Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-12
MISTAKEN IDENTIFICATION
Remains of Reitzel, Who Was Burned in
the Stumph Fire.
What Was Supposed to BE Reitxel's
Body is That of Ackerman-The
Last Body Found.

The body Of the last of the six victims of
the Stumph fire was recovered last night
about o o'clock. nearly thirty-sx hours af-
ter the sad affair happened. AS soon as
the body was removed from beneath the
pile ef bricks. rafters and corn shucks, it
was wrapped In a cloth and taken to the
morgue. At the morgue the janitor burned
sulphur during the night and used other
disinfectants, calculated to keep down the
disagreeable odor and in this task he was
partly successful.
Not far from the place where the last
body rested was found a large silver watch,
which had evidently been worn by the
man whose body was near it, and the time
piece was sent to the morgue with the body.
Last night the authorities did little IL any,
thing, toward Identifying this last body,
although there was no certainty about the
Identification of some of the other victims.
Some or the employees felt reasonably GER
tain, however, Of the identification of the
others, but the means of identification was
such that Acting Coroner Glazebrook wrote
on a death certificate unknown" This
unknown" body was the last one left in
the morSue yesterday, and its condition
was such as to endanger the health of per-
sons who were Obliged to be about the
neighborhood of the morgue. This beng
the case and no claim having been tie
for the body. Acting Health Office. =
ders gave orders for its interment
ter's field. pine box soon reachv- -.e
morgue and all that was mortal of one OF
the victims of the fire was soon the
road to that desolate spot on the branch
where the bodies of unknown and paupers
find their last resting place
DispOsitiOn of the Dead.
But one Of the members of the firm of
Stumph & Bro. learned of what was being
done. He was much surprised at the action
Of the authorities. and without a moments
hesitation he had the interment stopped
and had Undertaken Cain take charge of
the body. This Is supposed to be the body
of Philip Reichn an, the Swede. He was
very large man, the largest, probably, of
the victims, and In point Of size this body
answers his description.
Concerning the Identification Of the body
of Francis II. Fowler, the foreman in the
factory, lnere is no doubt. Undertaken
Lee to ok charge OF his body and placed 1t
in metallic casket- The funeral will take
place from the Mount Vernon Southern
Methodist Church tcmorrow at 10 o'clock.
Glenwood will be the place of interment.
The same may be said sof the bodies Of W.
NJ. Tennyson and William Ash. The latter
was fifteen years old Tennyson's body was
buried at Annandale. Va, while the re-
mains of young Ash were laid at rest in
Congressional cemetefy.
Body 0c ReitEel.
One of the bodies bad been identified as
that of Robert Reitsel. and had been sent
to the receiving RsNlt at Rock Creek ceme-
terry. The members Of the Reitxel family
and their friends had arranged to bury the
body OF their loved one at o'clock this
afternoon, and members of the Potomac
Wheelmen, of which organization Reitzel
was member. had arranged to act as pail
bearers, and the club was also to attend the
funeral in a body.
But this morning when a Star reporter
went to the norgue. circumstances sur
rounding the body recovered last night dis
credited the identification of one of the
other bodies as that of Reitzers. AL
though the body found last night had been
burned beyond recognition and parts Of the
body had even disappeared, there was
around the neck a blue and white collar
No Is. and in q bunch Of dirt just in front
there was the finding of the watch. Super
intendent Shoenberger of the morgue made
a note of these facts. and he. too, thought
the body was that Of Reitzers.
Later Star reporter called at the late
home of the deceased and learned from his
mother enough to make certain that this
body was that Of her son. He had shirts
Of the material found about the neck of the
corpse, and he also had sword pin. When
he left home he wore one of these shirts
ana also the pin. Afterward the superin-
tendent of the morgue called at the house
with the watch and Mrs. Reitzel identified
1t as having belonged to her son.
With this positive identification Of Reit-
zePs body, 1t Is certain that the body taken
to Rock Creek cemetery is that Of Philip
Ack erman, and, as already stated, the re-
naming body, which narrowly escaped a
grave in potters field, is that of Philip
Reichman, the Swede.
Reitzers body will be prepared for burial
at once. and the funeral may take place at
the hour heretofore set, without any fur
ther delay.