Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-19
DEAD BOY IN CLASP
OF DEAD MANS ARMS
Struggling Widow Prevented From
Seeing Mutilated Remains.
IDENTIFICATION NOT CERTAIN
Two Families Claim One Victim.
Grief-Stricken Bereaved Wom-
en- and Children Watch
Work of Salvage.

Work of Salvage.
CHERRY, ILL.,. November 1a.-Recovery
and attempted Identification of the dead
began at the ST. Paul mine today.
The bodies of two men and boy were
brought to the surface. Four other bod
les were dragged from the debris of the
second gallery and taken within reach
of the cage, but were allowed to remain
there for some time.
About seventy-five other bodies were
seen by the fire fighters who went down
into the mine today. Because the blaze
is not entirely conquered these bodies
are for the present beyond reach.
Grief-stricken men, women and children
formed a great circle about the bodies
brought from the mine. Many turned
away unable to endure the sobs and cries
Of the bereaved wives and mothers.
Identification Of Corpses.
Two OF the bodies were quickly claimed.
One was identified as that OF Richard
Buckles. a stable boy: the other that OF
Louis Gibbs.
Gibbs widow was too Ill to leave her
home. The body was identified by Gibbs
former comrades.
After the bodies of Buckles and Gibbs
had been removed to the temporary
morgue the third corpse was Identified as
that of George McMullen. Identification
was made by one of his brothers. who
said he had two more brothers down in
the mine.
McMuilens widow reached the tenn
porary morgue just as the body of her
husband was being carried In. AS she
saw who IL was she screamed and col
lapsed into the arms Of her brother-in-
law. Ss-2-s--@.1I
In a moment she revived and struggled
TO force her way into the morgue. Two
men attempted to restrain her, but she
brushed them aside. Her husbands
brother and two others by main force
dragged her from the spot, screaming
and struggling.
Boy Found in Mans Embrace.
William Redmond. Chicago fireman.
who aided in dragging McMullen's body
from the mine. pointed to the body of
the stable boy. Buckles. and asked:
rs that little boy his son?'
NO; he had no son. was the reply of
McMuilens brother.
well. ne had that little boy clasped in
his arms when we found them" said
Redmond. The boys arms were around
McMullen's neck.
"McMulen had on a black sweater.
and this he had pulled over his face as
though he had tried to protect himself
from suffocation. The lads head was
tucked down under McMullen's coat.
That is the way they died.
The two were found about a hundred
feet from the shaft. 1 suppose the man
had been trying to carry the boy to the
airshaft"
There seems to be no doubt about the
Identification of McMulen. There is con-
fusion as to the Identification of the
other two bodies.
Doubt About Identification.
Though Fireman Redmond said that it
was McMullen who was found with
boy clasped in his arms. and though this
boy was identified as Richard Buckles.
the mother and sister Of Alfred Kroll
say the boys body is that Of Alfred and
that the body first thought to be that of
Gibbs is that of Henry Kroll, Alfred's
father.
Helen KroIl. daughter of Henry Kroll,
said:
1T is papa and Alfred. | know papa
was trying 10 save my brother. They
died in each Others arms
The Identification was reported to the
undertakers. Mrs. Kroll has claimed the
bodies
There were many women in the crowd
that gathered about the bodies. but there
were more children. All looked at the
bodies. one d1ter turned away,
some weeping silently, others choked with
sobs.
II was in Messina after the earthquake
but the scenes following that catastrophe
wee no more pathetic than this" said
Ernest p. Bicknell National Red Cross
representative.
Mother Not to Be Comforted.
Among those in the crowd were a
woman and her little daughter. The
mother stood speechless and with dry
eyes as the child tried to comfort her.
Never mind mamma" said the little
one. Wen find papa" but her hopeful
prattle fell on unhearing ears. The
mother made no reply.
She was not deferred by the fact that
the broken-hearted widow had never a
word in answer. Her pathetic efforts to
rouse her mother from despair brought
tears tn many eyes.
George r. Rice and J. w Paul Of the
United States geological survey today de-
clared no government expert at the Sc
cret conference yesterday advocated the
sealing of the mine
We cannot discuss what occurred al
the meeting But in justice to the gov
ernment representatives il is no more
than fair TO state that all OF US were
agreed that efforts to recover the bodies
ard subdue the fire should be continued /"
said Mr.. Rice.
This policy has been followed todav
with success" he continued. The state
inspectors have the matter in charge and
are using every practical means for sub
DUNG the fire.
The fire appears to be one of consid-
erable area. complicated by falls which
will require great care for the protection
OF those hi~hting the fire and considera BILE
time in effectinR "a safe eptrapco a. tha