The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-26
Coroner Is Bitter Against
Undertakers for En-
balming Bodies
CORONER'S JURY WILL
BEGIN PROBE TODAY
Indicated That Supreme Council May
Take Action Against Local Lodge.
Funeral Arrangements
for Two Victims

That the cause of death of Christopher
Gustin and Donald A. Kenny during the
initiation practices of the Birmingham
Lodge of the Loyal order of Moose at
to weak heart or heart failure superin-
duced by fright during the initiation was
the verdict of several reputable physicians
yesterday. Their verdict after an autopsy
was that death was from unknown causes.
Despite the fact that the embalmers
of the Johns Undertaking company and
of Gustin and Kenny without the sanction
of Coroner c, L. Spain, the coroner con-
Quoted a post mortem examination over
both bodies yesterday morning, destroyed
the medical certificates that said that
heart trouble was the cause of death of
Kenny and Gustin and ordered that they
should be buried under a burial certifi-
cate which said that death was due to
unknown causes.
As yet no arrests have been made, al
though throughout yesterday rumors flew
about town that the coroner had ordered
several of the most prominent Moose in
the city arrested for manslaughter. Cor
oner Spain corrected this impression last
night when he stated that he had not
ordered any arrests, but that today he
would empanel a coroner's jury and sum-
moned all the eyewitnesses of the tragedy
to get their version of the affair.
Will Be Investigated
This affair will be thoroughly probed
to the bottom, said Coroner Spain last
night Nothing will be whitewash shed
and everything that was done in Moose
hall on Thursday night will be explained
to coroners jury which | will impanel
today.
although the embalmers did their best
to block my efforts IN finding out the
true cause of death of Kenny and Gus
tin, l held a post mortem investigation
over both bodies yesterday morning with
reputable physicians in Birmingham and
in Ensey and the cause of death in my
opinion was due to an overeharge of
electricity. All the physicians who look
ed the bodies over yesterday stated that
death certainly was not caused by heart
| trouble.
"Of course at this time I cannot say
that foul play was done in Moose hail
during the initiation practices on the
so-ealled titing board but something
wrong happened up there and it is the
intention of the authorities to ascertain
| what that something was
'All the relatives of the dead men came
to me yesterday and asked for thorough
Investigation. They We're not at all satis-
fled with the hurried arrangements of en-
\ balmers acting under non-authoritive in
structions of interested persons If the
| bodies had not been embalmed so hur-
riedly the ends of justice would have been
served much better"
| Chief of Police George Bodeker an
nounced last night that his ablest detec-
tives were working on the case In co-op-
Grafton with the coroner. This matter
must be thoroughly investigated" said
Chief Bodeller, "as it Is best that the pub
| lie be informed of the causes that lead to
the killing of these two young men,
The deaths of Kenny and Gustin was
one of the main topics of conversation in
town yesterday and last night Every
where words of sympathy were heard for
the bereaved parents and wives and chill
| dren of the deceased.
Funeral Arrangements
| Funeral services over the remains Of
| I
the residence at 352S Willow avenue Sun
day afternoon at o'clock. Interment will
follow in Woodlawn cemetery The ODD
Fellows and the Woodmen of the World
will attend the funeral in body. The
deceased is survived by a wife, three small
| children brother and father.
! The funeral of young Kenhey will be
, held Sunday afternoon, probably at 2.30
at the residence of T. c. Kenney, ,705
Avenue G, Ensley. Rev. George e. Boyd,
\ pastor of the Methodist church. will con-
duct the services. Members of the Chauf-
| feurs union, of which Donald Kenney was
! the first president. will act as pallbearers.
Kenny is survived by his parents, who
reside at 1905 Avenue G, Ensley. and sew
| eral brothers and sisters. besides his
(, month-old bride, who Is heartbroken.
The following dispatch has been received
from Cincinnati:
Supreme Council May Act
| Cincinnati, July 25.-The deaths of Don
aid Kenney and Christopher Gustin dur
ing an initiation into the Loyal Order Of
Moose in Birmingham last night probably
{! will result in formal action being taken
against tle lodge during the meeting OF
the supreme council in Cincinnati next
week
| Members of the supreme council who
are in Cincinnati DISGUISED the matter