Fifth Generation

30. Donald P ACKLEY was born on 11 Sep 1914 in New York.^{28,38,41,43,44} Florida Death Index, 1980-89 has day as 4th He appeared in the census in 1920 in New York. He appeared in the following News Article from the The Charleston Daily Mail on 27 Feb 1945 in Charleston, Kanawha , West Virginia 5 Bodies Discovered in Caskets At Abandoned N Y Funeral Home

BINGHAMTON, N Y (ap).- The son of one of the five Binghamton residents whose decomposed bodies were found Saturday in an abandoned funeral home said today, he had attended his mothers funeral last fall and saw a casket, which he believed contained her remains, lowered into a grave.
Oscar Harding, son of Mrs. Hattie J Harding, 82 who died Oct 7, made his statement to Detective Capt Otto J Krause as authorities began investigating for a possible motive for the non-burial of the bodies. The funeral home was abandoned about two or three
Mrs. Harding was identified today by police. The other bodies were identified as Mrs. Edna Schoolcraft, 79 died march 23, 1944: Mrs. Flossie Gray, 56,died March 11, 1944: Edward Oshelt, 71, died July 5, 1944. Children playing in the building opened a coffin and found one body. They called police who discovered the others.
In his statement, Harding said he attended funeral services at the funeral home where he saw her body in the casket. Then he drove to Forkston where the casket was lowered into a grave. The casket was not opened at the grave, he said, but believed it contained the body.
Krause also disclosed that Donald Collins Ackley, whom he identified as the former owner of the funeral home, had apparently gone to California. He said the local rationing board reported it had issued him gasoline to drive to that state on Jan 11 upon his statement he planned to open another undertaking establishment there.
He appeared in the following News Article from the The Charleston Daily Mail on 1 Mar 1945 in Charleston, Kanawha , West Virginia Morgue Mystery Still Unsolved

Binghamton, N Y (ap)- Police announced developments in the mystery surrounding five partially decomposed bodies found in an abandoned funeral home, but appeared no nearer a solution today.
Detective Capt. Otto J Krause reported:
An Owego undertaker disclosed that he had been engaged to bury five bodies for $100 as soon as weather permitted.
Police decided that one of the bodies, previously identified as Mrs. Hattie J Harding, 82, was that of another woman. Oscar Harding, a son, told authorities he attended his mother's funeral and accompanied the body to Forkston, Pa., where it was buried.
Rosary beads wrapped in the hands of an unidentified body indicated the woman was a Roman Catholic.
Authorities still sought Donald Collins Ackley, 30, operator of the establishment. Ackley was granted gasoline by his war price and rationing board last month for a trip to Los Angeles, Calif. The automobile for which the gasoline was to be used was found in a garage near the mortuary.
The bodies were found last week after children, playing in the home, opened one of the coffins.
He appeared in the following News Article from the Reno Evening Gazette on 12 Jun 1945 in Reno, Washoe , Nevada UNDERTAKER ABANDONS BODIES

SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, (AP)
Police Inspectors Charles Hennessy and James O'Neil last night took into custody Donald C Ackley, sought by Binghampton, New York, authorities since five unburied bodies were found there in his abandoned funeral parlor.
Ackley explained that when he and his wife decided to leave Binghampton last winter to come to the west coast snow prevented immediate burial.
He appeared in the following News Article from the Syracuse Herald Journal on 27 Nov 1945 in Syracuse, Onondaga , New York . BINGHAMTON (UP). -. Donald P. Ackley, 31, New York restaurant manager and former undertaker, went on trial today charged with failure to bury four bodies within a reasonable time. The bodies of four adults and one infant were discovered by children exploring his abandoned funeral home last February. • The stout, dapper defendant denied indictments concerning the bodies and alleging misrepresentation in allegedly accepting $430 for two funerals. Ackley said he had been working as night manager of a New York restaurant while awaiting trial. Selection of Jurors was scheduled for today. He appeared in the following News Article from the The Berkshire Evening Eagle on 6 Dec 1945 in Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts UNDERTAKER FOUND GUILTY

BINGHAMTON, N. Y. (UP)- A jury of six men and six women returned a verdict of guilty last night against Donald P Ackley, former Binghamton undertaker who was charged with a misdemeanor and second degree grand larceny in connection with his alleged failure to bury four bodies within a reasonable length of time.
Ackley was brought from California to face trial on the charges.
The four bodies- three elderly persons and one small baby girl was discovered in Ackley's abandoned undertaker establishment last February by children. All had died during the period of March to July 1944. Shortly before Ackley had closed his shop and went to the West Coast.
During the trial Ackley maintained that he had made “adequate arrangements” with a fellow undertaker to care for the bodies. He appeared in the following News Article from the Post Standard on 9 May 1946 in Syracuse, Onondaga , New York Undertaker's Term

Upheld by Court


ALBANY. (/P)-The appellate division, third, department, yesterday upheld by a vote of 3 to 2 the conviction of Donald P. Ackley, former .Binghamton undertaker, on charges of grand larceny and failure to bury four bodies within a reasonable time. Ackley was convicted in Broome county court last December. on the larceny charge, which was based on the contention that he had accepted money tor burial. services which he failed to render in full, he was sentenced to Attica state prison for a term of one and. one-half to three years. He was sentenced to serve one year in Onondaga penitentiary for failure to bury the bodies in time. He appeared in the following News Article from the Post Standard on 15 Nov 1946 in Syracuse, Onondaga , New York Ackley Conviction Upheld by Court ALBANY. '(AP')- The court of appeals yesterday unanimously upheld the conviction of Donald P, Ackley; former Binghamton undertaker, of charges of leaving four bodies in unburied and unlawfully collecting funeral payments. Last December Ackley was convicted in Broome county on two grand larceny counts and four misdemeanor offenses and was sentenced to one and one-half years in Attica state prison, to be followed by one year in the Onondaga pententiary. He has Death Cert # 37552⁴³ He died on 23 Apr 1982 in Lakeland, Polk , Florida.^41,43 He was adopted by³⁷ His Social Security Number was 107-09-5193 NY.⁴¹

Lillian was born on 22 Aug 1911.⁴¹ She died in Feb 1976 in Lakeland, Polk , Florida.⁴¹ Her Social Security Number was 102-18-8351 NY.⁴¹