The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-24
A BORROWED GRAVE
Parents Strange Contention
Over the Last Resting
Place Of Their Baby
Boy.
APPEAL TO LAW THREATENED
Arthur Thornton's Troubled Sleep
in Arlington eemetery-Now
in His Mothers Plot.
APPEAL TO LAW THREATENED

A borrowed grave sounds more AXE
the material of fiction; but in the case
of little Arthur Thornton it was sober
earnest, and when the grave was opened
in order that it might be restored to its
owner, all sorts of trouble flew out OF 1t
for Arthur's relatives and certain cor
porate officers and public officials.
Arthur was only six years old when
the grave was borrowed for his use IL
was the property of his fathers sister-in-
law, who is now Mrs. Addie Jeffries OF
No. 271 Fifth street, this city, but who,
at the time when the loan was mace,
was still Mrs. Addie Thornton. Arthur
had lived with his father at NO. zoo
Palsade avenue, and, sad to relate, AT
thurs mother was resident at NO.
216 West Twenty-second street. New
York, the marriage of the couple Defns
one of those which are not made IN
heaven. Arthur's father was W. r. Thorn
ton. and his mothers name was Eva H.
They became separated somewhere abouS
two years ago.
The immediate reason why grave had
to be borrowed for Arthur was an at
tack of membranous Group. 1t was ABOUT
a year ago. Mrs. Thornton had wished
to take the boy with her when she le1r
her husbands friends; but her husband
would not permit it, He had a good
home, and Arthur was well and com
fortably cared for. When he Tell SICK
everything possible was done to save
him But it was an additional pang to
the bereaved mother. when the news OF
his death was brought to her, that sne
was not by his bedside to smooth ms
pillow and soothe his fevered little spirit
as only mother can.
THE LOAN MADE.
The Thorntons were not the possessors
of a family lot in any burying place, and
a dispute arose between husband anu
wife as to where little Arthur's body
should rest. The disease being classlneo
as contagious by the health authorities,
Immediate interment was required by
law. THE couple could not come TO any
agreement The situation became urgent
and at last the compromise was reached
by WHICH Thqrntoa na e9rT0MeW plot ia
Arlington Cemetery for his child 70 ne
in for little while, giving ms Wile ass :
surances at the same tb fs same unee Cemetery e t
at an early day, in which she also inlsne
he buried, when her time came, sue os
SIN Tba !" Gemetery officials were informed
when the interment took place tnat II
was only a temporary arrangement, - ~
pursuit of the understanding reaeaeu; te,ey
thornton. actually visited the Cemetery
offire in the Privident~ Savings Bans
building, and later went OUT 10 fnr for
CemeteI.y and looked over the ground Lol
a location. He suited himself, appar++ az
entity. and day and hour were , SCI
when he was to appear at ung sy,os,nt oun and
arrange for the removal OF ms emu
relil'ii MRS. THORNTON ACTS.
fad do
did NOT 1t went by The Cemetery oH-
cials dismissed the matter from thelr lr
minis. f6ads But II Tas Mrs Thornton Tsa M was not
isfied. She did not propose that ArLnur .tIi,1lr
should lie in borrowed grouIhu, III. ,Lti,iS Sl We
his dlIst with that of her husband reld-
iils Ives ss'7 she waited for Thornton to keep
his promise year and day, ana "a as
the pledge remained unfulf!led. she de-
and With directness and despatch She
came over to Jersey City, Went 10 file
lot and before She went back to New
York had completed all arrangements l..s
for the transfer of the BODY to TO- heT bsn, oMe
territory. A day or two later the chanse
Then r. n the trouble began; When Mr.; f:
Thornton heard what what nag Deen wanted defe to to
know. first of all. how the permit had
been secured for the re- Tem4SaI 3Sat OF OF me me
cause of death had been, a contagious
disease, the removal would not pc al
lowed until three years nau eldpSeu. Ills
was the reason he had not kept his en-
gagement 1t was not neglect lie
merely understood that it was useless
for him to move in the matter until the
period of danger had passed.
LAWSUIT THREATENED-
He threatened to sue the cemetery
Company for disturbing the body with
out his permission or that of the owner
of the plot in which it lay. and he ad-
dressed an angry remonstrance 70 the
County Board of Health, which was
read at Monday afternoons meeting, as
duly reported in the News" of Tues
Mr.. Thornton insists that he. had no
desire to oppose his wife's desire to be
buried by her son. He meant to acr
fairly and .considerately. But he is
as he puts it. At, 1first. he told Counsel.
lor H w. Winfield, of the Board or
Health, that if the body was not restored
to its original resting place, he would
bring two or three lawsuits against
everyone concerned.
He is not quite so angry now, however
and the Cemetery officials hope he may
be brought to acquiesce in the present
situation. If he insists on removal,
now, his wife may bring suit. and there
is a chance that little Arthur may vet
have several burials before he is al-
lowed to rest in peace.
Counsellor Winfield says the laws ap-
plying to the case are very vague ana
unsatisfactory.
MR. COLLINS LAUGHED.