Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-20
CAUSES THE ARREST
| OF MISS M. f. CASE
Health Officer Alleges "Un-
lawful Retention" of
"Baron's" Body.
HAS BEEN DEAD A WEEK

avenue was arrested shortly before 2
o'clock this afternoon by Capt. Doyle
Of the eighth precinct on complaint
Of the health officer Of the District Of
Columbia that she refused to surren-
der for burial the body Of Baron"
Eugene de Berge Kattentack. who
died at her house a week ago. She
was taken to the Washington Asylum
for mental observation.
The warrant charges having custody
or control Of the dead body Of a human
being, to wit, the dead body Of Baron
de Kattentack, permits the dead body
Of the said human being to remain un-
buried for a longer period than one
week after death, to wit, September 13,
1918. without permission SO to do Of the
health officer Of the District of Column
bia."
The charge alleges violation Of sec
tion SIT of the District code. accord
ing to Health Office Inspector Charles
c. Staub.
Applies for Warrant.
Health Officer William c. Fowler
applied today for the warrant. COM
planning that Miss Case had refused
to surrender for interment the body
a Russian nobleman and for many
years surgeon general of the armies
OF Gar Nicholas.
Miss Case wrote letter to the
health department, which she said was
an ultinatum. In this communication
body OF the supposed baron lie in
state In conspicuous place, prefer
ably the White House. but failing
that, in the Senate chamber. for Pc
riod she did not make definite. She
said the mans achievements entitled
him to this posthumous honor.
Says She May Transfer Body.
But If the health department con-
tinues obdurate, Miss Case said, she
would have the remains transferred
to Leesburg, Va, where she would ask
the circuit court to invite the popu
lace to file by and take last look at
the features of the departed baron.
But the Russian embassy insists
that you have given no evidence of
the baron's Russian citizenship" Miss
Case was told.
"Oh, the Russian embassy knows
very well that the baron is genu-
Inc Russian, that he was a general in
the Russian army and a very distin-
guished man." Miss Case replied. THE
embassy doesn't want to do justice
to the man. But am going to keep
his body here for a year, if necessary,
until his relatives come to claim it,
Miss Case declined to give any ink
ling as to the whereabouts or identity
of the "baron's" relations.
Volunteers as His Secretary.
Miss Case said the "baron'' came to
her house to live a number Of years
ago. She said he had nobody to at
tend to his correspondence so she
volunteered to act as his secretary
1t was in this official relation that
she applied to the Russian embassy
for suitable recognition of her chief,
Miss Case said. She intimated, how
ever, that as the present embassy
is product of the Kerensky revolu-
tion 1T would not be in sympathy with
a man who faithfully served an au-
tocrat.
1t is not the purpose of the health
officer to deal arbitrarily in the mat
ter. The body will be taken to the
morgue, DR.. Fowler announced, and
the coroner will be notified
Under ordinary circumstances
body thus disposed would Immediate
ly be cremated, but as it has been en-
balmed it will be kept for a reason
able time. When it becomes appar-
ent, however, that no relatives will
claim 1t, the usual course will be fol-
lowed.