New-York tribune., 1920-08-30
Bic. Funeral for
Wrong Man;
Jakey Is Alive
Carriage Load of Flowers,
Tears and Prayers Of Fam
lily and Neighbors, All
Wasted ON n Stranger
Bought Cemetery Lot
After Days of Mourning,
Levine Returns From
a Brooklyn spital

A"" AeVlIc ana ner I0ur
daughters and three sons, particularly
her son Jacob, were coming around to
the belief yesterday, after much dis
cusslon pro and con, that death had
stung them and the grave had tri-
umphed over them. On Saturday they
had been OF the contrary opinion-all
save Jacob-but the first exuberane
OF their thankfulness had passed yes-
terday, and, viewing things in more
sober light, they agreed with Jacob.
For" as Jacob said "who pays it
the undertaker's bill? Ard good for
what is cemetery lot which it has
a complete stranger in it already ?
And the prayers of the rabbi and the
Shlvah right here in Mons house, who
gets the good of them? Not me!
Those kind of prayers live man can't
use 'cm."
Jacob is indisputably live man, and
that is what caused all the discussion
and may bring about complications
which the Board of Health will have
to deal with by ordering the exhuma-
tion of the ''complete stranger" whose
body occupies Jacobs grave in Monte
fore Cemetery, Brooklyn
Although such recriminatons now are
outlawed in the Levine household, it
probably would not have happened just
that way if Mrs. Levine had been al
home when patrolman called at 16G
Monroe Street last Wednesday. The
Patrolman brought the message that
Jacob had become suddenly i'll in front
of the Municipal Building and had
been taken to Bellevue Hospital. Nc
one being at home, he left the message
with neighbors.
BY the time Mrs. Levine returned
Monroe Street was buzzing with the
news and half a dozen feminine Jobs
comforters were waiting at he,
threshold. Her ears were assailed with
as many tragic messages Of dole: Jakey
was at the hospital; Jakey was dying
and was asking for her; some murder
ing "gonef'' had shot Jakey dead ir
front Of the City Hall, and he was al
the hospital.
Moaning and sobbng and trailed by
her two surviving sons, her four
daughters and most of her neighbors
all COMFORTING themselves likewise
Mrs. Levine went to the hospital Tc
Monroe Street "the hospital" means
just one thing Hospital,
few blocks away. Thither Mrs. Levine
and her train of mourners FASTENED.
See Men Behind Screen
The man had just arrived, an attend
ant told them, and it was feared tha'
he would die before his identity wa.
learned or his friends reached his side
One at a time Mrs. Levine and hel
four daughters and two surviving son!
were led behind screen in q ware
where man lay breathing with sucl
difficulty that his features were con
torted with every gasp.
They emerged with tears streaming
from their eyes. When officials askee
if it was Jacob Levine who lay .ther,
dying they nodded dumbly. The mex
morning the patient died. As his
case had been diagnosed as morphn,
poisoning, there was an autopsy at tn,
Morgue before the body was turned
over to Mrs. Levine.
The funeral was Friday, and Monroe
Street turned out nobly to do honor tt
the son OF Mrs. Sarah Levine He.
carpets were damp with the tears tha
were shed and her heart ached will
the praise that was heaped upon Jakey
She had bought a lot in Montefior,
Cemetery, and there interment tool
place, the ground being heaped higl
with flowers that had filled Who'll.
carriage.
When the bereaved family returned tt
the damp -carpeted home on Monroe
Street, the ceremony of "Shivah," con
sisting of sunset prayers for the dead
took place.
Meantime Jacob. up in a Bellevu,
Hospital ward, was getting vexed. 1
was high time, he thought, that som,
of his family should make inquiries
about him. He was so insistent tha
the hospital authorities requested thu
police to notify his family of his where
abouts again, telling them that he wa.
about to be discharged.
The police obligingly did so. Mrs
Levine was at the home of her married
son, Sam, on Clinton Street, when tn,
messenger arrived Saturday, so agair
he left word with the ne.ghDors. The
excitement which Jacobs death hat
caused was nothing to that caused b.
the news that he was alive
Half of Monroe Street hastened t.
Sans house, and marvellous were the
tales that they poured into the ear.
OF the black-clad Mrs. Levine. Jakey
had come to life; he had walked across
the bridge with the earth OF the grave
still upon his garments; he was going
to be home for supper.
Mrs. Levine FASTENED home with hel
two elder sons and her four daughters
and luckily for her peace of mind Jacob
arrived soon afterward. Explanation:
followed, and Jacobs ruffled feel
ings were soothed with the knowledge
of what the neighborhood had said O
him when it was thought that he wa!
dead, but, even at that, as he remarket
at once. kind words pay no undertakers
What is worrying the police and tn
hospital authorities even more than j
is the Levine family is the identity O
the man buried Friday in Montefior,
Cemetery. He was taken to Gouver
neur Hospital at 6:O5 p. m. Wednesda,
from Broome and Ridge streets, wa
about thirty-eight years old, five fee
nine inches in height and weighe,
about 100 pounds.
He was dark and clean shaven anc
wore brown checked coat and waist
coat and trousers of mixed blue. Hi
shirt and socks were black and whit,
and he wore a green tie. His hat,
soft one, brown in color, bore the labe
of "A. L. Nidenzahl," a Rockawa,
| dealer