The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-02-24
TVOHEARSHS, ONEBODY.
Narrow Escape from a Row
at a Saturday After
noon Funeral.
RIVAL UNDERTAKERs ENGAGED.
One Says 1t Was the Coach Drivers
Work; the Other that the
Guests Tired Of
Waiting.

There was novel contest between two
undertakes Saturday afternoon for the
possession of a corpse in front OF St
Michael's Church. which narrowly es-
capped developing into scandal
Patrick Mulligan died at his home, No
III Jersey avenue, last week, and his
widow engaged Mr. Coy1e to bury him.
Mr.. Coyle alleges that Undertakers Nc
Kee, McNuIty and Faherty told the
widow that Mr.. Coyle had not the proper
facilities for burying her husband and
suggested that she employ someone else.
The widow refused to listen to them
aud Mr. Coyle made arrangements
for the funeral. Saturday he took the
body to the church, and while the SER
vices he were in progress he hurried
away to lookafter the funeral of Mark
Curley's uncle.
A RIVALS HEARsE.
When he returned he was astonished
to find the pallbearers putting the coffin
into hearse belonging TO Undertaken
Brady and driven by Richard Downs,
president of the Coach Drivers
Union. Mr.. Coylee inquired what
this turn in affairs meant, and was
told that shortly after he left.
ceased, came up and seeing some police
men standing near the church pitched
into them savagely. He declared that
their presence was reflection on his
brother and became SO demonstrative
that the policemen came near arresting
him. They, however, went away, and as
soon as they were out of sight Mulligan
had Downs drive the Brady hearse up to
the door.
Mr.. Coyle demonstrated, but rather
than have scandal In front of the
church, consented to have the coffin
L. 1 te.
customary, he climbed up on the box be-
side the driver, but was roughly ordered
down by Downs. Again to avert dis
turbance in front of the church Mr..
Coyle allowed the hearse to proceed.
ANOTHER PHASE OF THE STORY.
Mr.. Coyle says that the dispute is the
outgrOwth Of the differences between
himself and the Coach Drivers Union;
but enquiry at the Brady undertaking es-
tablishment brought out another phase
of the story.
The Bradys' only connection with the
affair was to comply with telephone
message from John Faherty's undertake
Ninth streets Saturday afternoon, to hire
and send him hearse. Mr.. Faherty said;
learned from his assistant that
Messrs. Daniel Mulligan. brother of the
deceased man, and Michael Camp
bell. an old friend of the
family, calleu ana S&lQ UQaL
Coyle, after taking the body to the
church, had gone away to attend another
funeral. failing to return when the SER
vices were concluded. and that after
waiting some time for him they had de-
termined upon procuring hearse from
me to remove the body to the cemetery.
We had no hearse disengaged, and, as is
the CUSTOM telephone was sent to
Brady's for hearse and driver. The
shearse WAS sent and the cost under
stand is charged to me-.
Mr.. Coyle was engaged for the funeral" !"
said Michael Campbell.
He assured the widow that there
would be no trouble, and there would
have been none, SO far as the union coach
drivers were concerned, for they agreed
out of respect to the family, to drive for
the funeral. Coyle took the body to the
church, and the drivers were with their
coaches. Coyle left the church and when
the mass was finished there was no
undertaken to remove the body.
I'VE waited awhile and the people sat
looking at one another and at last Multi
gan's brothers got up and went outside;
followed them. Coyle was not to be seen,
but his hearse was waiting. then sug-
gested that we should 60 to Faherty's
and procure hearse so that the funeral
could proceed. They agreed to it.
1--WE went to Faherty's, and his assist
ant telepnoned to Brady. When we got
to church Coyle was there, but as we had
hired another hearse, we decided to use
IL and we did -