The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-09-22
QUESTION Of
UNLINED COFFIN
INVESTIGATED
INQUIRY AT SOME LENGTH MADE
BY BOARD OF COUNTY COM.
MISsIoNERs, BUT THE MATTER
WILL BE SETTLED BY DIGGING
UP AND EXAMINING cASKET,

=
a question which, it was asserted,
| challenged the reputation of Northup
& Wood, funeral directors, the board
of county commissioners last night
heard evidence for and against the
! firm named and consumed over two
hours in such investigation. Some
| time ago the report came officially
to the board that an unlined coffin
had been furnished by the firm, which
has a contract for burying county
paupers, in which a body had been
| placed. The lid Of the coffin, the re-
| port had it, had been nailed down,
/ and the coffin was without headrest
| or pillow" as some of the wit
nesses had it. The firm took excep-
| tiOns to such a report and called for
an investigation. Such was held last
night. Inmates and employees at the
county farm testified for the county,
| and the employees Of the firm for them
/ John G. Wood, one of the members
Of the firm, was present and his side
was represented by Attorney J. ].
/ Sullivan, Jr. The cOuntys case was
taken care of by George T. Morgan,
county attorney. After considering
| the testimony in executive session, the
board decided to make an examination
| of the coffin itself, and today an ap-
| p4iCdJIOn VIII ne IudO6 10 w. T..
/ Anderson, local agent for the state
| board of health, for permit to dig Up
the coffin. II has been under ground
since August 80, Should such permit
be granted, the coffin will be taken up
| in the presence of the entire board
/ OF commissioners, who will be ready
to go to the poor farm upon the no.
| LITIGATION of the funeral contractors
The Investigation.
| After discussion OF a delay in keep
ing able-bodied county prisoners from
service on the county roads, reported
| at length in another column, the
matter OF investigating the alleged
inferior pauper burial equipment was
plunged into. Mr.. Sullivan. repre-
| Senting Mr. Woods, made a sugges-
| ton that Chairman Oerting
Vaeate the Chair
inasmuch as he had brought UP the
question before the board. The re-
quest was pressed, with the statement
from Mr.. Sullivan that, perhaps, the
chairman was interested in the case
and therefore would not be in posi-
ton to fairly pass upon it. Mr.. Nor
gan assumed that the chair had no in
teTest in the matter beyond that OF
bringing to the boards attention any
reports on Irregularities in the coun-
tvs contracts and institutions. He
said though that it was with the
chairman alone whether or not he
would recuse himself in this par
ticular case. Mr.. Oerting held the
chair, but had no part in the examina-
ton Of witnesses, that duty devolving
upon the county attorney.
J.. n. Reynolds,
keeper of the poor farm,~was the first
county witness. He said on August
got the body Of a pauper named
Bradshaw was brought to the farm
for interment. He was present when
the coffin was at the burial ground,
and when It was opened by A q.
Leinhart, gardener at the place. Wit
ness saw the opened coffin, but saw
no lining and no headreast, both OF
which should have been there. The
body was enclosed in part OF a sheet,
he thought, but witness said he saw
no lining. Upon cross examination
he said friends came up and request
ed look at the body. The lid was
nailed. A spade carried by witness
was used to pry off the lid. Several,
he said, saw the body. Witness said
service furnished by the present con-
tractors in the past had been entirely
satisfactory, and that collins are
brought to the place in good shape.
A. c. Leinhart,
who buried Bradshaw, was called and
he testified the coffin was brought out
from the city and several ladies had
requested that it be opened. At their
request, he did so and his attention
was attracted by a statement from
one of the ladies that there was no
lining. He looked and saw neither
lining or headTest. Believing he
would get into trouble If the matter
leaked out, witness said, he informed
Mr. OeTting of what he had discov-
cred The body, he said, was not de-
composed.
Mrs. Machette,
a nurse at the farm, said Bradshaw
had in the past been an inmate there
and suffered with his head. She was
the one who requested the lid be lift
ed so she could see the cOrpse's head. |
She was positive there had been no
lining.
Alice Maehette,
residing in the city. on West Jordan
street, was visiting her mother at the |
farm when the body arrived and she
looked at the corpse when the lid had |
been lifted. She was also positive !
there was no lining or headrest. She |
acknowledged that curiosity alone |
prompted her to look at the corpse |
She said she did not get close, but |
looked long enough TO say the coffin |
was unlined. This was discovered /
only after someone had mentioned alb |
sence of lining.
Mrs. Marshall, a lady inmate of the |
farm, possibly eighty years of age, |
was the next witness called. It was /
decided not to use her as a witness |
on account of her age and feebleness. |
She was excused.
Mrs. NeWberry,
another inmate OF the farm, saw the |
body and was especially emphatic IN /
her statement that the man was not /
put away right" She said a dirty
sheet had been used and the man was
in dirty clothes and in bad shape. |