The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-16

morning the steel vault containing the
remains reposed on top of the ground
near the opening which had held
them.
Sight seers were excluded from the
cemetery while the work was in pro-
Eress and while it is not known how
the vault was opened it seems that Ii
tie trouble was experienced. Ropes
were passed under the vault and it was
raised to the surface without the as
sistance of derrick. 1t has been said
that the vault and casket with the body
enclosed would weigh several thousand
pounds but the four men who were at
work with Marshal Mackey had no
trouble in handling it.
The organs which are to be exam
ined will be removed today and taken
to Kansas City tonight.
The two trustees, T. E. Griesa and
Alfred Whitman, representing the
estate, were present during the ex-
huming of the body.
At a night session of the United
States circuit court, Judge Smith Nc
PherSon issued an order calling for
the elimination of the body of the late
Lucius H. Perkins of Lawrence, Kan,
for the purpose of determining wheth-
er his death. which occurred on the
evening of Saturday, June 1. 1907. was
due to morphine self administered or
to the fall from the roof of his home.
A race is now on between the insur-
ance company and the Perkins estate.
United States Marshal w. H. Mackey,
accompanied by Deputy United States
Marshal L. S. Need and DR.. ]. d. Free
man, the latter one of the members
of the commission, left for Lawrence
on an early morning train to begin
the work of disinterment.
Speeding on train to ST. Paul,
Mimi, is one of the attorneys for the
Perkins estate seeking to secure a writ
of supersedeas from the United States
circuit court of appeals which will set
aside the order of Judge Mcpherson to
exhume the body of the dead man.
If the body is disinterred and the
autopsy commenced before the writ
can be secured the Mutual Insurance
company of New York will have won
the race.
The Mutual Life Insurance company
of New York is contesting the payment
of a 100000 policy. claiming that
morphine. They asked that the body
be exhumed for the purpose of holding
an autopsy and that an analysis be
hade of the contents of the stomach
to discover whether traces of poison
existed.
Without rendering an opinion as to
the cause of the death as judged from
the evidence produced, Judge McPher-
son issued an order to exhume the
body and named a commission consist
ing of the following:
Dr. ]. D. Freeman, pathoIogfst; DR..
Frank Hall, Kansas City, pathologist;
DR.. Walter M. Cross. Kansas City,
chemist DR.. Freeman is a surgeon
attached to the Santa Fe Hospital as
sociation in Topeka. The commission
will conduct the autopsy and perform
the necessary chemical analysis They
may call on such additional assistance
as they may deem necessary
The direct work of the exhumatfon
is to be in charge of United States
Marshal w. H. Mackey. and must be
under his own personal supervision
and direction, no deputy being allow
ed to serve IN his place
The facts which the commission
must ascertain after the body has been
disinterred under the direction of the
United States marshal are these.
First-Did Mr.. Perkins die SOLELY
from the fa.l from the roof of his
house or did the fail contribute to his
death
Second-Did Mr.. Perkins die sole1v
from the use of morphine poisoning
or did morphine contribute to his