The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-27
EXHUMED.
Body of Mrs. Pos
tel Raised
Dug Out of the Grave
Early This Morning.
In Remarkably Good State of
Preservation.
Sad Scene at MOrgue When Mother
Was Asked to Identify.
Sad Scene at MOrgue When Mother
Was Asked to Identify.
Result of Autopsy May Not Be Known Till
After Chemical Analysis Is Made.

The body OF Mrs. Albert K. Postel, whom
the authorities believe WAS killed by
poison, at her home in Chester, Pa, on
October I3, was removed from its grave
In the Grace Church Cemetery this morn
ing. 1t was announced last night that
the body would be exhumed at 10 o. clock,
but it was fully two hours earlier when
undertaken Boyce, Coroner Michael and
Medical Examiner Palmer appeared by
the side of the Vetter lot, where the body
had been buried. Two grave oiggers
were in waiting, and it was but few
minutes before the pine box in whic b
the casket rested was lifted from the
grave. There had been no trouble, and
no one had appeared to molest them in
their work.
AS soon as the pine box had been
The lid OF the cssket was then lifted, and
when the undertaken had identified the
remains as those of Mrs. Frances X. Pos
tel, who had been buried on the 18th,
the cssket was placed in his wagon and
taken 10 the morgue, nothing but the
pine box being left for the morbiolv
curious to gaze upon when they appeared
In the cemetery at 10 o'clock.
At the morgue the body was placed
upon the marble slab and Mrs. Kufinger,
the mother of Mrs. Postel, was called In
to identify it as that of her daughter.
1t was a SAD scene, and one that moved
more than one of the beholders to tears.
nv. hA Rod q hat
she would never look upon her daugh-
ter's face again when 1t was lowered into
its last resting placed more than week
ago, looked once upon the features of the
young woman and then burst into tears.
"Yes, it is my daughter" she said, and
the Identification was complete, even the
Pennsylvania authorities being satisfied
that the body was that of Mrs. Postel.
The body itself was In remsrka BILE
state of preservation. There was abso-
lutely no odor, and the only signs of dis
coloration were upon the face, shoulders
snd arms, but even here the color was
not like that of decomposition, Dut more
closely embed the jaund iced condi-
tion described bv Dr. q. N. Wells OF
Wayne Pa, in his report as to the condi-
tion OF the body after death. AS the
woman has been dead two weeks, and
has been in the grave for nearly 10 days,
IL Is regarded as most remarkable that
the decomposition had not reached a
more advance stage.
Mrs. Postel was beautiful woman in
life and death had scarcely made her less
fair. The full, round face, did not look
like that of dead woman. The. features
were perfect, the profile very attractive.
The brown hair which was as fine and
wavey as spun silk was parted In the
middle and brushed back over the fore
head in light crinkled folds, until 1t met
in Psyche knot at the back OF the
head. The lips were slign ntly parted, as
IL in a half smile, and on her breast lay
the tea rose e that had been placed there
by her mother, just before the casket had
been lowered into the. grave on the day
OF the funeral.
After Mrs. Kuppinger had left the
morgue all the outsiders were sent from
the room and only the officials remained.
Medical Examiner Palmer performed the
autopsy, assisted by Medical Examiner
George +. Allison OF East Providence
and ex-Medicei Examiner George ID. Will
cox. Coroner Mine hell and Chief of Police
Berry of Chester, Pa, were present, but
with this exception there were no Official
witnesses at tho autopsy.
IL was arranged before opening the au-
topsy that the preservation OF the viscera
should tie left In the hands OF DR.. ALI
son. Several large glass jars carefully
washed in the best absorbent solution,
had been prepared. and in these various
parts OF the body will be placed to await
the chemical analysis, which will prob
ably be made in Philadelphis.
An arrangement has already been made
by which the Ponnsylvania authorities
will be enabled to carry out their desires
I'm obtaining possession OF the body, Mrs.
Kuppinger and tho ottorney-generai hav-
ing given their consent to the removal
OF the body 10 Chester. providing the
officials there will agree on their part TO
resnip IL TO Providence az the earliest
possible moment. This has already been
agreed to and there will be no trou BILE
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