Warning: This story contains a graphic image.
A mummified man known as “Stoneman Willie” has been identified over a century after he died at a Pennsylvania jail.
The man, who was accidentally mummified, will now receive a proper burial after being on display at a funeral home in Reading since November 1895, perReuters.
On Wednesday, the funeral home’s director, Kyle Blankenbiller, toldABC Newsthat they had successfully identified the mummy using historical records and will be holding a burial ceremony on Oct. 7.
“It felt good to finally find his identity,” Blankenbiller said. “We all did it together.”
The man’s name will be revealed on his tombstone during the ceremony at a local cemetery, Blankenbiller said, adding that the event will be “honorable and memorable.”
The body will be transported to the gravesite for the ceremony via police escort.
“I think it’s the honorable thing to do,” Blankenbiller told the outlet, which also reported the funeral home has been holding special visitation hours for the mummy before the burial.
Reuters reported that the man was an alcoholic who died of kidney failure in a local jail. He gave a fake name when he was arrested for pickpocketing and therefore became known as “Stoneman Willie” after arriving at the funeral home.
According to Blankenbiller, the funeral home’s original owner, T.C. Auman, had the body embalmed with untested techniques, which is what led to the man’s hair and teeth remaining intact, ABC News reported.
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“Willie” is dressed in a black suit and bow tie and has a red and gold sash across his chest.
On Sunday, residents of Reading lined the streets to celebrate the city’s 275th anniversary with a parade that featured a motorcycle hearse carrying Stoneman Willie, reported Reuters.
“Our employees never refer to him as a mummy. He’s our friend Willie,” Blankenbiller told ABC News.
source: people.com
