The evening world., 1913-10-04
BROKER FEARED
BURIAL AlNE;;BODy
iSKEPT TWO WEEKS
Dreamed Brother Had Come
toL;fe in Grave and Exacted
Pledge From Wife.

PHILADELPHIA. Oct l-Fesrfui OF
being buried alive. . fate his dreams
had pictured a. having befaiien a
brother. Andrew J. Turner. OF 2S22
Spruce street a widely known cotton
broker, exacted frim his wife and
daughter a promise the fulnlment OF
which has already deferred his burial
two weeks.
Mr.. Turner died suddenly on the
night Of Sept. 30. Mindful OF the sol.
emn promise she had made to him that
his body would not be buried until there
was not the slightest chance a spark
OF life still remained. Mrs. Turner re-
fused TO make arrangements for the
funeral until at least two weeks had
elapsed.
She announced to-day that burial will
be made next Monday afternoon at $50
o clock. service will be held at the
home. with Mgr. Kieran Of st. Patrick's
Catholic Church. Twentieth and Locus,
streets. offclating.
Daily visits OF an undertaken to the
Turner home aroused the interes. Of
nelghbors in the fashionable spruce
street section. There was much con.
lecture. and finally ono Of the neigh
bors telephoned to the bureau OF
health. An Inspector was sent to the
| home yesterday. and the strange re-
quest OF Mr.. Turner became known.
u was explained that years ago a
younger brother of Mr.. Turner diod
suddenly of heart disease. lie was
| buried after three days. On the night
| following the funeral Mr.. Turner had .
| disauieting dream. He saw his brother
| stirring In the coffin, gasping for
breath. tearing at the cover Of his Nv
ING tomb.
Often the dream REQUIRED to him In
| all It's horror. Fear OF burial alive be-
, came almost an obsession and he made
his wife and daughter promise over and
! over again that under no circum-
stances would his body be buried until
death was absolutely certain.
| Mr. Turner suffered for some time
from kidney trouble. and his death was
attributed to that cause. d.. Fairies OF
Twentieth and Walnut streets. who had
been has physician for years. was sum.
moned when Mr. Turner vas found
liseless In bed. He said there was no
doubt about him being dead. and a.
Mrs. Turner was away. the body was
embalmed.
| The undertaken who embalined him
| said there was no possibility Of him
living In . trance. with the poisonous
nuid In his body. Yet Mrs. Turner
would not consent to burial after the
customary period. She had promised
her husband to keep his body two
weeks. and nothing could cause her to
break IL, she said.
Mr. Turner WAS forty-nine years old.
He WAS . son Of the late William j.
Turner. = cotton and wooden importer.
During the summer he went with his
wife. daughter and W. Halves. his
wife's father, to their cottage at New
port. Early In September he and Mr..
Halves returned to this city. leaving
Mrs. Turner and her daughter a. New
port.
They opened up the Spruce stree,
house and were living there alone when
Mr.. Turner was stricken. He COM
p,alned OF not feeling well and went Ia
his room. Several hours later hii
father-in.law went to inquire how hs
felt and found him dead in bed.
II was said q. the office OF Director
Neff Of the Department Of Health and
Charities that Mrs. Turner Ia probably
within her rights in keeping the body
Of her husband.