Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-15
Ambassador Porter's Dispatch.

dor Porter, as follows:
Ambassador Porter's Dispatch
PARIS, April IA, 1905.
Secretary of State, Washington:
My six years search for the remains of
Paul Jones has resulted in success. Having
explored the old Saint Louis cemetery.
where the admiral was buried in a leaden
coffin and where 1 had verified the fact that
all the dead remained entirely undisturbed.
l found only four collins of lead The first
three bore plates giving the names and
dates of burial. the fourth was in solfdity of
construction and workmanship much su-
perior to the others. Like them it was
similar in shape to mummy collins, widen
ing from feet to shoulders with a small
round top to fit the head, like all collins of
that period. No plate could be found. One
may have been put On the outer wooden
coffin, few vestiges of which are left An
other corpse had been buried Immediately
on top. Appearances indicate that in dig
ging that grave the wooden coffin had been
partly stripped off. The plate may then have
been carried away. On opening the coffin
the body, fortunately. was found quite we'll
preserved, the colin having been filled with
alcohol, but which had eyaporated and the
body carefully packed in straw. AS | pre-
dicted in a former report, the coffin con-
tanned neither uniform sword nor decora-
lions. 1t was discovered in one of the
spots where | expected to find it.
L took it to the School of Medicine. where
Doctors Captain and Papilauit the distin-
guished professors of the School of Anthro-
pology, well known for their large expert
ence in such matters were charged with re-
moving the body from the coffin and max
ing minute examination for the purposes of
identified ton. They were furnished with
medallions, portraits, Houdon's two busts.
authentic measurements, description of
color of hair and all the mass of Informal
ton which had been collected regarding
Paul Jones appearance.
Identification Regarded as Complete.
THE following facts were fully substan-
tiated: Length of body, feet I inches, Paul
Jones exact height; head in size and shape
identical with head of Paul Jones: hair on
head and body dark brown same as that of
Paul Jones, in places slightly gray. indicat-
ing person of his age, forty-five years;
high forehead, hair long, combed back
reaching below the shoulders, gathered in a
clasp at back of the neck, curled in two
rolls on temples; face clean shaven. corre-
spending exactly with the descriptions of
portraits and busts of the admiral; buried
In shirt and wrapped in sheet linen in good
condition, bearing small initial worked
with thread either a J, if read upside
down a p; coffin very solid; body carefully
preserved and packed; limbs wrapped with
tin foil, evidently for purpose of sea trans
portation a long distance as indicated in an
authentic letter of his particular friend and
pallbearer. Colonel Blackden. which says:
HIS body was put into a leaden coffin on
the Goth, that in case the United States,
which he had so essentially served and with
so much honor should claim his remains
they might be more easily removed
The autopsy showed distinct proofs of
disease of which the admiral is known to
have died. The Identification was complete
in every particular. Detailed reports of all
facts duly certified by participants and wit
nesses Will go by mail l will have the re-
mains put in a suitable caSket and depos-
tied in the receiving vault of the American
Church till a decision is reached as to the
most appropriate means of transportation
to America. (Signed) PORTER"
Qualification of the Officials.
Ambassador Porter's dispatch reached the
State Department last night. There is gen.
uine satisfaction among fhe officials of
Ambassador Porter have been crowned with
success. Officials here followed his reports
on the subject with keen interest and think
it particularly gratifying that he was able
to bring his task to a successful conclusion
before retiring from his post. 1t is prob
able that a recommendation will be made
to Congress at its next session looking to
his reimbursement. The remains or John
Jaul Jones are TO be brought to this city
and inferred in the national cemetery at
Arlington, and il is likely that the transfer
will be made the occasion of an imposing
demonstration
Last year, at the time the search for the
body of John Paul Jones was begun, Mr.
Moody, then Secretary of the navy, made
the official announcement that If the body
were found the government would sent a
battleship to France to convey II to this
country 1t is not doubted that Secretary