The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-18
Miss Perkins Succeeds In Stopping
Her Own Funeral.
MURDER VICTIM ALIVE
RETURNS HOME IN THE BEST
OF HEALTH.
Mutilated Body of the Bridgeport
Victim Had Been Identified as
Her Remains, Coffin Had Been
Ordered and the Grave Dug
Accompanied By Her Lover.

Middleboro, Mass, Sept. 1.-THE sup
posed victim of the Bridgeport (Conn.)
murder, Miss Marian Grace Perkins,
the best of health, to the great joy of
the family and the unbounded aston
ishment of the entire community.
Her father was not in town at the
time of his daughters arrival; he was
on his way back from Bridgeport with
the gruesome remains which he had
identified as those of Grace, and for
which the funeral arrangements, in
Guiding the digging of the grave, had
already been completed.
Miss Perkins came from Providence,
r. l., and was accompanied by her
lover Charles Bourne. and at first it
was stated that the couple had been
married. This was afterwards denied
by young Bourne's uncle. So unexpect-
ed was the coming of Miss Perkins and
young Bourne, that outside of Mr..
Thompson and one or two friends who
had been previously notified, there
were very few at the railway station
when the train came in.
The young lady, however was imme-
diately recognized by the bystanders at
the station, and the news spread
around the town with incredible rapid
ity. There was a large crowd at the
gate as the young lady stepped from
the carriage and ran into the house.
Just across the street from the Per-
kins home is little cemetery, and
only this morning. in response to the
request of the uncle OF Miss Perkins,
a grave had been dug by the sexton in
the family lot, and the new earth
thrown up beside it could be plainly
seen from the house.
Half an hour after Miss Perkins ar
rival home a local undertaker's wagon
drove up to the house and in it was
the coffin which had been ordered by
the family. The funeral arrangements
had even gone so far that the family
minister had been notified and asked to
conduct the services.
At the Perkins home tonight an uncIe
of the young woman, in the absence
of her father, gave out tile following
statement:
I'VE think that Grace and Charles
Bourne have been married, as they
have been off on frequent trips during
the past two or three months. Grace
knew nothing of the sensation until
yesterday morning, when she read Of it
in a paper. She sent a letter 10 her
mother only 10 days ago. but the latter
never received it"
Later in the evening Miss Perkins
sented to speak, but all she said was:
81 am glad to be here. alive, truly
alive, and it is truly me-"
Mr.. Perkins arrived from Taunton
about 10 O'Clock and drove to the Per-
kins house. The meeting between faith
er and daughter was affecting. Late
tonight it was reported that Mr.. Per-
kinS was very ill.,
The undertaken who brought the body
over from Taunton said that from the /
talk he had with Mr.. Perkins he felt |
sure that the latter was insane.
MYSTERY UNSOLVED.
Bridgeport. Conn, Sept. 1.-THE |
news that Miss Perkins had returned |
to her home in Middleboro was received /
with increduiity at first, so general was |
the belief that the identity of the body |
had been established. That no doubt !
existed in the minds of the officials as |
TO the Identification is apparent from /
the fact that the death certificate has |
been filed, and everything official in |
with the death of Grace !
Perkins" has been complied with. Su-
perintendent of Police Birmingham
said tonight:
Il was satisfied that the dead woman
was not the original of the photo ex-
hibited by Mr.. Perkins, and there were
other discrepancies, a great many of
them. 1t was said Slight callousies
we're found on the dead woman's hands,
when Perkins suggested that his
daughters hands were calloused, but
beyond a doubt the dead woman's
hands were soft and smooth. I have
been actively working on the case. but
Am obliged to say that thus far l have
1ot been able to secure evidence that
would warrant an arrest. nave evi-
lence which l cannot divulge, that will
play its part when the time comes"
He would not say anything about Dr.
iuilford, whose name has been used in
connection with the case. In the opin-