The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-19
THE LADY OF THE CASKET.
,r.rU or MRS. HITLER. WORTH
MILLIONS ASD ECCENTRIC.
sne VIII he Buried In a $4,000 Casket In q
$500. 900 Mausoieum- Her First Husband
mad a $4,000 Caskct- Couples Children
All pied and She Planned Her Burial seven
var. Avo She Married Her Coachman.

MI HE IUu w vs.
Year, Ago She Married Her Coachman
WuNl>oruN, Mas, May Is Nj Franci
uro, widely known as the Lady OF the Cas-
a., " d.d nj her home this morning, after
.... . ,g.riny all win er. She will be buried
,r IN, magnificent $4,000 casket which she haC
,,,yad 'or herself some thirteen years ago, Z
similar ono being made at the same time for he
e.,, husband, which now contains his remain
a, the Protestant cemetery. Wilmington. The
Ias, resting place of Mrs Hitler will be In @
,.an.olepm. which cost $4,000 The mauso
,ogn IA. WALL five feet thick and massive gates
with double locks 10 prevent grave robbers
from entering Mrs, Hitler, according to ths
s,,ry,II nv one Of her %nieces, was born In
England, although she, herself, said she was
horn n lAe West Indies.
~, Vas inr wife Of Dr. Hitler. who was
t,,vr throughout the country a. IN" maker
of, p,,rnr medicine sold rom the main ONCE In
p,.,pn For years they were engaged IN Inc
BINS nos, vi'lou, attracting particular atteh-
,,r when they moved to wilmington n
.uhurbau city, twenty miles outside oil Boston
A, ,na, r.mr they had about sljo.0o0. She her
.af hl, rud OF her ambitions al that time.
"Ve always lived very frugally,' she said.
"For several years il was the ambition OF our
live, 70 ert a million dollars, when We hau
,b., ol safe two millions doomed up Tempt
,ngy ahead. aud when We had that three ana
four aud five millions led Us on. II there be
.pcb 4 thing a. luck, then luck favored IA.
rveryrhug We touched turned to gold in our
hands, .
"cb.lirpn were born to Us. but they did not
I've Though We both were vigorous, our
ut,Ia ono pncd away and died in early lfe' so
If the twcaty-,hree darlingS | have had. FOUR
,ssn Of Whom we're twins, not one i alive to-
dsv ,o vvn 10Y to nv heart and add sun~hinet TO
nv homo II was Gods will; let His will be
done
# was because they were childless tina, in
,ss; Mr., Hitler began to think Of erecting the
mau,olcim aud building the casketS which
since made h,r famous She has also told this
story IN her own words:
Seeing We we're not likely to have offspring
70 porpr.uato our name and fortune, | spoke TO
nv husband about being buried in costly
ca.,er. ard preserved under a lasting mauso-
lelm. lie tod ne to carry ont any idea | might
have. sent all over the world for appropriate
wood from which To make my caskets. Planks
from the biz redwood trees of California ! had
paid 5000 for | throw ASIDE as Useless. Then |
rad $3.50 for wood from the cedars Of
Lebanon. only to discard that. Later I purchased
teak and r,d cedar at a big price, to be further
disappointed II last | sent 10 the far South
and after infinite pains procured mahogany
blanks enough to build the sarcophagi and tie
two Baskets. '
The mausoleum itself was planned to be OF
stan, and the country side was soon talking OF
It. With wall, five feet thick. and the gates
massive and double locked TO prevent grave
robbers from entering. Tho knockers on the
doors we're Of god and worth a fortune in
themselves, and on the collins were gold me-
dallions said to be worth $500 each,
Mrs Hitler also specially designed her grave
clothes. Her robe was made OF costly corded
silk decked with 500 yards of handmade silk
lace. In quadruple lows up and d wn the front
Of the robe were over 1900 English daisies en-
broidered by skilled artists OF France IN the
sides are panels of surah white silk The robe
Is fastened by nearly 500 silver hooks designed
by Mrs Hitler The cost Of the outer robe was
,aid az the time to have been SEQ, 900 and with it
went undnrGarnents costing 5000.
pr Hitler died on Nov II, 1855. and was placed
in hi, sjo.WO coffin. As the mausoleum was not
thea COMPLETED the body was placed in a tenn
porary tomb until its final resting place was
ready 10 receive it.
10 the citizens Of the town Mrs. Hitler was a
constant source Of wonder. There and in the
nearby towns she was called the lady Of the
Baskets, and her oddities were on every
..u.- H. = - ~..I,.z, uro. a.,
lead the piCkers to her cranberry boys alfred
10 black six and wearing diamonds. Among
other ornaments was a necklace worth $50, Nm.
Early in 1898 Mrs Hitler again became the
subject of universal notice on account Of the an
n]ouncoment that -hc was about to marry her
coachman. a young Canadian. named Peter
surrette. She took the public into her con-
tdence on hi, point also. He came to her. she
sad, and asked her If she was going 10 get mar
Eied, a. he had heard. On assuring him she
had no such intention. she said he began his
love making
Il am a poor servant" he said, without
money or friends, but ! am a faithful. devoted
adnirer Of your womanly qualities. and. as
humble a am, please consider a proposal from
ne
i was thunderStruck at first" Mrs. Hitler
sad "hut the subject attracted my attention
and | said Why not? He is honest, loyal.
ohediant and loving. Father Ryan was called
IN, consulted Peter and told me that Peter did
not love my money but me then found out
tina, he came from a very good family and
would be- a sood man 10 look out for my prop
eTty. Accordingly asked him if he was willing
10 sign tho utsa-ytp,fnl ua,,Io.o, ..l L.
wanted to know what that meant. told him
and again he e1postulated that it was not my
money he was after. but he loved me as only
man can love"
une OF M" conditions of the marriage was
'hat the former COaChman should abandon hIs
'anodlan name and adopt that of Henry Miller.
Inc invitation printed in gold on red cards and
enclosed IN red envelopes. both bearing tho
inner cr"N', 'Opporiunndiem ErpsctGns." under
4 non corchnnt on n crown. meaning in Eng
'Sh Watching for opportunities, " announced
70 hr friends that the Wedding was 10 take
la''a' advertised. The marriage took place
IN Tact, twO marriages Just before the dav
sN' Tor NJ" ceremony the Catholic Church au-
,hHr'u"> found out that the couple had already
n''n married hv a Protestant clergyman IN
h"y"rs Office in Boston. and forbade the priest
70 marry 'hom. Matters were arranged, and
on Mr.. ?, INa2, they were married in the little
chHrca that stood MORTAR from the tomb Of the
o'h'r husband. The u,hers were physicians
nom boston, and wore badges Of white rIbbon
'A>''''d With fvc-dollRr gold pieces
since III" wedding Mrs. Hitler has faded
rom public view. but has continued TO manage
hr' 'l'n"-a a successfully a. during the
ne Of her other husband and during her
."''.N""od Her properties, besides the Bos-
t0 D~i'h"ss, extended TO the West ndies.
o'''h america and various parts Of the United