The herald., 1893-02-06
POINTS ON A GRAVE SUBJECT.
Undertakers' Expedients When
VexatiOus Mistakes Occur.
How a Corpse with Crook in Its
Back B0bbed Up.
Some Peculiar Experiences in the Ca
reer of r Well-known Undertaken.
A Case of Possible In
terment Alive.

''Did you get him planted all right"
asked prominent undertaken of Los
Angeles yesterday of an assistant who
had let out several links in bis grave
face as he stepped in the door.
"Yes, he's down safely"
"What kept you SO long?"
"The grave was too small"
"Much?"
"Yes, considerable. They had the box
there too to go by. They were not the
regular diggers. The shovels were gone
also, and we had to wait. We slapped
it through when the implements ar
rived"
versation the assistant went back into
the coffin room, and the reporter began
asking the undertaken if many such
mistakes happened.
mot very frequently" he replied,
although accidents do happen. l re-
ceived an order for coffin once in the
country, and il was 30 far out could
not get back. The coffin was feet 9
inches; that was the size given me.
When we reached the house, however,
We lOuAu tudb no Was btA-luOlCIs 1hOlO
was nothing for it but to make him fit
somehow, and / did. bent his knees
up. The family never knew it, however.
They were all out of the room, and I
had him in and the lid on when they
returned"
81 expect some grim things happen 2"
81 saw some pall-bearers drop coffin
in the grave once. 1t was not very
x.ln arsn 4,
number in the family, and the funeral
was quite large one. Everything went
along all right until just as they had the
coffin over the grave, when one of the
pail bearers let his strap slip, and down
went the coffin head first into the grave
with crash. The scene that followed
tainted, and it was some time before we
went ahead with the funeral. The
the accident l don't think has ever
on Spring street yesterday, but although
pened, when he saw me he turned his
head away"
"Talking about accidents, though"
COubluucu buC uuuoIbdh6I, bHbb Wd6 q
queer incident which I once saw. An
old gentleman died who had a decided
bend in his back during lifetime, which
caused him to be unable to straighten
up When he died we had to use force
to make him straight, and found it nec-
essary to tie him with cord, go that
there would not he an unpleasant sight
for the family. Well, sir, you may not
hal bat - kh.vr~ Icx
pened. The funeral was held in the
from relatives and few friends there
some way, while the minister was
describing some of the most amiable
traits in the character of the deceased,
and he was really an unamia-
BILE old fellow, the cords hold
ing the body straight became loosened
and the head rose through the hole
which had been left open that the
family might have a last look at the
remains. Perhaps you may think the
cold chills didn't run down my back.
Of course there was a terrible COM
motion, and had to explain the cord
business and also tie the old fellow
down again.
'It is not very usual thing to have
mistakes in the sizes of coffins, although
a number of times 1 have had to take
cotiins back to the shop and have them
changed. Usually enough allowance is
made to cover any trifing change that
has to be made in the eize of the coffin.
''To tell you the truth we don't take
many chances on accidents" said the
undertaken, in matter-of-fact way.
tsTt'a r0uOh on tho p10uruaru Won
know, and causes painful bitches in the
proceedings. Still you cannot always
provide against the unforeseen. What
might have proved vexatious thing
happened only the other day. We were
going slowly along with the hearse at
the head of quite procession. There
was new horse in the hearse team, and
he became frightened at a sign wagon
which had bell tolling inside of it..
He started on keen Jump and got the
other horse excited. We distanced the
procession for about a block, and
I was frightened badly, I tell you.
| would never have heard the last of it
if had run away with corpse. 1t wac
touch and go for few seconds, how
ever. No one in the procession ever
knew that it was runaway either,
thinking was trying to get out of the
wsy of the cars at that point. The
coffin was iolted up pretty we'll before
could get the team quieted."
"a good many stories are told about
people being buried alive. Did any
actual instance ever come under your
observation ?"
''There was one instance right here in
the city, that have always been in
doubt about, although l have never
been sure in my own mind that am
right, and have never said
anything about it. 1t happened
some time ago, l will not To-
cate it nearer than that, because
don't wish to stir up any of the family ;
and may be all wrong. A certain per-
son who had died quite suddenly was
placed in caeket and it was then taken
to vault for q day before interment.
1t go happened that one of the relatives
wanted sprig of some flower that had
been put in the coffin, and went to the
vault the next day where l opened the
lid Of the coffin. My hair had a tend
ency to rise up when 1 saw that the
body had turned partially on one side
and the lids of the eyes were slightly
apart; but by unmistakable signs
knew that the remains were then cold
in death. ] kept my face straight and
said nothing about the matter and
have not until this day. |
remember that one place on the road
to the vault the hearse lurched through
rut, and it may have caused the body
to turn as l discovered it; and then
again, there may have been q partial re-
n