The man who was buried three times - Grave story #24

On February 8, 1939, death came for 54-year-old Patrick Henry Shine, an Auckland storekeeper and former soldier.
But it was only the start of his adventures.
He was buried the next day by his grieving family in the Waikumete Soldiers' Cemetery, Auckland.
He was survived by his first wife, Georgina and son Frederick and his second wife, Madge.
Shortly after however, in a truly extraordinary legal case, his body was dug up by two body snatchers who used him in an attempt to fake one of their death’s for insurance purposes.
Gordon Thomas McKay (alias Tom Bowlands) and labourer James Arthur Talbot had arrived in Auckland from Australia aboard the Mariposa two days before Patrick died.
They rented out a garage and the day after Patrick was buried they dug him up and removed his body to a garage they were renting in Avondale.
McKay and Talbot then rented a bach at Piha which they promptly burned down - with a body inside.
It was intended that people would believe McKay, whose life was insured for £50,000, had burnt to death while Talbot survived.
The charred remains were buried, again in Waikumete - this time under the name McKay.
Suspicions soon arose, however, and the Australian insurance companies, holding the policies on McKay's life, wanted the death investigated.
Patrick’s original grave was opened, and it was of course empty.
Talbot was arrested and a search made for McKay who was found 12 days later at a boarding house in Parnell registered under a fake name.
They were found guilty of arson and the very rarely used charge of improperly interfering with a dead body, both receiving jail terms.
And Patrick Shine was buried again - this time to rest in peace in the same coffin and grave he started in.