The evening times., 1896-06-24
'FORD'S B0Df n DISPUTE
Warden Leonard Upsets the
Wife's Plans for Burial.
HERAPPEAL TO OFFICIALS
The Keeper of the jail Declines to
After the Execution to the Under-
taker Named by Mrs. Ford-Mr.
Harmon TO Decide the Question

An uncanny fight is in progress today
over the fo?encouling corpse OF irwin l..
| Ford, the murderer OF Elsie Kreglo, who
will be execlte,i at the Jail on Friuay fore
| noon.
As an outcome of this contest over Fo.i's
body pithy COMMUNICATION was handed
| to Attorney General Harmon at noon o Ia
| by Attorney Fountain Peyton, the legal
| representative of Mrs. Ford.
| 1t appears that yesterday she handed to
James II. Winslow. colUred undertaken,
an order on Warden Leonard, directing him
| to turn the remains over to Winslow for
burial as soon as the hanging is over. Mrs.
| Ford employed WinSlow, she having re-
| celved number of contributions TO tie ap-
| piled to the burial of her husband. Several
! colored societies OF " hich friends OF Eers
i are members had decided that Ford should
| at least have q respectable burial, for ti.a
sake of his family.
When Undertaken Winslow presented
Mrs. Ford's urder for the corpse to War
| den Leonard today, lie WAS informed chat
| he could not have the remains until after
! they had been turned over To UnucTta ker
! Harvey, and Coffiped by lin at his estab-
! lishmcnt.
MRS. FORD INDIGNANT.
| Winslow went back to Mis-. Ford aud re-
| ported the matter 10 her. Ste was in-
| dignant at the warden's refusal, and at
/ bllIt NtDteTEeu Win l-dNAcf ftglth-
The attorney called on Mr.. Leonard at the
! city hall and asked why he had refused to
| turn the body OF Ford over TO Undertaken
| WiEslow. Leonard replied that Undertaken
| Harvey uad Il contract with the government
! for burying inuiscnt prisoners who are
! executed ut the Iall, and that The family
/ could not have tie corpse until they re
! received il from Air. Harvey's hands
The body will be turned over To Lin I'd
ia
! warden, ''aud the family mast get it from
| there
lawyer Peyton protested that Mrs Ford
did not want her husband buried as II
pauper.
SHE has sufficient mcey to pay his
| fuEeral expenses snId reytrn. and viii
| not submit TO yoTIr arrangement"
y peppery ctliUqug ensued between the
| attorney aud warden and Peyton left
| promising 10 bring the matter at once lie
/ fcre the Attorney General
Proceeding TO his office, where Mrs
| Ford and undertakcr Wins,ow Were await
ing him, Pcylon wrote II communication to
| Attorney General Harmon, ANA it was
| quickly delivered in person.
In il he stated thu IRWIN L. Ford's Wife
| had employed Undertaken james II. Wins
| low to take chalge of her husbands body
as soon as the law was through with il,
! aud that She had sent Winslow with II
written order 10 that effect to Warden
| Leonard.
MIR. LEONARD DECLINED.
| She had Hoped that the body would be
| turned over to tier representative as snon
| as ii was executed. but Mr.. Leonard de
| oiined 10 do 50. stating that. tie remains
would have TO 60 to Mr.. Harvey.
/ Tue communication to tie Attorney Gen.
! eral also states that AIR. Harvey VIII re-
! ceiye from the government $50 the pre-
| scribed fee for giving Ford IA paupcr S
/ burial" against tie expressed Wish of his
wife and family.
Therefore 1t will be seem further
! says the letter, THAT Warden Leonard in
! sists on taking $50 from the public treas
/ ury and using 1T where there is no necc ssity,
meet all expenses attending the funeral"
/ Mrs Ford stated this afternoon That she
! also objected seriously, as she says she
has Il right to. to the body of her husband
| after death being placed on public eXiIbi-
! ton as a curiosity at UndertaKer Haryey's
! place or anywhere else.
/ After receiving the communication the
Attorney General promised to give ii i'm
! mediate attention. and render his decision
I this evening as 10 whether the body shall
| lie sent to Harvey'S after tie hanging or be
1 turned directly over to Mrs. Ford. The
| matter, i'll all its details, is being Wig
orously discussed 10y coored people today,
many OF whom expressed indignati tion ut
what they termed Warden Ieonard's ar
| bitrary a ction.