The daily Alaskan., 1909-08-30
TIE CORPSE THAT,
 KNEW TIE LAW,
sy F. A. MlTcHEL.

cations, and four times in illness the doctors gave him up. Once he tum- bled of cllor hundred feet high, was caught on the limbs Of tree and landed on his feet without scratch. But now Wakefield was dead. There had been altogether too much shoot Ing in Paradise, and the people re- solved to stop it. Wakefield was the next man to shoot some one, and the committee. wishing to make an exam ple of him and fearing that fl they l looked into the matter they might run against case Of self defense or some thing of the kind. though they gave him q trial, did not take the trouble Co summon witnesses for the defense. But. being law abiding men, they were very particular that the court routine should be observed even to asking tho cuprIt if he had anything 10 say why sentence should not be passed upon him. He replied that he had been a lawyer in the better days and could clear himself, but wha; he wanted was rest in the grave.
 And So he passed out He was hanged by the neck until he was dead" and papers were on tile to show that he was physically and legally a corpse. The case would have been for ever closed had not a young doctor who had reversed the usual course by beginning practice and studying after ward stolen him from his grave, Wakefield came to life in a warm room. eSpied bottle, stimulated him self and when the doctor came back to cut him up was just setting the glass dcwn on table.
 Wakefield. being fiat broke" offered for SlOO to refrain from informing of the doctors breach of tho law, The doctor refused the offer. and Wakefield sued him for interfering with his law ful SepuIchcr. Since Wakefield was le- gally dead the committee did not sec how they could deprive him of life, But they granted him trial Of his suit against the doctor. in which tho claimant laId the damages at Sl,0Oo, About that time a lawyer came from an eastern law school and hung out his Shingle. The doctor retained him. Wakefield stated bis case in court thus:
 Your honor, I am legally a corpse, and this case must be tried on such grounds Death, according to the law, l separates a man from all his earthly possessions except his body, lt Is a maxim of common law that there can be no property in a corpSe-that is, no one living can own it. My corpse is my own propcrty"-
 q claim" interrupted the opposing counsel. that the plaintiff Is Wake fields ghost. Since he places his case on technicaliticS will do the same. Let him prove that he is not discm. bodied spirit"
 "lt Is not necessary" replied the plaintiff. ''Thc law takes no cogni- zancc of ghosts. When a man is dead the law says that he shall stay dead. His apparition has no standing in court, though his body has.
 "lt Is the duty of the common law" the claimant went on, "to protect the 'repose of the dead The law holds that the corpse, being the owner of it- self before death, possesses certain rights over itself after 1t becomes dead. Every corpse has the inalieuable right to six feet of ground to be buried in and the right Of being buried. The law holds the owner Of the premises on which man dies responsible for his burial. This corpse died on grounds under the Jurisdiction of the courts, The courts buried it, and the courts are responsible for its being left un. touched In It's grave"
 "Your honor" interrupted opposing counsel, "thc law gives no civil rem. edy for the stealing of a body, for there Is no property right In a corpse to give any one a right to recover in court l for violation of scpulcher."
 "Thc learned counsel" pursued the claimant should insert the word Hlv- ing, | admit that no living person has a right to recover for violation of sepulcher. That right is vested in the corpse. But in previous cases the corpse has not come into court to claim It's rights. A civil action may be brought for breaking and entering place where the body is buried, the same constituting trcspass, for which damages can be recovered, The law has often intcrfered to protect the rights of us corpscS. And as no one can own any body except his own no one can remove body without the courts permission, which can only be granted In behalf of tho body Itself,
 Having shown your honor that the ! defendant Is only accountable Co me, a corpse. and that he has wlllfully in. terfcred with my rest In the grave, has brought me back to life that Is irk. some to me. | ask that he be com mandcd by the court to pay me the damages claimed"
 The judge looked at the defendants counsel but he was so dazed by the remarkable legal knowledge on the part of a corpse that he could not | = E,, ysnhfssA,1