The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-08-14
CiGlzen o.aAi . lOto

OF an education. As q mechanic he
, work ID his way around the world
from G rmany t. Austria. to Italy,
Egypt, England and Cuba tefore
coming to Key West. Dr.. Thorn's
article on voo Cosel which was
published in "rete.uve World" in
1916, explains that Won Ccsel was
completely frustrated in hts at
tempts to make a name for him
self. He knew a little about paint.
ing and how to play the CT an; he
had picked up scattered xnowl dge
during his stays in various c0un-
tries including the Egyptian lie.
gends. He was evidently fascinated
with the ability of the ancient
Egyptians to preserve their re-
spected dead as mummies.
An excerpt from DR.. Thorn's
study of Won Cosel includes verb
atm interview with the man whose
Authorizations haunted him even in
childhood. Won Cosel told the court
the following:
when was q young lad I paint
ed a lot and I saw her (Elena)
every day come to me. ] was ut
Compos Santos looking at the stat
ues and / saw her come to me
from behind q large statue ]
stayed there talking to her for an
hour when I went home
found that she was there and we
talked for a long time. In Austria
was playing the organ and the
spirit came to me from the door
and the hair was long to her knees.
In Key West, 1t was love at first
sight. knew at the minute that
she was the spirit to whom I had
talked and dreamed Of in my young
days. / had found her at last"
However, Elena, in life, refused
| his attentions 40 q suitor.
When he found that she was dy-
| ing Of tuberculosis, he at first
treated her at home with an cleo
trical apparatus he rugged up and
with w0ish be hoped to cure her.
Thea she was token 70 the Marine
hos pital where be was the x-ray
| tecni1an. After her dsafh he o.
tsined permission from her family
| to erect the ornate tnlnb he de-
signed and helped build with hi
own hands. She was removed frcu
her first grave and pxt in TIN
crypt.
| There he installed mere appara
tus and sat tor hn,rs in a chail
j efors the table Oh wfrich be place.
| the nsntastic machine trying to re
vive tis dead love. He also install
| ed q telephone and carried on con
versasions with her, from his shacl
when the weather was stormy.
He obtained Elena's bed and tool
| il to his ramshackle house. Ever
then he had the idea Of enshrininl
the body in the intimacy Of hi
home. Next he bought the wrecl
of an amphibian plane and equip
ped it with two wheels In place o
pontoons. He fist kept the plane
| fuselage on the hospital grounds
An unidentified taxi driver, or
friend with q ear, unknowingl.
helped the obsessed man to trans
port the inner coffin which vol
Cosel removed from the tomb. HI
placed the coffin in the aeroplan'
and when opportunity came, trans
ported 1t to his tumbledown ''es
tate" He later explained that h,
kept the plane because he expecte'
to bring Elena back to life an
then fly away with her to anothe
world.
In the interior Of his mansion
he lavished attention on hi
''bride," bathing the body. recon
structins parts which dseempesed
and injecting o serum" which h
imagined would resurrect his be
loved.
He told the psychiatrists that Ele
ma had warned him to destroy he
body but that he felt he couls
complete his work. When his rob
berry Of the tomb was discovered
after over eight years he declared
II took her home because she VA
my vile. She had accepted m,
proposal Of marriage. l have 30 in
formeSi the German government. !"
His titanic Teutonic ego Woult
not lei HIM admit that he haI