The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-25
SLEEPS in OWN
CASKET TO BALK
The UNDERTAKEN
Nebraska Eccentric Made Bed
in Which He Proposes to Re-
pose in Eternal
HOPES HE'LL DIE IN 1T;
DOESN'T WANT ANY FUSS"
Declares Money Paid For Funer-
ais is Pure and Sinful Waste
None For Him

LINCOLN, Neb., June 24-Every
night in the year +. T. Hunger. for
merly chief of police OF Lincoln,
sleeps in his c0fin. The homemade
box stands on the front porch of the
Hunger residence, at No. 2314 Ran
dolph-st., and at night after the
netghbors have gone To bed, "Old
Man" Hunger goes out and climbs
into the box. If the weather is cold,
or If shower comes up, he pulls the
top OF the coffin over the opening,
leaves a crack through which he can
get little fresh air, and calmly goes
to sleep. Mr.. Hunger is now 76 years
old. and for many years be has been
sleeping in his coffin
And | made that coffin myself.
too he says proudly. costs too
much to die in these days. So just
thought I'd play a joke on the I'M
dertakers and make my own coffin
while was we'll enough to do II. So
i got me some inch plank about foot
wide and several pieces Of two by
four / put the latter at each corner
TO make the box stable. and then |
nailed II together with eight-penny
nails. Whole thing cost me less than
IS, but it's strong enough TO hold a
man about my size without any
trouble. And won't those undertakers
be mad when j die and they can't get
any OF my money!"
The Hunger home sits back from
the street and there are trees all
around II. In the summer these trees
shade the porch and the grewsome
object cannot be seen plainly. But
when winter strips the limbs and
branches Mr.. Hunger's homemade COT
find can be seen by all pasesrsbsy.
For more than 20 years Mr.. Hun
ger was a constable In Lincoln and
is one of the best known men in the
city. But the fact that he sleeps in
his coffin every night is a fact known
TO few others than his neighbors and
close friends.
Hope I'll die some night right In
that coffin" says the ex-chief of po-
lice. my family knows just what
want done. | want them to nail that
lid on Just as quickly as they know
I'm dead, and then haul me out to
the cemetery; don't want any of
those undertakers holding me up for
big bill for funeral expenses. No
sir; what's good enough for me to
sleep in is good enough for me to be
buried in"
The old man has his sleeping box
nicely arranged. He built the casket
little bit deeper than usual, and
then he fitted set Of springs in the
bottom. On these he placed a small
mattress, and then come his blankets
and quilts.
Heard OF lots of people who've
built their own collins, l suppose?"
says Hunger. "But you don't very
often hear OF a fellow who turns
round and sleeps in 1t after he's made
It, do your"
II don't like this thing OF putting
jewelry and expensive clothes in the
ground. They are needed here on the
surface. Thousands of dollars are
wasted that way every day. Now,
I'm going to die simply and l want
to be put away just as simply. I've
got things fixed so that all the ex-
pense will be that of digging the
grave. I'll furnish the coffin, and my
son has a wagon. We are not going
TO have a preacher And there won't
be any funeral exercises of any kind.
These here undertakers charge fell
low more than a hundred dollars. It's
outrageous"