The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-05-16
Wrong Body Buried.

. Asheville, May 9.-It is a rather
weird story that comes from the
western part of the State, brought
by one of the leading business men OF
Andrews, in which brother and SIS
ter of that place buried as they
thought the body of their sister and
mourned her death, but later found
that she was alive. The beginning
of the story dates back several
months, but it eliminated only a few
days ago, when the brother ascertain
ed for a certainty that his sister,
whom he had mourned as dead, is
still alive. The occurrence was made
possible, it is said, by the family's
decided aversion to look on the faces
of their dead, preferring to remem-
Der them as they lived.
William Oliver, who belongs to
the firm of the Andrews Supply Com
pany, lived in Andrews with his Sis
ters Annie and Della. The story
goes that Annie Oliver left Andrews
about six months ago and came to
this city and stayed for several
weeks. After she left Asheville, it
seems that her brother and sister
lost track of her.
About two weeks ago young Wo-
man committed suicide in the red
light district of Charlotte by taking
poison. The people with whom she
lived believed that she had been u.s.
ing an assumed name. A travelling
salesman stopping in Charlotte who
knew William Oliver and also knew
that his sister had left Andrews went
to look at the suicide and was shown
a letter which was found among her
effects addressed to Annie Oliver.
The salesman telegraphed to William
Oliver that he was convinced that
the suicide was his sister, and the
brother seems to have had no doubt
about the identity since he imme-
diately telegraphed to an undertaken,
instructing him to embalm the body
and ship it to Franklin, where the
family formerly lived and where
other members are buried.
He was notified when the body was
shipped and he and his sister, Della
made the trip to Franklin to attend
to the last rites. Another brother
came from Atlanta and there were
numerous relatives and friends liv-
ing in Franklin, who were present.
The body was put away with appro-
pirate ceremonies, flowers were laid
on the grave, but the casket was not
opened on account of the aversion
referred to. 1t is also said that Mr..
Oliver had received letter from the
undertaking firm suggesting that the
casket had better not be opened as
the face of the corpse was disf1gured
about the mouth, caused by the cor
rosive action of the poison which she
had taken.
William and Della Oliver returned
to Andrews and the other brother to
Atlanta, apparently well satisfied that
they ha6 attended the burial of their
sister. But a few days ago the broth
er at Andrews received letter from
Columbia and was amazed to see that
it was in the handwriting of his
sister whom he believed dead. She
gave the information that she was
in Columbia hospital and had been
for some time where she had under
gone an operation for appendicitis.
This evidence that his sister was
alive semed conclusive, but Mr.. Oh
iver was not taking any more
chances. He went to Columbia, and
sure enough he found his sister alive.
He has no idea whose body it was
that was buried. He is not quite sure
that a lob was not put up on him.
He certainly went to great deal of
expense and trouble besides the men
tai anguish that he suffered.