FUNERAL WITHOUT A CORPSE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 974, 1 April 1911, Page 4

FUNERAL WITHOUT A CORPSE.

A startling discovery was made at the Suva CemeU yafew days ago. Rev. R. T. Matthews attended at the cemetery to perform the burial service over a native of the Solomon Islands, whose death had occurred in the morning. When the funeral procession arrived at the grave side Mr Matthews noticed that some of the nails in the coffin appeared to be loose. On examination the lid was found to be entirely unfastened, and on lifting it the astounding discovery was made that the coffin was empty. Mr Matthews at once caused enquiries to be made, and was informed by some Fijian gravediggers that the body had been wrapped in sacking and buried at noon. Mr Matthews then, with the object of reading the burial service, endeavoured to find the grave, but the gravediggers were unable to point it out. Mr Matthews next made enquiries at the hospital, where Mr Mendoza, steward at the Colonial Hospital, informed him that the deceased Solomon Islander had been buried as a destitute pauper at 2.30 p.m. Mr Matthews was naturally indignant at the treatment accorded to himself as a minister ot the Church of England, and was also exceedingly annoyed that such an affair should have occurred.