Stoneman Willie, a mummified corpse that has been kept in a funeral home for 128 years, will finally be laid to rest after his true identity was revealed.
The man, who died in prison in 1895 after being accused of theft, never gave his real name and was embalmed by a mortician who wanted to test his new preservation method.
What happened to Stoneman Willie
Stoneman Willie’s body turned into a local legend in Reading, Pennsylvania, where it has remained stored ever since. On Saturday, they will provide him with a proper burial in a nearby cemetery, dressing him in a tuxedo that mirrors the style of his era.
The real name of Stoneman Willie was James Penn, according to local historian George M. Meiser XI. He was an alleged thief who came from Ireland and had relatives in New York State.
How Stoneman Willie Was arrested
He was arrested in October 1895 after he was found hiding under a bed in a boardinghouse with a stolen watch, razor and money. He claimed to be from Philadelphia, but refused to reveal his true identity or his family’s whereabouts.
Back in 1896, newspaper reports portrayed Stoneman Willie as “white as wax.” Today, the mummy displays a leathery patina, a testament to the passage of time.
For over a century, the true identity of Willie remained shrouded in mystery. At the time of his demise, local newspapers documented the story of this mustachioed 37-year-old, previously charged with theft and drunkenness, who steadfastly refused to reveal his real name, motivated by a desire to spare his family from disgrace.
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He died a month later from a severe illness, probably caused by alcoholism. Stoneman Willie suffered from gastritis and uramia, and had a violent delirium before he passed away. He still did not want to disgrace his family by telling his name.
The mortician who embalmed him was Theodor Auman, who was experimenting with arterial embalming, a technique that was still new at the time. He injected chemicals into the body’s blood vessels to prevent decay.
Auman kept the body of Stoneman Willie as a way to evaluate his embalming method. The body remained remarkably well-preserved, although its skin turned darker over the years.
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No one claimed the body of Stoneman Willie, and it stayed in the same funeral home that Auman owned. The body became a curiosity for visitors and locals alike, who nicknamed him Stoneman Willie because of his appearance.
The funeral home’s current director, Kyle Blankenbiller, said that they consider Stoneman Willie as their friend and not as a mummy. He said that he is an icon and a part of Reading’s history and present.
Meiser, who will speak at the burial service on Saturday, said that it will be the end of Stoneman Willie’s long wait. He said: “After all these years, the vigil concludes.”
