Widnes Examiner. — 1902-11-28 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

CRAWFORD'S  "LOTHIAN"  SIORTBREAD.  The Second Mrs. Ohapman. ---Body Exhumed at Lymm,  The exhumation of the remains of Mrs Bessie Chapman, the second wife of Georga Chapm in, who stands charged with the murder of Maud Eliza Marih, took place on Saturday morning at Lymm Churchyard' A force of a dozen constables was posted at the entrance to the churchyard from an early hour but s) successful had the police been in their efforts to keep the exhumation seent that there was but a small gathering of people round the churchyard whea Ih3 solemn ceremony took place. The grave in which the secoad Mr 3 Chapman lay beneath her mother and father was surrounded by a screen of white sheets, and about five o'clock in the morning three stalwart gravediggers comnvoced the task of exhumation with the aid of lanteras. The morning was bitterly cold, and the ground WAS froz 311 t) a depth of several inches. The work of bringing the three coffi as to the surface was accomplished at eignt o'clock, and the three coffins were ranged in a row by the side of the grave. At ten o'clock Dr Stevenson, expert to the Home Office, drove up to the graveyard in a carriage, accompanied by two asiistancs. The trio immediately proceeded to a temporary mortuary, the sex ton's hut at the far end of the cemetery, for the purpose of the postmortem examination, and the coffia containing the remains of Mrs Bessie Chapman was reverently carried into this structure.  At this time those present in the cemetery were Dr Stevenson, his two assistants, the Rev G B Thu,stoa, Rector of Lyme), D3teotive-laspector Godley, of the M (Southwark) division of police, who has charge of the investigation; Mr W Tule, an assistant undertaker to Mr A Smith, of Southwark Bridge-road (who had been ordered by the Home Office to be present in order to identity the plate ,upon the coffin), two brothers of Bessie Chapman, aril the husband uf Bessie Chapmsn's sister.  Mr Tulle, at the request of the detective officer, scraped the dirt off the plate on the coffin, and displayed I the simple inscription recording the death of Bessie Chaplain in February 1901, and at once proceeded to unscrew the lid of the coffin. The body was found to be in a fair condition, and was perfectly recognisable, and the two brothers immediately identified it, in spite of the fact that the remains had been interred for a year and ten months. No time was lost in proceeding with the task of the post mortam, and under the personal direction and supervision of Dr Stevenson, the two assistants removed the chief organs of the bo iy,and carefully placed them in squafe glass jars, which were duly sealed and labelled. 'lee various jars were placed into a large box, which was in its turn seale I, and removed under the ever-watchful eye of Dr Stevenson to his carriage. The famous medical expert and his two com— panions were driven off to Lymrn railway station, and after changing carriages at Harrington, the trio c veved the sealed box from Easton to Guy's Hospital. Whilst the post-mortem ex araination was proceeding the reinterment of Mr and Mrs Taylor took place, the Rector reading the service. The examination concluded, the remains of Bessie Chapman were replace i in the coffin, and reinterred, th I Rector again officiating. Tne three gravediggers then filled in the grave, and tate stone was carefully replaced.