The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-10
GEORGE LEE REFUSES
TO POSE AS A CORPSE
Negro Supposed to Have
Died Faces His Family.
SOME BODY AT THE M0RGUE
Undertaken, Health Officials, Coroner,
and Many Others Perplexed to
Know What to Do.

George II. Lee has countermanded his /
| own funeral. Strange as this may seem, /
| it is literally true. Lee was to have |
| been buried, with odd Fellow rites, yes
I terday afternoon. The Rev. r. S.
Rives, pastor of Union Wesley Metho- |
| dist Church, at Twenty-third and l. !
Streets northwest, was to have preached |
the funeral sermon. Many carriages /
and aoral tributes had been ordered |
( The body was TO have been conducted |
from the residence, at 1416 Tenth Street |
northwest, to the cemetery by the crew !
! of David Lodge of Odd Fellows, in full |
| regalta.
All this was spoiled by the untimely
arrival on the scene of Lee himself, who
positively insisted, with some show O:
reason and physical evidence, that he |
was not dead. He succeeded in con- |
vincing his mourning relatives that he |
was telling the truth. and the funeral
Is off.
But this is not the only complication. |
Somebody is dead, and the body has
arrived from Manchester, Mass, in a
SIS coffin. and. being here, is an IN
welcome guest. 1t has been falsely !
masquerading as the mortal remains
of Lee. and there is naturally bit of
hard feeling toward it in the breasts
OF those who were prepared to mourn
over it. and bury it with all due honoIs.
Corpse Hasn't Friend.
1t hasn't friend in the town. and the
Lord only knows what will be done with
it. The Odd Fellows, who appropriated
II
to going 10 the further expense of bury
| ing it, Undertaken John 7. Stewart,
who is already out of pocket S. in tele-
grams. doesn't care to do any more
, gratuitous work; the Adams Express
Company will not consent to place the
remains in storage, awaiting a claim
ant; the coroner has no jurisdiction
! over a body which died in Massachu-
sets, and even if the health authorities
come to the rescue of the poor, friend
less corpse, there Will be a certain in
congruity in a SO coffin in the potters
t field.
1t was one week ago yesterday that
Major Sylvester received a telegram from
the chief of police of Manchester. Mass,
as printed at the time in The Times.
stating that George Lee, a negro. who
D was formerly a coachman, living in this
city, had died at that place, and asking
that an effort be made TO find his rela
tives After a day or two. first the sis
ter, the wife of Robert Turner. of 1740
D L Street northwest, and then the wife
I who lives at 14l6 Tenth Street north
n west. were located, but both were too
poor to have the body brought back for
burial Lee, they said, had been away
- from home for about three months. and
they knew HIM TO have been in Man
I chester.
Enters Mr.. Lee.
f At this junctuTe Lees Lodge OF Odd
/ Fellows came 10 the rescue and author
= lied Undertaken John T. Stewart. of 22l6
Il Sixth Street northwest, who is also sec
rotary OF the lodge, to draw SO of the
funds and forward that amount to Man
chester for the preparation and ship
n ment of the body here. Funeral ar
raugements were completed, when, Sat
urday afternoon. Lee walked into hii
home, saying that he had heard he was
dead and he wished to correct the rumor
He said he had been in Manchester. bu
for some time had been working neal
Brookland Had he delayed Just twenty
u four hours he would have been in time
~ to attend his own Obsequies. His ap'
pearance created something approaching
ie CONSERVATION, but this subsidized in th'
face of the practical complications. His
ufeIess substitute was now on the va!
here from Manchester. and what 10 do t
stop his journey was the problem.
It's Up to DR.. Glazebrook.
II Undertaken Stewart was In dire per
Ie plexity. Saturday he appealed to Cap
r tain Boardman to know IL there was an!
m vav whereby he could stop the corps
9 en- route. He was informed that the mat
:. ter Was beyond the Jurisdiction OF tn,
g police. He then sought the health OF
az ficials and. strive as they might, neithel
G IN files nor dusty tones. could they fine
~ q precedent for action in the case g
the arrival by express OF an unclaimed
body. There was much telephoning. Dr.
Woodward was In the country and coult
not be reached DR.. Fowler finally rem
In dered a decision. which was IN effcc
i lodging the issue. He told Undertake
p Stewart 10 notify him the moment TN
L. body arrived. and he would in turn notit
70 the coroner. DR.. l.. w. GlaZebrook
d Acting Coroner. received tip OF thu
adroit move. and. finding the matter VI
s to him. put in an entire night lookin
p I'D authorities on the knotty problem
&c y ~ hod,, arrived Yesterday morn
/ ing he finally consented TO have II take
IN to the morgue. He then wired the cir
Ih cumstances 20 Manchester, telling ther
10 If the7 wanted the body to wire to tina
NJ effect prior 70 IL o'clock No word hav
d ing been received at that hour, the bod
" was turned over to local hospital an
> | Is now in a PicRling vat