The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1884-08-21
MS TOO TRUE.

An Examination of the Remains of lieu
tenant ISisllnpbury Establishes the Fact
of the Terrible straits to which the Grocly
Party were Reduced-The Living Owe
Their Lives to the Dend.
ROCHESTER, N. ", August Ia.
The dislnterment Of Lieutenant kis ing
bury's body, Of Arctic fame, from its
grave in Mount Hope Cemetery was
made here yesterda, with the consent
and in the presence of w and John 7.
Kislingbury, brothers Of the deceased.
The disclosures resulting from subSe-
autopsy are of ths most revolving char
acter. Lieutenant Kislingbury's re a.
tions had become 1lled with horrible
doubt, on reading the sensational stories
recently published regarding cannibal-
ism among the starving members of the
Greedy expedition, and they dete mined
to learn the truth by exhuming the re-
mains and having them examined by COM
petent physicians. Doctors Charles
Buckley and II. A. Vaudeville yesterday
afternoon made public their sworn state
ment as to the post morton examination,
which was Witnessed by eight persons.
The massive iron casket was first re-
moved as unearthed to the cemetery
chapel where the iilty-two iron bolts
which secured the cover were nn-
screwed. An unusual circumstance was
the absence OF foul gas in the coIlli,
proving that no decomposition had set
in. The mass of snowy cotton waste
was then removed from the lower por-
ton OF the dead mans body, The right
limb was missing from its socket, and
was found to be fastened under the
left one. When the enshrouded
form had been lifted from its
receptac c, two large spots of blood were
seen where the body had rested, but they
were pronounced common occurrence
at burials. The body was packed in cot
ton batting and wrapped in cotton cloth
tied with striugs. Within this covering
was another, consisting of q single wool
en- blank, t. No wounds were visible on
the head, although the eyes were sunken
and wasted. The hair was thick and
| from tive to six inches long, the face be-
| ing covered with 4 heavy reddish beard
and mustache. The skin and muse es OF
| the face aud neck were intact,
but from the upper portion of the
sternum and clavicle to the fifth rib the
| skin and muscles had been removed on
| both sides. The skin and flesh were en-
| tire Y removed from both thighs and legs
excepting the skin upon the knee and
! ankle points. Both feet were intact, and
no bones had been broken. There was
no vestige Of integument or flesh upon
G ther arm, the interosseus membrane OF
the right forearm alone remaining. Flesh
and muscles on both hands were found
well preserved. The examination Of the
! posterlor portion of the body
showed that the skin and muscles OF
the Lack had been cut completely
away down to the bones with the excep.
tion OF few pieces of skin The pelvic
bones were entirely denuded, and al the
extremities were attached to the body
by ligaments only. All the organs Of the
Abdominal and thoracic cavity were pres
ent, and there were no signs oi recent
inf lmmation in the stomach, or bowels.
Hardened Jumps of fecal matter dis
ten ed the large intestines, composed OF
hair moss and woody fibre.
1t is the opinion of Doctors Buckley
and Vaudeville that the flesh had
been cut away with sharp instru-
meat, and that remaining of the feet,
hands and face showed no signs OF de.
cay The remains were fully identified
as those of Lieutenant Kislingbury.