The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-09
GAVE UP COMMISSION
FOR OTHER BUSINESS

his English relatives. disappointed by
the terms OF his Will. have insinuated
that he was poisoned by his young and
sood-looking French wife, more than
forty years his Junior, and who Is a
sister OF Count jacques Dedons dc
Pierrefeu, who makes his home in New
York. The colonel who WAS n mil .
lionaire. having Inherited very large
fortune from his father and namesake,
Charles Meeking. owner OF a huge
drapery and dry goods establishment
in the Eolborn district OF London
throughout the greater part of Queen
Victoria's reign had bequeathcd almost
the whole of his property to his young
French wife, and to the girl, whom she
had borne him. This naturally aroused
indignation among the coloneis other
relatives In England, and it is in order
TO set at rest their suspicious and
to silence their talk against the
widowed Mrs. Mecking. that the public
prosecutor, the executors and the Sec
rotary of State fot the Home Depart
mcnt have given their consent to the
examination of the remains. and to
their submission to scientific examina-
ton, with view to the discovery of
poison.
Permits TO exhume bodies are only
very rarely granted by the Secretary
of state for the Home Department. in
the name of the crown, which alone
has authority to grant the requisite
sanction. The English law takes the
ground that from the moment that the
corpse Is entombed Il becomes the prop
erty OF the state, and ceases to belong
to the family. to the heirs or to the
executors or the deceased. And so
jealous is the government about the
matter that even where examinations
have been needed in order 10 deter
mine important civil law suits. such
IS that which was brought by the
claimant Druce against the Duke of
Portland, permission Is refused, al
though in this particular instance.
namely that OF Druce and Portland, the
whole law suit. which dragged on
through years and cost a mint Of
money. could have been settled within
twenty-four hours by eShumlng the
contents OF the tomb. supposed to con-
tain the remains OF bruce. the owner
OF the Baker Street Bazaar.
What is even still less known is
that from the moment that a person
dies the body belongs to the executors
OF the WILL who are absolutely free to
carry ont, or 80 refrain from putting
Into execution, the wishes of the tes-
tator. II they disapprove OF cremation,
they are not obliged 20 have his re-
mains cremated, though directed to do
SO ny the VIII. Inc only way by which
a testator can feel sure OF having his
instructions in the matter carried out
Is TO bequeath legacies 10 hts executors,
stipulating that they should forfeit the
requests In the event of their failing
TO comply with his testamentary direc-
tions. For instance when a man di-
reefs that his horses or his dogs should
be shot after he has been laid TO rest
there is no court that can compel his
executors TO comply with his direc-
tions II Is entirely matter OF their
own discretion.
With regard 10 the exhumation OF
Colonel Meetings. remains, the whole
affair must be regretted as there is
every reason TO believe that the young
widow. who is very charming woman
and whose married life with her kus-
band was an extremely happy ono, is
merely the victim of malevolent COS
sip, which had only served to recall
the many sensational scandals and
tragedies with which the name or
Meeking has been associated
Copyright, 1918. by the Brentwood
Company