The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-06-09
STRANGE EXPERIENCES.
THERE MAY BE "a SILVER LIN
ING TO THE CLOUD.
How Easily Persons May Be Mistaken
In the Bodies of Loved Ones
Stories Told by Morgue
Keeper.

i Stories Told BY Morgue
4 Keeper.
1 Keeper White the other day told the
New York Recorder some interesting
bits OF the weird inside history of the
Morgue.
Away back in September 1862"
said he Mrs. Ellen Davis Of 29l
West Fourteenth street. had been ex-
| pecting visit from her mother. who
! lived in Providence R. L The day
came and Ellen and her husband were
promptly at the dock to greet Mrs.
! Annie McAffrey, for that was her
mothers name. But they were doom
ed to disappointment From letters
| it was beyond question that Mrs
McAffrey had started for New York
AS the night wore on the friends
became SO much alarmed that the
police were notified.
Several days passed. and the
anxiety Of Mrs. Davis increased, for
In the meantime she had commune
Gated with Providence, and had been
informed that her mother had started
for New York on the Sound steamer
OF the night before as had been ar.
ranged by letter. ~.
THAT night next following Mrs. =
Davis was reading the evening paper
when her eye caught sight of an item
telling OF case Of foul play and Civ
ing description Of the victim wo-
man. The outline of the dead wo-
mans personality Tailed exactly with
that OF the missing Mrs McAffery.
Mrs. Davis hurried to the morgue.
The body OF the victim was shown to
her: She was greatly affected. She
fairly swooned. but recognized the
corpse as that Of her mother.
Mrs Davis hurriedly saw an un-
dertaker The cakes that she had
prepared for the reception. the we'd
ding baked meats as it were. became
| the dishes of q house of mourning.
That night the family sat down to din
| ner. 1t was. a sorrowful dinner at
best Next day occurred the funeral.
Again the family gathered about the
table. They were sitting thus. talk.
ing over the sad events of the last
few days. All the virtues of the late
| departed were rehearsed with the
lingering memory of a fond and ia
| vored child
Suddenly the door burst open.
Who should walk in but Mrs. Nc
Affrey herself. bag and baggage in
hand. alive we'll overjoyed to be re-
stored to her friends although she
had been delayed for several days
past. Picture to yourself the scene.
1t is worthy of a romance. Then
Mrs. McAtfrey told her strange story.
! do not recall it's details, but it was
sensational to a degree It all ended
happily, however. for she was home
again. Then it was Mrs. McAffrey's
turn to be astOnished. She was told
Of the events Of the last few days. It
was as though she had come back
from the grave" ..:. ..'
At this point in the narrative a
policeman came in. bea: ing in his
hand small basket, 1t was only a
dead child found in the dump at the
foot of Twelfth street Keeper White
filled out a small card. placed the
basket on a chair and. apparently
unconcerned by the horrible spectacle
sat down and composedly resumed his
narrative.
''Unde. head of May 10, 1891"
he continued Il read the following in
the records of the morguo:
3 p. m. -Man from One Hundred
and Fifty-fifth street and Eighth
avenue; age 25; 5 feet inches high;
sandy hair; smooth face; gray eyes;
good teeth; wore a peajacket of a
dark gray mixed goods; vest same
material; brown and gray striped
pants; blue flannel overshirt; white
knit undershirt; white cotton socks;
elastic CATERS; white and yellow sus-
penders; no property.
| "Recognized as John Clark by
Ada. his; wife, @..
This " went on Keeper White. lis
one of the strangest cases we ever
had on the records. A body was
brought to us from the place above
mentioned. 1t was all cut to pieces
by the Eighth elevated train.
1t appeared to be a case of suicide,
and the theory was that the man had
deliberately jumped in front OF the
engine.
LAS soon as Ada Clark read of the
accident she was struck by the fact
that the unknown dead wore clothes
identical with those of her good-for-
nothing husband John H. Clark.
! She had been his wife for some time,
but according to her story, was far
from happy. ...... >.... 49,.
Next day Ada Clark appeared at
the Morgue. She demanded the priv
ilege of viewing the corpse She was
sure it was John, and proceeded
promptly to call the dead man all
sorts Of abusive names. declaring
among other things that he never
was the least use to her in life. and
that she was glad that he was dead at
last for now she would be free from
her misery. John. she said. was
hard drinker a poor provider and a
shiftless. useless lazy husband. In a
rage she departed. declaring that the
city could send her husband to Pot
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