The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-08
WILL GIVE CASKETS AWAY
j. M. Knight Says, if Necessary to
Secure the Entire Trade of To-
peka, he Will Adopt This
Course.


Course.
In your issue of Saturday, August 81.
1897, you published an article relative
to the funeral expenses of one Samuel
Scott, a man who committed suicide by
taking a large quantity of carbolic ac-
id. AT the time the article was publish
ed called out of the city, and this
is the first opportunity L have had to
reply to the same. The article contains
a large number of statements that are
incorrect, and as a matter of fact,
concluded that your reporter was inter-
viewed by those whose motives were
not promptly entirely by public spirit.
Scott, the deceaSe,d d was an old sold
Ter and the brother-in-law of G. c.
Corning, who formerly lived in Tope
ka. Mr.. Corning'S representative was
| a farmer by the name of Bradbury.
The body of Mr.. Scott was taken
charge of by me, and was given very
respectable burial From extensive
business associations with Shawnee
county, L knew the county would pay
! $50 for the burial of an old soldier, and
| was advised the balance would be ad-
| justed by friends.
The body was in very bad shape. The
| coroner's jury found the deceased had
| taken four ounces of carbolic acid; his
| body was most wonderfully and fear
! fully distorted. When 1 presented to
| Mr.. Corning, through his brother-in-
| law, the small balance of $25, 1 consid-
cred had given the friends of the de-
ceased the best and kindest treatment
| possible from a business standpoint
Mr.. Corning had wired his represen-
| tative to give the deceased the best
possible attention consistent with low
| prices, and that was the basis which
| the funeral services were managed in
| this case.
I furnished for the friends of the de-
| ceased casket which 1 advertised in
| the daily papers for $40. L furnished
! transportation for the body from the
| hotel to the undertaking rooms and all
a T NJ
| expert assistance who washed the body
| and clothed it. 1 furnished the shroud
| in which the body was buried. furn-
| ished BARRIERS to shave the body; and
| after 1 embalmed it kept the body in
my undertaking rooms at No. 4O6 Kan
sas avenue for two days and two nights
! and furnished all material necessary to
| protect and preserve it. L furnished a
| number of assistants to receive in
| respectful manner the 10 hundred peo-
| pie who called. I also paid for several
| kilograms necessary in the premises.
| When I presented the bill for burial
/ services, / included in this bill all those
attendants and attentions, and the en-
| tire bill was only $75. This included
! hearse, shroud, embalming service, car
/ riage hire, and the expert services of
! two men for two days and two nights.
| 1t included the telegraphic expenses;
! the carriage of the body from one point
| to another and also the attendance of
| numerous assistants during the in
| quest If any man in the city of Tope-
ka will consider all the services render
| ed in this particular case, together with
all the ordinary expenses of doing busi-
ness on large scale, he will find the
bill rendered in this case left but very
little profit to the business.
| Now have something further to say
| as regards the particular statements
| made in this matter: First, Palmer
| testified as regards the charge of en-
! balming. Mr.. Palmer testified that he
! is not a graduate of any school, and
that his knowledge of embalming has
l frnT1 hot aTfin haI hos
had. Nor is Mr.. DeMoss a graduate of
any school, but has acquired what
knowledge of the art he possesses,
1t was stated that I claimed the ham
| die bars of this coffin were solid silver.
This is absolutely false. Any sane man
| knows that solid silver handles of the
kind and character placed on the cas-
lSet of Mr.. Scott would have cost 1925.
The handle bars were silver plated, and
there is no manufacturing establish =
ment in the United States, which sends
| out to the public handle bars of any
kind or character which are rot silver
plated or solid silver, unless of course.
| possibly they may be covered with tex
| tile. Again, / never claimed the caSket
in this case was made of solid cedar
1 stated that it was what is commonly
| known as Chestnut caSket. When re-
ceived by me it is already covered, and
| generally is of chestnut throughout
| Often times, however, the caSket lie
has, / am informed, by the manufac-
and when open nicer appearance car
| be made on placement of the cover
Again, Mr.. Palmer and Mr.. DeMoss
stated that they went with Mr.. Brad
bury, who was acting in this matter fol
Mr.. Corning, and took this body from
the grave. do not care to express my
opinion as to this proceeding. 1 NIGH
state that 1 would be glad to think the
r proceedings of these three gentlemen il
this case. were wholly from a policy o.
kindness and generosity to the family
of the dead.
However, I know full we'll the clas:
of people with whom I have had to dea
since 1 undertook to break up the un
| dertakers' combine several years ago
l insisted at the time of the funeral O
| Mr.. Scott, that in as much as it ap
| peared that friends of the deceased
were unable to call to see the body a
! my undertaking rooms, the caske
| should be opened, and the body SHOULD
| be shown at the grave. This was don
| at the burial of Scott and everything
! was intact. The glass covering was il
| perfect shape, and if that glass wa
| broken it was done by the gentlenaal
| who opened the grave, presumably
! suppose for the comfort of the friend
{ | of the deceased
| / purchased through agents unknown
to Palmer on September first, 1897,
casket which Mr.. Palmer stated at tn
time 1t was purchased, by my agents
was made of solid oak MrPalmer toll
| my agent to come to me if cheap wor
was wanted. I have this casket on ex
E hibition, and will show it to any on
! | who desires to see it The handlebar
| apparently are of the same class an
style as those placed on the Scott cas-
s | ket, but they are much lighter and ar
[ | very inferior in quality to those furn
: ished at the burial of Mr.. Scott. Tn