The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-25

any regard to their relation To the body
The face was black and dirty Just as
1t was picked up from the ground with
the dust and cinders ground into it,
making it unrecognizab BILE. The face evil
IDENTIFY had not been cleaned or washed
since the catastrophe. The face was
not shaven. and the hair not combed,
but was full of dirt and cinders The
gashes in the face had not been sewed
up, or any preparation used to preserve
the remains. To illustrate the lack of
doing anything to care for the remains,
one foot was entirely out of its relation.
with the heel IN: the torn sock pressed
into the mass. not removing it all. In
short, nothing had been done to make
the body presentab bic or to preserve it. On
the other hand after Mr.. Livingston
had cleaned the face and shaved it and
sewed I'D wounds. and used preserving
fluids and powder. and placed the
hands and arms in their right relations
the remains were not only recogniza BILE
but presentable. And I. therefore, here
by make affidavit that the remains were
those of fECharles b. Hardy. whom l
have known for the last nine years last
past.
l hereby make af5idavit that all of the
foregoing is true
WILLIS E. BUCK. NJ. D.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 22d day of October. 1902.
S. T. PALMER,
[Seal1 Notary Public.
NO44AiA4ootO14 les SAkS IJUz.
October %. 1902
To Whom Concerned.
This is to certify that on the 10th day
of October, 1902, the relatives and friends
of c. B. Hardy requested me to go to
the rooms of the Livingston Furniture
company. in this city. to make an exam
ination of the remains of said C. B.
Hardy, whose remains had arrived in
the city about four hours earlier Mr..
Livingston had opened the casket and
removed therefrom the bust, which had
been completely severed from the body
at or near the nipple line. and had
spent several hours work in cleansing
and preparing the face and head. The
balance of the fragments and parts
We're in the caslset just as they arrived
in this city.
To all appearances as viewed by me
there bad been no pains taken to pre-
serve the BODY or to get it in a pre-
Sentable condition. 1t had the appear
ance of being thrown into the casl1et
promiscuously without any preparation,
fragments of clothing. dirt and cinders
were ground into the lacerations and
no attempt apparently had been made
to cleanse the parts or any antiSeptics
employed with view of preserving the
fragments. Al that time / could not
have identified the face as being that
of c. z. Hardy although had intimate
" known him for about Is or 16 wears.
After Mr.. Iivirston spent much time
and labor in preparing the body on the
following day I could certify that it was
the body of c. B. Hardy.
In IS years experience it has never
been my unpleasant duty to view a
body in such a condition after it was
supposed to have been prepared for
shipment and burial.
I hereby make affidavit that the fore
going is in my own handwriting and is
true to the best of my knowledge and
belief
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 22d day of October. 1902
fst S. T.1PALMER
(Sea1) Notary Public.
My commission expires June %, 1904.
Bank Commissioner Albaugh knew
nothing of the charges in connection
with the death of c. B. Hardy until he
was told of them by aState Journal re-
porter He was considerably affected
over the fact that Hardy's body had not
been properly prepared for burial.
i don't understand why 1 have heard
nothing Of the matter before said Mr..
Albaugh. when 1 heard of Hardy's
death I Immediately assumed the per-
body here, because he was a personal
friend Of mine I did not know whether
he left any insurance or whether his
family had anv means or not but l
went ahead with arrangements I tele-
phoned to George B. Palmer, the under
taker. to come up and see me about it,
and [ placed the whole matter in his
hands. I did not go to see the body
myself because I can't stand a thing
of that sort particularly where the vic
tim is a friend of mine. I had Palmer
up here twice so that there would be no
mistake about it. 1 told him to prepare
the body as we'll as possible for burial,
put it in a coffin and express it to King
man. and 1 would pay the bill. whatever
it was. The next day he brought the
bill up and I paid it. 1 don't remember
the exact amount Palmer told me it
was the worst body he had ever had
any experience with, but he had got it
into the best shape he possibly could.
This is the first I have heard that it
wasn't all right, and 1 am very sorry
about it.
II think it is mistake about Hardy
being badly treated at the asylum. I
went out to the asylum myself when he
first came and asked that he be given
special attention. and the assistant su-
perintendent. DIR. Myers, is an old friend
Of HarG-7's."