The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-28
IN AN ARMCHAIR.
Strange Manner of Burial of an
Aged Lady.
New York Woman Will Be In
TERED Sitting Up.
IN AIR TIGHT VAULT.
Husband Will Respect All of
Her Peculiar Notions.
Has Spent the Last Three Years
In This Rocker.
IN AIR TIGHT VAULT

Paving. N. z. July 2S.-No stranger fu-
neral ever occurred in Duchess county
than that planned for Mrs. George s. Nor
TON, wife of well known contractor of
this place, who is to be buried in the
Pawling cemetery today at O'Clock in
strict accordance with her singular dying
1ancies Workmen have been busy all
day to make the necessary preparations
for Mrs. Norton's body, sitting in old
rocking chair, in which she has spent the
greater part of the last three years, is to
be enclosed in a handsome vanished box
of chestnut and lowered into a kind of
well, especially constructed to receive it.
Then this strange coffin will be locked
and a heavy fagstone will be cemented
fast over the opening.
The walls of this tomb will be bricked
and cemented, and no earth viii be per-
mitted to touch either the body or the
box, and after it is all over Mr.. Norton
will place the key of the caslxet where it
will never be found, he says, but the pre-
else disposition of it he refuses to make
public.
from heart disease. Her end was sud-
den, but came surprise, for she had
years, and the dropsy accompanying it
had caused her body to swell to enormous
tive health she weighed more than 200
Richard D. Kimlin, wheelwright OF the
town. ana an old friend of the family, is
and chair will be inclosed.
The box will resemble to some extent
the packing case of an upright piano. 1t
these dimensions beng the result Of. a
careful measurement of the body as it
be stained black, but Win be finished with
light colored shellac varnish, according
to Mrs; Norton's wishes,
that, while her pastor. the Rev. S. f.
Maekey of the Methodist Episcopal
home, the body win be visible to the
the chair in which She Found her only
comfort. At the close the front will be
loaded into to- one Of Mr.. Norton9s Business mih1
wagons and driven to the grave by one
Mr. KimIin says Mrs Norton ordered
her strange coffin from him some time
read of a man down east VINO had been
buried in a vault in sitting position, and
that she wanted to be buried in the same
Mr.. Kimlin said yesterday that. as the
estimafed that When t was closed WITH
the chair and body inside it would weigh
Mr.. Norton and his wife were old resi-
dents OF this place They We're married
here tWenty-nine years ago. The couple
Mr.. Norton. a patriarchaI old man with
q flowing. snow-white beard, was at first
disinclined to talk about the strange ar
Wifes funeral, but at length said he would
tell the story for publication, as in that
way he could get the best information
conveyed to the members of his family,
who are scattered.
He said his wife had long had a dread
of ordinary burial. She had known of
cases, where undertakings had. been com
PEELED to fairly crush the bodies of stout
persons in their efforts to get the coffin
lid fast down, and she had also a horror
Of having earth thrcEn upon her breast.
Another reason Tor her desire to be
buried in a sitting posture Mr.. Norton
said, was that for the last year she had
been unable to lie in a bed owing to the
swollen condition Of her limbs. and had
spent her nights, as well as her days, in
her favorite rocker, and was, therefore,
more than usually attached to it.