The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-15
IDENTIFIED BY HIS TEETH
No Longer Any Doubt that the Boston
Note-Broker Was the Bomb-Thrower.
Filings in the Teeth of the Preserved Head
Examined and Found to Be as Described
BY the Dentist Who Attended NorcrOss.

NEW YORK, Dec. 14.-Coroner MESSENGER
has been reported as having announced
that there were no filings in the teeth of
the dead dynamiter, whose head is at the
mOrgue. Inspector Byrnes hesitates to
acknowledge the Boston identification of the
dead crank as Henry L. Norcross, and his
utterances, taken with Messemer's alleged
denial of dental Filings in the head. tend
to create belief that the officials are dis
gruntled and jealous of the reporters, who
outstrIpped the officials and identified tho
dead head. A Boston dentist who attend
ed to the teeth of Norcross has stated that
there were filings in them. Thus the mat
ter stood when to-day opened, and this is
what has happened since.
A dispatch has come to the Associated
Press from Boston thus: "If it is fact as
reported. that Coroner Messemer has made
an examination of the teeth of the dead
dynamiter and found no filling in them.
then it would seem that the head cannot
be that of Henry l.. Norcross, as NOrcross
had tiillngs in nine of his teeth, six in the
upper and three in the lower jaw. DIR.
Edward Coggins. who has been Henry Nor
cross's dentist for ten years. says: If the
teeth in the dead mans head In the New
York morgue reveal no signs of filling. then
it cannot be- that of Norcross, as / will
prove to You from my books, In which
have the record of nine Filings l inserted
for him. Dr.. Coggins produced a diagram
of q complete set OF teeth. upon which he
marked from his books the exact Filings
he had put in for Norcross."
Later in the day an examination of the
bOmb-thrOwers head was made by DE-. Ed
ward Durham. and was confined to his
teeth and jaws. The result contradicts
the Boston dentist. There are nine filings
~ the teeth. The last wisdom tooth on the
right upper jaw is missing. There was de-
preston where it had been. The two upper
molars were filled with gold. ol so the sec
ond bicuspid on the same side. A small
piece OF the surface of the left canine tooth
on the upper jaw was broken Off leaving q
slight depression, which may have been
caused by the explosion. The second bicus-
RIaa Rd OF the anIa Left upper ape tSS Jaw was
and second molars on the same eide.
The teeth were all in position in the lower
jaw. The first molar of the right lower
jaw was filled with gold. The second molar
was very black; There was black spot in
the middle of the crown of the third mOlar
on the lower right jaw. The doctor was
unable to determine whether this was q
filing or decay.
All the teeth were IN position on the lett
lower jaw.
According to statements made by init
mate Boston friends of Norcross, there is
substantial evidence tnat the latter's brain
had been affected by his excessive use of
drugs, which he claimed had great effect
in keeping q man in excellent ply sical con-
dition. Camphor, alum and sulphur he
used regularly, say these gentle
men. NorcrOss used to say that
camphor. owing to its penetrating
qualities. was a most efficacious prevent
i've of disease He kept it in o small
bottle, and taking 1t, he would remove the
cork, wet the end of the finger, then re-
move the liquid with his tongue, repeat
ing this process several times. When re-
mOnstrated with for using so much cam
the only way to prevent disease.
Coroner Messemer made public to-day
the results of his examination of the brain
and cerebal matter of the dynamiter. In
his opinion there is not shadow
of dOuut that the bomb thrower
was the victim of confirmed
mania which had lasted for several years
The mans brain was found to weigh 1910
grammes. or three ounces above the aver
age. Dime museum managers are making
strenuous efforts to secure the head for ex-
hibitiOn, but Coroner Messemer refuses to
deal with them.
The father and mother of Henry l.. Nor
cross, of Boston, arrived in this city late
tonight. They will undoubtedly visit the
mOrgue tomorrow to examine tho head
which is believed TO be that of their SON.