Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-27
Simple, Decorous lnterment at Belle
vUe Cemetery, of an Unidenti-
fed Victim of the Cars.
PHOTOGRAPHING THE DEAD MAN.
Measures Taken to Enable Relatives to Find
the Last Resting Place of
Hayward Wanderer.
TIE NECESSITY FOR A COUNTY MORGUE.
AYOung Lady Returning From Ball Falls Over corps'
and Paints

the body to the grave, Tor 1t was that OF an
unknown" who had lost his identity with
his life.
A week ago last Saturday the horribly
mangled body of man was found on the
tracks of the Panhandle Railroad, near the
Sligo Mills. This human debris was taken
to the morgue, and there Superintendent J.
D. Mckinley patched the body together
until it once more bore the semblance of a
casket for a soul.
Coroner Mcdowell investigated the case
and found it was the result of an accident,
or rather the imprudence of walking on a
railroad track. An endeavor was made to
discover the identity of the victim, and a
description was published by the press. II
was that of man Of about 80 wears, of pleas
ant appearance. There was nothing on the
body to show either the name, residence,
avccation or even nationality of the dead
man. In the pockets of the coat were a
piece Of soap, a needle and thread and a
comb, the usual outfit of that modern Arab,
the tramp.
PHoroGRAPHING THE VICTIMS FACE
The body was kent until yesterday, hav-
ing been carefully washed and embalmed,
when ii was decided to bury it. The only
part of the body which had escaped the
grinding of the car-wheels was the head and
face. Photographer J. L. Elliott was sent
for, and, taking his camera to the morgue,
photographed the face of the dead man.
This photograph, with the little effects of
the deceased, were put in an envelope and
placed among the records of the Coroner's
Office, there to remain until perhaps some
day some weeping mother identifies it as
that of her wayward, but still-loved son.
A record was then made of the personal
appearance of the man, his height and
weight, the color of his hair and eyes and
the marks on his body, and his clothing was
described in detail. This description, to-
getber with the photograph and the few
small possessions of the deceased, were
placed together in one package. which was
then numbered on the outside to correspond
with the number of the case on the Cor
oner's record.
a SIMPLE CEREMONY.
The body was wrapped in a new white
sheet, carefully deposited in a neatly
painted pine coffin and placed in the porgue
hearse This hearse is very neat affair,
with plate-glass sides, and while not so
costly as those used by undertakers, is, nev-
ertheless, perfectly proper in all its appoint
ments.
The hearse completed the funeral pro-
cession. 1t took its way through Allegheny
70 the Bellevue Cemetery, where the coffin
vas lowered decorouslv into the grave, the
earth piled in, and a stake with number
corresponding to the Coroner's record phced
al the head. There were no friends present
TO shed tears as the clods of earth fell upon
the coffin; no minister of the gospel to give
solace to the living by dwelling upon the
glorious hope of resurrection for the dead.
1t was all over in few minutes, and an
other unknown had departed from the
world in which he was apparently a
stranger.
TREATED WITH REVERENCE.
Coroner Mcdowell, in speaking of the
unknown dead brought to his official notice.
said: 'In the past three months we have had
eight or nine such cases, and they will prob
ably average about so a year. They are
usually tramps. That we can tell by the
needle and thread, soap and comb they gen.
orally carry. We make every endeavor to
find their friends, but when we fail we treat
these dead bodies as reyerently as If they
were those of rich men. Every body is
washed and embalmed and enveloped in a
white sheet. The coffins are simple but de-
corous, and the burials are conducted decor
ously.
''The Bellevue Cemetery has set aside
plot for our cases and charge the county 81
for each burial. Every grave is numbered
and the bodies are not disturbed. 1 have
photographs taken of all these unknown
cases, but as the county makes no allowance
for thisI pay for the work out of nv own
pocket. If the friends of one of these per-
sons come here it is easy 10 identity the de-
ceased from our record. and if they desire TO
remove the body and give a more preIentious
interment, they can do so.''
THE WORK OF THE MoRGUE.
1t was due to Coroner McDowell's energy
that the morgue was instituted and sus-
tanned. II is really semi-official establish
ment. At the last session of the Legislature
that BODY, in its wisdom, decided that Allie
gheny county could get along without
morgue. 1t is possible that the matter will
be brought before the next Legislature and
it is expected that the good work done by
the present morgue will result il such ac-
tion being taken as to allow of the erection
of a suitable building by the county.
Under the present system all victims of
violent deaths whose friends are not at hand
to claim the bodies, are taken to the morgue
If their friends are found they can send the
undertaken of their choice TO the morgue,
who, after receiving the Corouer's certificate
of death, can remove it either to his own
establishment or to the home of the deceased.
While the body is at the morgue 1t is washed
and embalmed and otherwise prepared for
the grave This work, while laborious and
costly, is often done without any recompense.
No charge is made, and il the cost is not
rendered spontaneously nothing is received.
CARRYING A CORPSE ALL NIGHT.
Before the days OF the morgue there was
much trouble about the disposition of cases
at night. especially where the county under
taEer, appointed by the Coroner, could not
be notified.
One night about five years ago drunken
man fell out of third story window on
Liberty street and was instantly killed. The
keeper Of the house wanted the body taken
away. Four police officers placed the body
on a stretcher, covered it with sheet, and
started on pilgrimage. They could not
reach the county undertaken, and they tried
several others, but without avail. The un-
dertakers said they could not afford 70 waste
ice and labor upon body which would be
taken from them iu the morning without
recompense. The ghastly procession started
for Central station. but the sergeant in
charge would have none of it. The place
was hot and crowded, and obviously unfit
for such a purpose. They tried to deposit
their load in City Hall, but the guardian of
sthat building absolutely refused to admit
the body.
CHASTITY CHANCE ENCOUNTER.