New-York tribune., 1921-02-17
Buried Woman
Inn Yard With
Sun God Rites
Chicago Girl Confesses She
and Mother Laid Grand
mother i'm a Bed of
Geraniums at Midnight
Police Dig Up the Body
Did Not Want Profane
Hands to Touch Her,
Is Explanation of Act
s. cciol Dispatch to The Tribune


CHICAGO, Feb. 16.-A mystery,
deepened because of its connection
wth a number of medieval cults, came
to a melodramatic end to-day, when a
spade in4the hands of police searcher
uncovered the secret grave of Mrs.
Nancy NJ Chamberlin, eighty-one years
cd, missing since last June.
Without shroud or coffin, the wo-
mans body had been laid to it's final
resting place in geranium bed at the
rear of the studio in which she had
lived with her daughter and grand
daughter at East Fifty-seventh Street
and Stony Island Avenue. Two women
had dug her grave and had murmured
over her at midnight the age-old GER
emony of the Chaldean sun worshipers.
Shortly before the recovery of the
body full description of these myste-
rous rites was given the police by
Siss Marian Townsend, the grand
daughter, who yesterday replied to
Questions that she did not know where
her grandmother could be found.
Until this morning Miss Townsend's s
answers to the queries of skilled cx-
aminers had been merely the echo of
those of her mother, Mrs. Ruth Town
send:
She is happy and we'll cared for in
love"
Girl Tells of Burfar
'sBut after q sleepless night, sepa-
rated from the woman who appeared to
dominate all her actions. the girl cried
cut Historically that she wished ITO
tell about grandmother and end all this
frightful mystery"
This is the story the girl told to the
police:
Grandmother closed her eyes. / do
ict remember when it was. 1t was
so.ae time last June. She died nat
ural death, as the world looks upon
dcath. We do not believe that she is
dead.
Mother and buried her in the
ecranium bed behind our studio"
Did you try to get burial permit ?"
inquired Mrs. Bridget NJ. Dolan, matron
Il ylsc Anson Avenue Detention Home.
Nc replied The girl. We did not
60: Ike necessity fer that. We did not
wish p"ofane hands to touch her"
Then she launched into weird mar
r1tire Of The preparations for the mid
rlgHt aGti2l and the fantastic rites
that accompanied it.
Tho f5wcr bed had been planted in
ef&HjUl2a, ri that time in full bloom.
Ms. Townsend vent out into the yard
at sUAs25 nj dug them up, replanting
hem in neighbor's garden. Then
she cet-rned to the house, and she and
her daug t1r lighted y candle in honor
of The sun cod and prostrated them
selves in supLlication to the call wise
md all rood,6
Through the night the artists col
saiy heard the echoes of temple rites
h.t were OLD when Baai was wor-
hi cd In Phpnicia. The two women.
ga1l prorcssional pianists. sang the
aJcfcnt chants for chose who are
L~r.v in Ioyn" Ia mus'c which thov had
Yeaenssructad for themselves Thev
.vsI.o 8, lerf az the mantel clock cbimo1
,riln;rbt Thon still e;nrinr +ba snn
l.nl,s chort. tl,a,, oarr;nd {ln a,, o.,t
INTO the yard.
Thnv dug the grave and lowe cd Mrs.
Ct@m5er!in's body into it, with the
&catl acln- the east, with prayers not
IN sart to her. There was no grief in
ao simple ceremonial, for both women
- t. that Mrs. Chamberlin was not
dead,
Search Reveals Body
They went back into the house and
went to bed, The lipht which they had
f.1tr,od o',+ s'00 H.
IT, c'' .o"roh o"r of 4ho oua e a., ~,
~, tbn nnI;cn 'h VA dtu 80 ior ne oouy
~ fosc;o .'- ,i 80 io'iiicu oi
1tIo,rh oJ,U, do,,I do oeaice1? less "elfa
-ol,5d nnder fbe direc4;n,, &c I;a,,+ ~
ti-N 49, N's'NiA VI iIiSntCii-