The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-24
THHBUCKRAHH MYSTERY
DR.. Converse Refuses to
State the Result of
the Autopsy.
THE INQUEST SET FOR TUESDAY.
There Is Some Basis for the
Belief, That Buckrath Was
Poisoned.

The death of George Buckrath, whose
body was found in Schuetzen Park last
Thursday morning, is still shrouded in
mystery. Coroner Brackner empanelled
jury yesterday afternoon and after
viewing the body they were released
until next Tuesday evening, when they
will hold the inquest at Coroner Brack
ners residence, No. 60 Franklin street.
The names of the jurymen are Albert
Bode, William Roemir, William G.
Raven, Thomas Hufnaegle, Fred Ploehn,
Theodore Boelz, William Gulden, John
Brewer, Louis Emmerich, Paul Esser,
Henry Keyser and Fred Miller.
County Physician Converse called at
Goshwind's morgue yesterday afternoon
and made an autopsy on the body.
/ saw him before he COM
menced, and at that time he
seemed disposed to think that
Buckrath had come to his death by nat,
ural causes. DR. Taylor and DIR. Warden,
Of Union Hill, DR.. Lange, of West New
York, and Coroner Brackner were pre-
sent and assisted the County Physician
during the autopsy.
THE DOCTORS ARE RETICENT.
Ine OOCbOrS QlQ Dnelr WOrK very care
fully and nearly three hours elapsed be-
fore they finished their Investigations.
What the result was they refuse to state
positively. but said that the result of the
autopsy would be submitted to the
Coroner's jury at the inquest next Tues
day.
1t is safe to say, however, that County
Physician Converse, despite his reticence,
is not quite as confident that the man
died natural death now as he was be-
fore the autopsy When the body was
placed on the slab before the autopsy it
was as rigid as marble. A superficial ex-
animation showed that the skull had not
been fractured, and the wild story about
the bullet hole in the head was completely
exploded. AS soon as the scalpel had
been inserted in the body the rigidity dis
appeared, and the limbs became surpris-
ingly pliable.
Upon further examination the brain
was found to be badly CONCEALED, but the
bruises on the face were discovered to
have been only skin deep, and they could
not have caused Buckrath's death. The
lungs were in state of intense congestion.
No lesion of the heart was found, and no
symptoms of either organic or inorganic
disease were noticed by the physician in
that organ. The right ventricle was
filed with blood in a fluid state, in fact no
CONCEALED or coagulated blood was found
in any of the organs. In the stomach the
doctors found about half pint of beer,
which County Physician Converse re-
moved for analysis. The other organs of
the mans body were in healthy con-
dition.
THE THEORY OF POISON.
called upon prominent physician of
North Hudson this morning and after
listening attentively to the description of
the results of the autopsy he then said
II do not care to give any opinion before
the inquest has been held, but will can
hot + da-t ho
terious one and think there are evidences
of foul play.
s'Do you think, Doctor" said l, "that a
man in good health, and especially one
whose heart was not diseased, could have
succumbed so easily to congestion, the
result of his overheated condition."
81 think it hardly probable" replied the
doctor
''Do you think he died of alcoholism2"
then asked
mo, I do not" was the reply. ellis
uncle stated positively that Buckrath
was not man addicted to the use of
strong drink, and taking this into con-
sideration with the result of the autopsy,
l cannot believe that alcoholism was the
cause"
A strange and startling theory has
taken possession of the minds of several
of the doctors who have heard the result
of the autopsy, and that is that Buckrath
was the victim of poison, whether ad-
ministered with suicidal intent or not,
cannot be said.
the large quantity of fluid blood found in
the body, the rigidity of the body which
Welded so suddenly under the scalpel, the
bloated appearance and purple hue of the
face, are all symptoms which would point
to death from the effects of poison.
This theory is growing stronger in the
minds of the doctors, and though none
of them care to father it. they are await
ing with much interest the result of the
analysis to which County Physician Con-
verse will subject the beer found in Buck
rath'S stomach.
The hat found in the park with the
supposed bullet hole in it is three sizes
too large for the dead man.
The bullet hole had evidently been
made with cane.
Detectives have been set at work upon
the case, but seem to be at a loss for
clues
Warters, Dempf and Swecke, who
lifted Buckrath on to the bench; Hoff-
mann, the letter carrier, and probably
some others. will appear at the inquest
and give their testimony.
No traces have yet been found of the
owner of the handkerchief marked o. H.,
which was found near the body, or of the
woman in white who was seen raising
Buckrath III her arms, or of the thieves
who rified the dead mans pockets.
UnderUaker Muller, from stanton
street, New York, removed the body of
Buckrath to his brothers residence, No.
1T Clinton street, after the autopsy, and
it will be buried today.
Amateur detectives and morbid curios-
ity seekers by the score have infested
North Hudson since the tragedy, and the
only thing they don't know about the
case is the real cause of Buckrath's
death.
An Outing for the Boys.
Monday will be celebrated by the mem
bers of the Enoch j. Smith Association, of
41,;s citv as their animal realization oala