| Publication information |
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Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Source type: newspaper Document type: article Document title: “Assassin’s Body Destroyed” Author(s): anonymous City of publication: St. Louis, Missouri Date of publication: 29 October 1901 Volume number: 54 Issue number: 69 Pagination: 2 |
| Citation |
| “Assassin’s Body Destroyed.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch 29 Oct. 1901 v54n69: p. 2. |
| Transcription |
| full text |
| Keywords |
| Leon Czolgosz (disposal of remains). |
| Named persons |
| Cornelius V. Collins; Leon Czolgosz; John Gerin; J. Warren Mead. |
| Document |
Assassin’s Body Destroyed
Acid Poured into the Coffin, Which Is Expected to Disintegrate the Remains in Twelve Hours.
AUBURN, N. Y., Oct. 29.—After the
autopsy on the body of Czolgosz it was placed in a black-stained pine coffin,
every portion of the anatomy being replaced under the supervision of Dr. Gerin
and Warden Mead. Shortly afterward it was taken to the prison cemetery and an
extraordinary precaution taken to completely destroy it. A few days ago under
the warden’s orders, an experiment was made to determine the power of quicklime
in the destruction of flesh and bone, which was not satisfactory.
Warden Mead, who conferred with some of the physicians
present and determined, in conjunction with Supt. Collins, that the purpose
of the law was the destruction of the body.
Accordingly a carboy of acid was obtained and
poured upon the body in the coffin after it had been lowered into the grave.
Straw was used in the four corners of the grave as the earth was put in to give
vent to such gases as might form.
It is the belief of the physicians that the body
will be entirely disintegrated within 12 hours. During that time and as long
as deemed necessary, a guard will be kept over the unmarked grave.