South Bend news-times., 1915-08-20
EVERSOLE' 8 BODY
HELD BY CORONER R
Charles A. DaVey in Letter
Makes ACCuSatiOn-SWantz
Explains His Act.

Atty. Charles a. Davey in q note to.
The News-Times, accuses Coroner T.
j Swantz Of holding the body of Silas
\ Eversole. ez-DGnkaru minister,
who committed suicide in the county
5all last Monday, IL order 10 Obtain
from the family letters with Whlch
Swantz could compare the note sup
posed 10 have been written by Ever
sole Saturday before his suicide far-
ticilarIv. according 10 DaVey's note,
was the family asked TO produce let
ters purported 10 have been written
bv Eversole while ne was In Milwau-
kec under the name or Ira Dunn.
Daveys note is as follows
THE article in the Thursday morn
ing issue Of The News-Times quoting
Coroner Swantz as saying that ] had
agreed 10 have the family OF MI
Fversolc. deceased bring to him the
note supposed 10 have been written
bx him before his death. has no
foundation. The facts as TO the mys-
fcrfous note are that on Monday the
coroner turned over 10 the family IN
rny presence a watch and the note,
saving that these two articles was all
which was found upon the fatner'
the family was then on the way To
Jones morgue to view the body
where they obtained much lnfOrma-
Bristol but said to those in charge
that they would return TO Bristol and
confer as TO the best plan, whether 10
move the body by rail or by auto con-
veyance
Body Was Held.
"On the following day, after decid-
ing to have the funeral on Friday the
20th. from the home. Undertaken
Wise and the son of deceased came
10 South Bend with an auto ambulance
and devoted much of the day in an
attempt 10 get the body I personally
accompanied them To the morgue,
where the attendants informed Mr..
Wise and the son that Mr.. Swantz had
declined 20 release the body.
Mr. Wise then called upon Mr..
SwantZ. who refused TO release the
body 20 Nr Wise for removal.
81 talked with Mr.. SWantz over the
wire from the mOrgue and learned
that Mr. Swantz wanted TO compare
the writing on the note in question
with other writing of the deceased,
before releasing body. j attempted TO
explain that regardless of the cOnclu-
sions reached finally as 20 the hand
writing. the coroner. ] thought would
hardly conclude that Mr. Eversole
was yet alive
II argued that the family had gone
to much trouble and expense 10 re- I
force with Mr. SwantZ and the body 7
was OF necessity left at the morgue. +.
ON Wednesday Coroner SWantz stop
ped me on the street and stated that
he would not release the body until
the family produced the note and the
letters received from the deceased
from Milwaukee. and ] replied that
this was impossible as they never re- +
ceiNed any such letters: that he might
use the handwriting Of the deceased 4
which is upon an order written while
ne was in the Jail directing the
sheriff 70 turn over property taken off /
him TO has daughter. and further that
his handwriting could be had in many .
places iC desired. but the coroner said /
ne must have those letters before re- +
leasing the body. ! therefore told him
Co just prepare to keep the body then. 4
and I notified the family % postpone .
indefinitely any plans for the funeral.
until a reasonable time had elapsed
Tor holding the body
Coroner Can Get Note.
Mr.. Swantz knows how 20 get the 7.
note II he wants it. and the more 4
public and free inspection of it he will
allow will the better please me and .
am certain the family has no OBJ f.
jection. They hardly expect the
ocroner to- DO other than harmonic 4
the theories OF the sheriff's Office as 70
tie nOtt ana lltEtON-
"CHAS. \. DANEN."
According 60 a statement Friday /
morning by Coroner Swantz. Ever /
sole's body was turned over to his
family. and viii be removed TO Bristol
by them Friday afternoon or Satur- T.
day
"I held the body for no other pur- I
pose than To attempt i'm some way to (
Quiet the food OF rumor and gossip I.
which started when the news OF his
suicide became public" he said. II
will reopen the inquest at any time L I
think we will be able 20 learn some
thing OF his suicide and the cause of /
his having written that note which 7
has been the cause OF all the trouble. /
II is mysterious and should be threSh- I
ed out Regarding AIr. Davey's auega- |
tions / have nothing 10 say"
Deputy Pros Samuel Schwartz
stated Friday morning that no CIew 7.
had developed which would tend to
clear the mystery surrounding the [
murder or Cora Logan Brandon att
her home three miles south OF the I
city on the olive St road.
Pros Montgomery viii be i'm the
city Friday evening" ne said. "and
Will take active charge of the affair /
cur inVesti cations have Lead us no
further than we have already an
nounCed."