Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-09
pInD VIEWING 4 corFiS.
singular Fate OF Aged DANIEL heiin
NJ a ErIcnd'a InncrnI.

MT ~ Friends Funeral.
Reading. Pa, Dec. s. = one Of the
most remarkable mortuary conciden-
ees which Berks county has witnessed
in recent years was the death. while
attending a funeral Of wealthy Daniel
Keim at Hill church. Pike township,
yesterday, ana today's dramatic sequei
thereto. A legal battle was neeessa y
Tor lie relatives 10 get possession oi
the remains.
Mr.. Kelm, who was nn eccentric
bachelor farmer. 70 years old. had OF
late years attended nearly every funer-
al In Eastern Bprks county, lndeel,,
he walked seven miles yesterday, from
his home. near Fredensburg, to at
tend the obsequies OF Harry Conrad,
well-to-do farmer of Obey. WHO was
to be buried from Hill church. Chat
ting pleasantly with friends about the
church door. Mr.. Keim finally entered
and took seat In the gallery. where
he could get n good view OF his old
friend In the casket. and of the of
lcintlng clergymen. Rev. Messrs. Mish-
Ter and Warmkessel. Suddenly Henry
Shollenberger, who sat beside the aged
bachelor, noticed the Inter leaning FOR
ward, as " In distress. Then the old
man atraightened bnck and became
dIathly pale. All efforts 10 arouse
him failed. Dr. Wagner, who was
summoned to the gallery, discovered Of
once that Mr.. Seim WIS stone dead.
evidently an instantaneous Victim Of
heart disease.
The body was then carried into the
school house and preparations made 10
send u home, and after u brief inter
val Mr. conrnd's funeral services were
concluded.
The singular sequel 10 this unusual
visitation OF death al q funeral came
today. The body OF Mr.. Kelm was ilnal-
~ removed from the school house 20 the
home OF Sexton N0ll adjoining the
church, and brother OF the deceased.
BENJAMIN Kelm. was sent for When
the brother arrived an unexpected com
plicatlon arose. Noll positiyelyrefusf d TO
permit them to take away the body I'M
III he was paid $50 for his trouble. This
the surviving brother refused TO pay.
and the undertaken finally drove away
without the rcmain8.
Then benjamin came TO Reading and
consulted an attorney, with the result
that this morning Detective Rambp
was sent down 10 remove the body.
When the officer arrived Mol resisted
but promptly delivered the body to the
brother when he was threatened with
arrest.
There have been among Berkn county
farmer0 few more Interesting or pecu-
liar characters than was that OF Daniel
Keim. who thus died az his friends
funeral. and over whose remains there
was 90 singular dispute. He had
never worn an oyercoat, though he was
permitted to live out the traditional
threescore and ten. He was a great
walker, and some IS years ago. When
robberies IN the country wera quite
frequent. Air. Keim. fearing he might
be robbed, shouldered about half a
hushei OF coin IN q grain bag. carried
II 10 Readlng and deposited Il in bank.
Considerable Of 81 was In gold. Al
though quite wealthy. he often cut
wood Tor acqualntances for his fnenls
when he came % Reading ne generally
carried bag with proyisions because
he preferred simple fare instead of
city cooked meals.
fic owned eighteen properties 10 the