Speaking
of the theory advanced by Mr. Drew that the
remains found in a metallic coffin a few days ago
were those of Warren Pilcher, a St. Louis
millionaire of the early days, Mr. George N.
Lynch, the well known undertaker, remarked.
"I dislike
very much to spoil all the fine-spun theories
advanced by reporters and others in the matter of
the finding of the remains of Warren Pilcher by
sewer diggers the other day, but I will state a
few facts, and all can draw their own
conclusions. The metallic coffin was never
manufactured in Europe, as one reporter had it,
and the trial exports of American ones were
returned unsold. The patent for the metallic
coffin was issued to one, Fiske, of New York in
1849, who finding no sale for them, stopped their
manufacture, and they lay in abeyance till Davis
& Co. of Cincinnati bought the right and
recommenced their manufacture in the fall of
1851; the first invoice of them reaching this
city, to my order, on Feb. 24, 1852, just ten
years after Mr. Pilcher's death.
"Moreover,
the coffin in question was one of Davis' make, he
being the only one ever casting that peculiar
pattern, it being known in the profession as 'the
sarcophagus,' but it was soon shelved for other
patterns on account of its hideousness.
"The cemetery
in which it was found was known as 'Christ's
Church Cemetery,' and extended north to Chouteau
avenue, south to Caroline street, east to a few
feet east of Ohio avenue and west to center line
of California avenue. it was subdivided into
twelve squares named after the apostles; six on
each side of a central avenue, and St. Luke's
square in which he requested to be buried, was
about where Hickory street now goes through, and
on the western side of the avenue; but if Pilcher
died in 1842 he could not possibly have remained
nearly life-like in a coffin made nearly ten
years after his death.
St. Vincent's
Cemetery was situated on the southwest corner of
Park and Jefferson avenues, three blocks south of
Hickory street, being now intersected by St.
Vincent's, Eads and Ohio avenues.
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