A MURDER CASE IN AMERICA
THE BODY IDENTIFIED AS THAT OF
GRACE PERKINS.
THE LADY RETURNS.
A curious case of mistaken identification has just occurred in America, The dismembered body of a woman was found at a place called Bridgeport, in America, An inquest was held, at which the body was identified by Mr. Frank Perkins as that of his daughter, Grace, who had mysteriously disappeared. A young man with whom Miss Perkins had been keening company had also disappeared at the same time. Mr. Perkins, at the inquest, identified the remains as being those of his daughter by a soar on the head, a pockmark made by the chicken-pox over the eye. The Coroner asked: " Are you positive these are the remains of your daughter, Marion Grace!" Answer; " I am, lam willing to take my— pledge, my life, it was her. 1 It was supposed from the appearance of the remains that the girl had been the subject of illegal practice. Coroner Doten asked Mr. Perkins, " Was there anything the matter with your daughter when she went away from home?" " I wasn't aware of it at the time, and I don't know as there was. I asked my wife after I read about this in the paper, and she said, 'I don't know, but I am afraid there was.' That is all I know about it. She didn't answer me yes or no; she was afraid there was."
John Cullman, keeper of the morgue, was examined, and told of the positive identification of the woman after the teeth had been found to tally with the dentist's chart. Mr. Cullinan was asked to tell in detail the description of the teeth he received over the telephone, and answered: "The two front teeth of tho upper jaw were filled, and one on the right or loft side, I don't recollect now which, and one of the teeth had a soft filling, which wasn't discovered until we examined' it." "And the teeth of the woman who is dead tallied with the description of the teeth given you by telephone from Middleboro of Marion Grace Perkins. Is that so?" " Identical sir. I also called the attention of Mr. Perkins the night he was here to this girl's feet. He didn't know very much about them, but yesterday in this telephonic communication thev were found to be like Grace Perkins' feet/' The result was that Mr. Perkins took away the remains for burial; but before the funeral, the yount; lady returned home with her young man, they having been away to get married. On hei way to her home from the railway station, Grace Perkins passed the cemetery, in which a grave had been dug only a few hours before to receive her body. As the carriage in which she rodo drove up to the door of the house, an undertaker's waggon was there, having preceded her only a few minutes. The undertaker was inside making final arrangments for the reception there of the body, which was expected to arrive later in the evening. At the very same time the local florist was finishing the last of almost a roomful of designs made from immortelles and white roses, with the word " Grace" on some, and inscriptions indicative of the rest that knows no awakening, and tributes to the memory of a beloved young woman born and reared in the village. There was great rejoicing in both households at the return, but the first tiling the father hud to do was to make arrangments for the return of the body he had brought with him.
A MURDER CASE IN AMERICA
New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10908, 12 November 1898, Page 7
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