The evening times., 1899-08-21
SECURED THEIR FRIENDS BODY.
A Corpse Disfnterred i'm Spite of CO.
lOmbiau Laws.

New Orleans, Aug. 21.-To recover the
body of Charlton K. Browning, who was
buried in Colombia, where disinterment
is not allowed for eighteen months, Joseph
B. Derbes. New Orleans attorney, and
J. E. JOLIET, a travelling man in the crn2loy
of a Chicago firm, braved ali ! Of
dangers, narrowly escaped death l., Up
wreck, spent money lavishly, and with
their own hands opened the grave into
which the body had been placed two
months ago, and brought the easket to
this country. arriving here yesterday.
1t was on June l that naphtha launch,
on which Mr.. Browning, who was the conf
Dental agent of a New Orleans firm, was
a passenger, exploded off Bocas del Toro.
He died on June II and was buried the
next day. Permission was refused the rep
resentatives of his family to exhume the
body. The Colombian Government pointed
to its law prohibiting disinterment OF bod
les until eighteen months had elapsed and
declined to listen TO arguments.
Derbes and Joliet sailed from New Or
leans in the middle of July to secure the
body of Browning in whatever way they
could. They had the direct backing of the
knights of PythiaS, and behind them STOOD
the members of the Masonic. Essenic and
Druidical organizations.
Upon reaching Bocas del Toro they ap-
piled to United States Consul Hands, who
told them their mission was hopeless, and
according to the two men. threw all pos
sible obstacles in their way. Alcalde Bra
vo, of Bocas, refused to allow them TO
open Browning's grave.
They hired crazy tug and set off for
Colon. The drunken pilot lost MS reckon
ing, storm came up, they were blown sixty
miles from their course, and for a while
death seemed certain. AT last the winG
went down and Colon was reached after
many hardships. There the prefect listen
ed TO what they had 10 say and finally gave
them an order on the alcalde at Bocas in
structing him TO allow them 10 disinteI
Browning's body.
When they reached Bocas, armed with
| the order they thought their troubles were
over But they could find no one who would
open the grave. One man offered 70 have il
done On payment of $1,000. but the orfeI
| had a suspicious look, and the Americans
refused it. There was nothing left but tC
open the grave themselves
Lest further obstacles should be throwl
| in their way, Derbes and JOLIET waited until
midnight They carried the casket. which
| had been sent for the reception of the body
\ TO the spot where Browning had been bur-
| led and then went to work. Their hands
unused to manual toll, were bleeding betor;
| the task was finished. but after four hours
| hard work the body had been placed in III;
casket and carried 10 the steamship Utstein
| which was in waiting. They sailed at ono,
1 for Mobile.
| Derbes and Joliet were given great re
| ception by the Pythians Of New Orleans
| when the train pulled in yesterday, ant
| they stepped off in charge Of the body. Th
burial in American soil took place today.
| Browning was a master Mason, pas
1 grand chancellor of the Knights OF Pythias
and the president of the Past Grand Chan
cellor's Association of Louisiana. He wa
also a member of the Ancient Order o
Druids. the Essenic knights. and the Amer
lean Legion of Honor. besides other so
cieties. All the expenses of the trip mad
by Derbes and Joliet were borne by tn
| knights of PythiaS