to him, one Of them tanning him nearl!
tho whole way; at least when
ever passed through woul,
see the fan agoing. Tho siol
man did not seem to have much o
an appetite, but, then, that was nothin
strange. Well, all went along all righ
until we got to near where they had t
get off. Then the porter came to me, an
i could see q big bill sticking out Of hi
pocket He said as how the sick ma
would need carrying out, and would
lend him my rug to sling him in. Th
next time passed the party there was
strong smell of some sort of scent in tina
part of the car. Tho porter had helpe
them put the rug under the sick mar
and when the train stopped at their tow
the three carried him out on 1t. The
did not have to support his back, and h
legs did not drag. Istarted to look in h
face. but one of his friends accidental
pushed his hat down over his eyo
and / did not see anything but h
under jaw, and that was hanging. Thi
man was dead. He had not lived moi
than half an hour after he got on the ca
got II all from the porter long atte
though he denied that there was anythii
out of the way at the time. The frien
had decided that they would not let
about what had happened for fear of beii
stopped and having lot Of bother wi
getting permits and certificates of Il
cause of death and all that That W
the only corpse ever carried without
coffin that knew Of