New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-23
CEMETERY AT HER HOME
St. Louis Woman Buried Mother
and Sister in Cellar.
PARENT PUT IN SHOW CASE
Sealed with Plaster and Stored
in Room-Both Incased
in Cement Later.

st. Louis, April 22.-The bodies of Mrs.
Ernestine Komnichau and her daughter,
Selma, were found at noon to-day buried
i'm the basement of building at No. 24l2
South Broadway. Marie Komnichau an
other daughter, was arrested at the CITY
Hospital soon aftcrward, pending investi-
cation f the mystery.
Marie Komnichau. who is forty-nne
years old. told a strange story of the
aeaths and burial of her mother and sis
ter. With her mother and sister she had
conducted a notion store in the front room
OF the house for nearly twenty years.
MY mother and sister were afraid OF
being buried in cemeteries she said.
"They were afraid that their bodies would
be stolen. and also afraid that they would
be buried alive. That was the only rea-
son ! did not have their bodies attended
to i'm the usual way.
my mother died nine months before
my sister did. don't remember the exact
date, bu. sister died on February 10. ana
figured back at that time. so | know
there was nine months difference. MY
sister died Of heart trouble and from tax
ing too many headache powders. My
mother died Of old age.
Before my mother died she made Sis
ter and me- promise that we would not
take her body out OF the house so the
undertakers could get her. We had no
doctor for her. There has not been doc
cor in our house for ten years. and n doc-
tor could have done mother no good.
81 put her body I'm a show case. when
we took from the notion store, and poured
plaster Of paris around the glass ana
cracks 10 keep the air out We Kept the
show case containing the body upstairs IN
a rear room No one knew. for none OF
the neighbors had paid any attention to
mother. aud they did not inquire about
her.
When sister died I knew that people
would ask about her, and that II neigh
bors found on, / was keeping her body
they would ask about mother, too. 30 !
told the neighbors that mother had died
and that Selma had taken her TO Illinois
for burial.
Then took both bodies into the base
mcnt. laid them on the basement hoor
and poured plaster Of paris and cement
over them
Marie said that she needed help in re-
moving the body Of her mother from the
show case ana called I'm a German woman
who was passing the store and whom she
never saw before.
"She was clumsy" continued Marie
and was no help. / told her she need
not mind about staying. I never saw her
again. and I do not know whether she
ever told any one"
Marie said that one man. Adam Allme-
roth. Twins IN Laml street. between 81
and Broadway. knew Of the deaths.
"He Is a very religious man" SAID
Marie. lie has called on US now and
then for long while lie said prayers
over mothers body and over sisters body
don't think he knew the bodies were
buried in the basement. for don't re-
member ever telling him"
Marie asked the police not to allow the
bodies Of her mother and sister to be re-
moved from the house.
The bodies were 80 disntegrated mat
Identification was difficult. From the neck
Of each was suspended a crucnx. At the
feet Of each was porcelain urn OF the
kind sometimes used 10 hold holy oil
The graves were decorated with two small
cedar trees. wire cross and mussel
shell Under the bodies was layer or
ouicllime. Mrs Komnichau was seven
ty-nine years old and selma nifty.