The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-16
BURIED THE WRONG BODY.
CABDE-oAR VICTIM MIsTAKEN ron
HES. BECKMlN.

Pauline, . year ago he had never seen his
mother-in-law. Mrs. Kate Beckman, and IL
would have occasioned no wonder. thon. in the
minds Of his friends II he had mistaken some
other woman for her. Since that time Mrs.
Beokman has spent about three months, of and
on. as . member Of his household. and now the
mystery h, how co I'D he and his mother and
sister and his %neiRhbor. Mrs. Anderson. all
make . mistake and then bury the wrong body
for that of the still living Mr.. Beckmsn3
That 10 what has happened, and worse than
all. the burial was paid for out Of insurance
money which was collected upon q policy which
the real live Mrs. Beckman carried on her life,
and this money was paid by the insurance COM
pany and collected by Mrs. Hamburg upon the
superstition that Mrs. Beckman was dead. And
now no one Interested knows who the woman
was who was buried as Mrs. Bockman.
Pauline Hamburg does not know Just how old
che is. According TO her count, based upon her
childish traditions, she should have been 10
years old ~ her last birthday. in September,
but when she spoke of this TO her mother. Just
before that time, her mother declared that sho
would DO 81 years old. The mothers diotum
is not infalliblo. however, for she has had men,
tai trouble at times. for which she has been
treated. Pauline was her child by her first
husband. About seven years ago she mar
ried o man named Beckman, but tho
marriage was not q happy one. and
the couple separated and broke up the
homo, and Pauline went out to make her own
way. She got work, and, being pretty, when
Henry Hamburg met her, he fell In love, and q
year ngo they were married. Thus 1t was that
Henry had never seen his mother-in-law up to
the time Of his marriage. After they get up
housekeeping at 23l East Seventeen street
Henry began to ask about Pauline's mother, and
when she finally came to visit her daughter he
invited her TO stay. She would stay o little
while at a time and then go away.
last. Ten weeks ago Pauline gave birth to a
little boy. One day in the latter part of Novem-
driving a delivery wagon at w Va Mar.
ket. and she was attending to her housework
= sn nem Rsp Is9!' She s sea Tss Of sn ane eld E,aihee Woman oysp
having Just died at the Presbyterian Hospital
ssh The ,s res on TS Of HAVING sysnn. been e w,s run h. down w Sy a
out my one having appeared In the interval to
Then there came before her mind . vision of
her mother. and by the time her husband got
home she was In y state of mind.
should be mother. The description reads Just
Ike Sps hss ana ~ SAID ! Se Henri IL must ane. es have have SUPPER"
Pauline couldn't get Il out OF her mind. that
sss Kept taking is about s'n It Until IN h nSiEi'1 Henry S%S
s sMs' I M II SG 90 s ses' to s M hasp,t ts : saS . C ,9ek'
When he got to the hospital an AUTOPSY was
being held, so he came back, but he went again
the next night as the woman's body was still
unrecoenized and unclaimed. he got back in
Don't cry he said to Pauline: but It's
Pauline didn't cry. She says herself that she
went into Mysteries and aroused the whole
The next day Henry Suit. work in order TO
was taken TO Koib's undertaking shop at second
avenne and Fifty,feurth street; insurance
houuht in tho Lutheran Cemetery and.
early in December, the funeral was held.
1t was the last thing l would be able to do
SO. with the $50 for the funeral and the little
while Henry wasn't working. the whole $50 was
'p Pauline dldn'. look at the body. for she was
afrsid il would upset her to see marks Of the &C
cldent that had caused the death. but Mrs. An
attended the funeral and gazed on the face Of
the dead, and so did Henry's mother and one of
awathed In bandaRos to cover the wounds. but
the eyes. nose. mouth, and chin were visible.
and All u tire. ,sot Of I, the w Wrn Rs we're as w s9re las as
there. There was the same broad nose. and. be-
sides, there was the characteristic gap In tho
left side OF the upper Jaw where q tooth was
So the funeral took place. and only one person
was Mrs. Belschatf, the ~janitress at 231 East
seventieth street. When the dead woman's
clothing was sent there from the hospital she
noticed that it was better in quality than that
Mrs. Beckman usually wore.
,no ofSp , 6es,sF s hTmt u shs the .sid Pl 10 H wnsTe y snd
kse II she is really dead.'
Wei" he said. Il will. after the funeral.
dead or moi? !"
Henry was back at work on Monday and en-
PERTAINING thoughts of SUING the Third Avenue
Railroad Company for $4,000 damages for the
death of his mother; in:law. when a stranger
Being assured that she did, he followed Mrs.
Belschafi into her rooms, and then astonished
What would you think If 1 could prove that
Mrs. Beckman was alive and we'll at this
Then. after asking a lot Of questions. he went
thing about his visit To Pauline. Mrs. Belschaf.
OF course. went right ~ to Pauline's rooms.
she is alive and we'll. and was sure of 1t from
Pauline had a faintinR spell. and then she
Didn't you see my mother In the CONN y she
II did" said Mrs. Anderson. land I will stake |
my life upon it, and the lives of my two babies
Pauline couldn't rest. however. She went to
Henry's mother at 1925 Second avenue and
told her what she had heard. Mrs. Hamburg.
starting right out 10 search Tor Mrs. Beckman.
Armed with the knowledge that Mrs. Beckman
msa,, MADE Hsms her for aef F4lssSisss W q simsf in IN vest St
recently moved to Fity;sseond street, they be;
It between Fourth and Lexington avenues.
Is Katy here ~ they asked.
There are so many Katies here" was the
reply. " what one do you wantf'
"Katy Beckman."
Yes: she is here. I will call her."
Pauline snys she anne near dying right then.
but she didn't. She found her mother alive and
well and left her there without telling her q
word about her supposed death and funeral. nor
how she had collected her life insurance money. |
Then. she went back to the humburg home.
and there she was yesterday. wondering what
she would have to Go about that insurance
money which she spent in buryinR the wrong
body and who the unknown woman was that
was the recipient of her unattended charity.
said. but at any rate they can't take the grave
away from the poor woman that we buried"
But Henry's vision of damages from the Third
Avenue Railroad has disappeared.