Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-07
HOW'S THIS FOR A YARN?
Negro Mummy In st. Louis Perspires
Freely and Has to Have
Haircut Often.

ST. Louis No. June 6.-On the wall OF
dingy little room in the rear OF j. I. Mur-
rell's Sons undertaking establishment lJ-z
Market street, hangs James Fields col
ored. dead and mummified for fourteen
years. His carcass perspires as proIusely
in warm and oppressive weather as does
the living body of a patron of the sternen-
Tirth in any brewery, and frequently
barber has been called to cut the hair that
persists in growing en- him.
James Fields was born in July, 1860.
When years old he went to work for J. Z.
Murrell, who then had his undertaking
rooms where his sons John X. and Edward
E.. continue the business. Fields was a
porter about the rooms end simply made
his living from the work. He died when ne
was about 20 years old, and before death
requested that his body be never taken
from the place where he died, the dark,
dingy room back of the place where the
That request was granted, save once,
when the embalmers' association insisted
on exhibiting i a; The the fair iSpr ssa6ff 6f ts
carcass were not made public.
Immediately after death the body was
embalmed by what was then known as inc
newly discovered Egyptian method. An IN
lection OF the fiuid was made IN tne flshI
arm and punctures In the abdomen men anu anu
chest to allow the gas to escape; BUT con-
tTary to the Egyptian method. the Nlscsrd
ard fatty matter were not removed: Inc
body was laid away in common casket tor
a few weeks. The casket was never taken
out of the back room. After six weeks John
Z. Murreli, a son of the founder of the insti-
tuition. who had then become partner
opened the coffin, prompted by curiosity
To his surprise. the body had not deGom-
posed, the wool thereon was long ana the
finger and toe nails had grown TO aDnormal
length. After awhile II was decided TO cut
the bair and nails. When this operation
the body was stiff and rigid. IL was llttCd
out of the coffin and the nails and hair
were cut, after which II was stood IN the
corner and almost forgotten until the grow
ing nails and hair again attracted atten-
tiOn. After each cutting the corpse was
stood up in a corner, between two closets,
and no more thought given II save When
some visitor would ask what it was.
Several years ago-no one remembers just
when-it was found necessary to change the
standing position of Fields from the floor
to q more graceful one of hanging on the
wall.
1t was in warm weather that this change
was made. In handling the carcass II
was found to be damp and then came the
discovery that il was perspiring.
All this time the toe and finger nails
continued TO grow. but in late years the
hair has dragged a little until now It's
growth is so small that the corpse has not
had hair cut in several months.
John p. Murrell says he has been offered
$500 for Fields, and that he has received a
score of other offers. ranging from 20 cents
for garbage purposes to 500 for an adver-
tisement of an embalming fluid.
Zone museum manager said he wanted
the carcass badly and If he had 1900 he
would be willing to buy it, but as he owed
q hotel bill the deal was called on.
During the summer the attendant finds
Il necessary TO dry the body nearly every
day with Turkish towel. Judging from
the present condition of the corpse, it is
good for a century TO come.