The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-27
PRECIOUS HUMAN ASHES.
The Growth of Cremation increases
the business of Safe Deposit Vaults

The Growth of Cremation Increases
the business of Safe Deposit vaults
From the New York Recorder.
Bankers and business men and a large
number of women who use safe deposit
boxes have felt bit squeamish for some
time over the reports that have become
common that boxes in many Of the com
panies that have elaborate vaults are used
extensively for the safe keeping and final
resting place of the ashes. Of the dead.
The rapid increase Of cremation during
the past year or two. New York alone
averaging one cremation a day, has given
strength to the story.
There is a safe deposit companys vault
in Wall street that is said to have score
or more of boxes utilized for this purpose.
The olIicers of the company profess the
deepest ignorance of it all; but there is no
reason why they should know what IS
kept in their boxes. 1t was the periodical
visitation of three or four individuals
in mourning garb, who were known TO
have lost near relatives recently, that first
made the freQuenters of the vaults suspect
that the boxes were being used as a sort
of secret cemetery and depository for the
ashes OF the loved ones.
The officers of the company were made
sure OF it few days ago. one of their
old patrons, broker, who is quoted AT a
million and a half applied for another
box. He wanted IL in d quiet ana Sc
cluded corner OF the vault. He was as
signed one without question. The next
day he appeared with small, round bun
die. one Of my attendants watched him
unconscieusly as he opened his new safety
box and proceeded to take the wrappings
off his carefully guarded bundle. 1t was
a small, round box of iron or steel, about
the size and looking very much like an
ordinary collar and cuff box. 1t bore an
inscription on silver plate that had been
riVeted around its side. great seal
secured the cover to the box and made
any tampering with it impossible without
detection.
The attendant had never seen a box quite
like # and il appeared to him so much
like what a dynamite bomb or some kind
of an Internal apparatus ought to look
like, that he reported the fact to his SUI
perior officer. BY that time the broker had
locked his box and was departing. The
superior officer knew him well and did
not think it necessary to question him.
But his detected manner and strange look
aroused some mite of suspicion even in
the superfor's mind, and he at last de-
cided TO avail himself of the opportunity
that the deposit comp anies reserve of max
ing sure that nothing of d harmful char
acter is slowed away in the vault. 1t was
a delicate task, but few words told the
old broker the suspicion that he might
have aroused. He did not seem at all dis
turbed as he exclaimed.
''Why, that box contains the ashes of
my SON"
A little conversation revealed that the old
man did not consider it at all usual TO
deposit his sons ashes in a safe deposit
vault.
MY partner has his little girls ashes
in the third box along to the left of mine, -
said he, land next TO mine is the box of
my neighbor, Mrs. -, who has there the
silver urns that contain the ashes of her
son, who died last spring, and of her
little niece, whom she had intended to be
her heir"
1t was soon learned that several persons
whose names are well known in the world
of finance and of society had boxes sur
rounding that of the old broker in which
the ashes OF loved ones were repOsing.
They were all in each others confidence,
and had chosen that secluded corner, ep-
parently by mutual consent.
The officers of the deposit company have
made no OBJECTION to this class of box
holders and do not intend to, although
they regret that the story has been made
public, for, they say, there are many SEN
sitive and superstitious persons among
their patrons, il they decide to give up
their boxes, if they learn what thriving
cemetery they have their valuables locked
in the midst of.
But it is so everywhere" said one of
the officers to a Recorder reporter yester-
day Il could mention two big safe deposit
companies on Broadway that have as
many urns holding the human ashes in
their VAULTS to-day as we have l believe
that all of the safe deposit companies of
any prominence have a greater or less
number. No. the holders of the boxes are
the only ones who are in the secret, as a
general thing"
Inquiry among the officers of the prin-
cipal safe deposit companies. by the re-
porter. brought forth vigorous denials that
their vaults were being used as deposito-
ries for the ashes of the cremated dead.
although most of them admitted that they
had no way of knowing what the box
holders had deposited. Louis Lange. presi-
dent of the United States Cremation So
eiety, and of the Manhattan Cremation
and Provident Society. said that he had