Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-08-27
LAST EDITION
THE BODY EXHUMED.
DOCTORS FIND THAT MRS. MKEE'S
NECK WAS BROKEN.


George w. Mckee, testifes TO its power.
Acting upon instructions from Attor
ney General Biggs, Coroner Nevin Q.
Gamble went before Justice Bertolette
yesterday morning, and asked for writ,
recommending that he exhume the body
of Mrs. KcKee from it's resting place in
the Wilmington and Brsndywine Gene
terry. for the purpose of holding an in
ouest over it. Justice Berto-
lette issued him the following writ, after
a consultation with the attorney gen
eral:
"WILMINGToN, Delaware,
august 90, A. D., 1890.
''To Nevin @. Gamble, Coroner.
II hereby recommend that the body of
Mrs. Anna Mckee be disinterred to hold
an inquest thereon.
"LEyI A. BERToLETTE,
Justice Of tine Peace
The Grave Opened.
Coroner Gamble at once went to Super.
intendent S. G. Penrose Of the Gene
terry in which Mrs Mckee was buried
and ordered him to open the grave that
the post norton might be held at
o'clock. He Immediately called as his as
sistants Charles Brown, Alexander Pike,
and Hugh Farra. and sometime before
any action was taken by either the jury
or the physicians tbs grave had been
opened and nothing but the board con.
cealed the handsome black cloth casket
from view.
The Coroner Selects Jury.
Earlier in the day Coroner Gamble had
selected his jury as follows: Robert ID.
Morrow, George D. ClelaEd, Joseph J.
Dugan, Peter A. Pagan, Thomas Nc
Corkle, b. T. Price of the Morning
News, William r. Long of the Republi-
can, Frank w. Harold of the Every
Evening aud George Carter of the
EVENING JOURNAL.
In order to avoid the publicity that
would attend the matter in case the jury
went to the cemetery in body, each
juryman was requested by the coroner to
meet at the Office OF the cemetery at
about 2 So o'clock, and Chief of Police
Swiggett, at the request OF Superinten-
dent Penrose. placed an officer at the en-
trance to the cemetery for the purpose
Of keeping those persons out who were
attracted to the place by morbid curl
osity.
The grave is situated on the slope Of
the bill at the north side of the cemetery
aud the romantic Brandywine could be
seen from the spot where the body of the
unfortunate woman was to undergo
examination,
The following persons were present in
addition to the jurymen' Coroner Gam
BILE, Detectives Jones and Vandegrift
Superintendent S. G. Penrose, Chief Of
Police w. Y swiggett, E. NJ Hopes,
Funeral Director J. A. Wilson and his
assistants.
The Jury waited some time for the
arrival Of Drs. Maui and Fshey, the
physicians wLo were to perform the
autopsy, but after waiting for some
time the coroner ordered that the body
be taken up, the jury aworn in and the
autopsy held afterwards.
Accordingly the lid of the cedar box
encasing the casket was raised, disclosing
the caslget. which was very dry and
well preserved, considering the wet
weather that has prevailed since the
body was inferred. Funeral Direc-
tor Wilson and his assistants then
carefully raised the cRsket from the
grave and placed it upon the stretcher.
1t was then carried to the walk q few
feet from the grave, and after q screen
had been erected by tieing an awning
from trees on opposite sides Of the path
to hide the operations from the eyes of a
crowd cf curious people who had congre-
gated on the Adams street side of the
cemetery, the lid of the coffin was re-
moved.
When the burial cloth was pulled
from over the lifeless form horrible
sight was presented to those assembled.
The body was in an advanced state of
decomposition, as it had not been EN-.
balmed, and there was not man there
who did not turn his head away from the
sickening sight
The Jury sworn.
Coroner Gamble called the Jury and
they formed in a circle around the coffin,
holding the Bible over the corpse. each
Juror having his right hand upon the
book After they were sworn they
hastily left the casket and assembled at
a point several yards away, where they
organized by electing Thomas McCorkle
as foreman, and H. 7. Price, secretary
After the organization had been
effected, q motion was made and carried
that "the Jury do now adjourn, subject
to the call Of the coroner, and that an
effort be made TO secure the use Of the
grand Jury rooms in the Court House for
the meetings of the jury"
The Autopsy Held.
At about 8. IS o'clock DR. John G. Fahey,
the coroner's physician, End DR.. d. w.
Maui who was to assist him in the post
norton, arrived. At this stage Of the
proceedings several of the party left, but
a majority stayed to see the result Of the
examination that was to determine the
cause of death.
AS the physicians progressed with the
autopsy they made explanations as to the
cause and effect of the various bruises
and wounds upon the body.
First, the scalp and peri cralium were
removed and the skull exposed TO view.
This disclosed the fact that while the-e
were cuts upon the head there was nc
fracture of the skull nor were the wounds
upon the head such as would have been
made by black jack or any other instru
ment. They were evidently pro-
duced by the fall, and would not have
produced instantaneous death The tor
of the skull was then taken off revealing
the brain. There was no congestion o.
the brain nor were the membranes cover
ing it in the least affected. The bruiss
was up on the frutal bone of the skull
but there was some slight discoloratior
upon the side of the head In neither
case had ii affected the interior lining of
the skull.
The Neck Broken
DIR. Fahey then made an incision run
ming from the base of the skull several
inches down the back and exposed ths
4 vertebra. This explained the cause o.
death for the neck was found to h,