Funeral Without a Corpse

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1922, Page 3

Funeral Without a Corpse

EMPTY COFFIN BURIED. LONDON, Fob. 9, One of the most astonishing mistakes ever made at a burial occurred on Mon--1 day afternoon at Shooter’s Hill C'enaetcry, S.E., when a (lower-hedeeked coffin was lowered into a grave with solemn ' funeral rites while all the time the ■ hudv was lying in the undertakier’s slied. The body was that of Police-Constable George Parker, who met with a fatal accident on his allotment and was taken to the infirmary, where he died. The body was taken to the uiidbrtaker’s offices in a shell ready for placing in the coffin. : The shell was placed in a van in a shed at the back of the undertaker’s shop. Two workmen were instructed t > . take the body out of the shiell to place 1 it in the coffin and then to put the ' coffin in the hearse. Instead of doing ! this they screwed the coffin down and : placed it in the hearse, carefully arranging the wreaths on title top and around the sides. The hearse went to the house of the relatives and the.funeral cortege passed slowly to the cemetery, being met at the gates by 100 of the dead constable’s , comrades. 2 divisional inspectors, and I a representative of the Commissioner of Police.

Six policemen bore the coffin to tliri graveside, where the funeral service was performed, and the coffin was lowered into the grave. Later in the day the grave was filled in. UNDERTAKER’S DISCOVERY. In the evening the undertaker went bo his shed to get the shell, which was needed for another body, but found he could not lift it. After procuring a light he looked into the shell, saw the body, and called two workmen. Both were terrified, one crying out that the body was “the ghost of Constable Parker.” The most remarkable thing is that when lifting it neither of the men noticed the weight of the coffin although tlie dead man weighed lost. Each thought the other must be shouldering the greater part of the wleight. A coroner’s warrant was obtained to reopen the grave. The relatives of the dead policeman were informed of the mistake and a second burial took place yesterday morning, when the same honours were accorded the dead policeman as on the occasion of his first funeral.