The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-04

He said that he was called shortly after
noon on Monday and took with him guam
tity of embalming fluid. He attempted 10
make the body ready for burial by en-
balming il, when he was stopped by Miss
Haper, who objected. Il did not know
what TO do he continued. "and was at
sea. A number of women friends were IN
the house, and they talked a long time with
Miss Haper, and she finally consented 10
my using the fluid about o clock Monday
night l then tried 10 place crepe on the
door, and TO this she also objected l went
away, and again the women Of the neigh
borhood interceded and Miss Haper re-
Tented sufficiently to allow me 10 put up a
door card consisting OF two palm brancneS
tied with purple silk ribbon l put this up
on Tuesday night. and when l went by the
house Thursday night 1 noticed that II had
been taken down. l made inquiry. and
learned that il had been taken down by
Mrs. Trucksess. This was done, | learned,
after Mrs. Trucksess and Miss Haper had
worked on the body, evidently rubbing IL
| noticed yesterday morning that the right
hand of the corpse was very limp. There
is no question in my mind that the man Is
dead. His skull was fractured at the base
of the brain, and | understand that his
neck was broken. 1 was much surprised
yesterday when | called up my office and
one of the clerks informed me that MIS-
Trucksess had ordered the luneral pos
poned l hurried 10 the Trucksess home
and learned from Mrs. Trucksess that she
was not quite ready TO bury the body. l
was up a stump, but asked no questions.
cred. l countermanded the order for car
riages. In the afternoon when l returned
there was a great crowd in the rooms. and
in the room where the body lay two women
holding books and surrounded by num-
ber OF other women were holding the
funeral service according to the Christian
Science faith.
FUNERAL POSTPONED.
Immediately after the close Mrs. Truck
sess asked me to dismiss the people, as the
funeral would not be held at present. Ev-
erybody asked questions, but l could not
answer them and only referred them TO
Mrs. Trucksess. She said she did not know
when the funeral would be held All l can
do is to hold myself in readiness for her
commands. The body cannot be buried at
Crown Hill tomorrow or on Sunday, but
think it will be buried on Saturday. If ii
is 1 will only take my car, with two or
three carriages for the immediate family,
and go to the house.
Mr.. Hisey was then asked If severe rub
bing of a dead body after embalming fluid
had been used could dispel the rigidity, and
he replied Yes; ii can be done, as the
formaldehyde gas which the fluid contains
remains some time in the body and by rub
bing the hands or legs limpness can be plo-
duced. The hand that 1 saw this morning
looked as though it had gone through some
violent rubbing process.
A number of the neighbors were seen last
night but seemed disinclined TO talk con-
cerning the affair.
Edward 7. Wilson, cousin of Mrs.
Trucksess, was also seen last night. He
was sitting in the front yard with Miss
Katherine Trucksess. He said he was a
cousin of Mr.. Trucksess, and every time he
had called at the house within the last
three years he had been given lesson in
Christian Science. He said that one of the
beliefs of the faith is that the body can
never die. "In this case / feel sure that
the body is stone dead" he said. They
might rub and rub him and call to him, but
they can never bring that man TO life" he
continued. Mr.. Wilson seemed somewhat
downcast because the affair had aroused so
much curiosity.