The Butler Weekly Times Newspaper, October 2, 1889, Page 6

A TERRIBLE ORDEAL. How President Harrison Found His Father ‘s Corpse in a Dissect- Room. Ae | | | ! A well known resident of sou.h-; ern Ohio, speaking a few days oes | of the past life of President =| son, realized probably the most tragic event in the history of the | Harrison family, an event which fired the country with indignation | and dishonored the name of the Queen city, adeed so foul and re-; volting that the mind shrinks from its contemplation—the desecration of the tomb of Jobn Scott Harrison, the son of the president of the United States and the father of the man who now occupies the White house. There is something horrible and repulsive in the robbing ofa grave, the violation by human ghouls when the gentlest of hands are too rude to touch the dead face, the des- ecration of the sacred spot to which cling the memories of a lifetime, the ruthless exposure of the grief that shuns the publie gaze after the last formalities are gone through with and the flowers and tears have been shed upon the narrow home. But horrible as is the rifling of the grave of the dead, how much more _horri- ble, more tragic is the thought of the dead man’s son climbing to the top story of a medical college in search of the stolen body of a young friend and removing the cloth from the face of acorpse in one of the dissecting rooms to discover beneath that horrid mask the features of his dead father? Does history afford a more dramatic scene? Marie Antoin- ette’s hair turned white as she view- ed her husband’s head upop the block of the guillotine. Could the shock and agony which she expe- rienced have been greater than that of him who had the day before look- ed with grief burdened heart upon the form of a venerable and long loved father, had seen it lowered into the grave, the features marked with a graceful smile, beautiful even in death, the next day to see it ap- pear in that most dreadful of places, the dissecting room, robbed even of its shroud, the peaceful smile dis- placed by distorted features, the venerable snow white beard rudely cut away to disfigure the body, the head pressed forward,bleeding from the cruel rope by which it had been suspended in the shaft of the medi cal college. Yet this was what the grandson of President William Henry Harri- son endured. The death of President Harrison's father vecurred suddenly at North Bend, O.. a small town fifteen miles west of Cincinnati, in the latter part of May, 1878. The residents of Cincinnati and the vicinity, in fact of all Ohio, were just at that time wrought up over repeated accounts of grave robbing. The day before the burial of President Harrison's father the gravo of the son of a wid- ow named Devin had been rifled in the bureal lot adjoining that of the Harrison family in the North Bend cemetery. On account of these rob- beries extraordinary precautions were taken. A secure receptacle of solid masonry was built in which the iron casket was placed. Three immense stone slabs were lowered with great difficulty and cemented before the earth was thrown in. As an additional precaution General Harrison (now president) paid a watchman $30 to keep guard over the grave for thirty nights. All precautions were futile. That night two grave robbers drove to the cemetery in a wagon, the felloes of which were wrapped to prevent noise, rifled the grave and took the body to the Ohio medical college at Cincinnati, where it was sold for $10. On the following day John Scott Harrison, J.. and Carter Harrison, brothers of President Harrison, to- gether with a nephew of General Harrison anda detective, went to the medical college to search for the body of young Devlin, who was a distant relative of the family. The building was searched in vain. Evy- ery suspicious box and barrel was examined, the chute into which bodies were dropped by the resur- rectionists was inspected, also the furnace in which the putrifying flesh was cremated. As a last resort the CLEARING In order to ie my stock and Holiday make room for | will for the =: NEXT-:-THIRTY--DAYS =| ‘Sell goods in my by me, and is no | business, and the REGARDLESS Or cost. i fer the following linds of our go will make your head swim. the first reduction sale ever offered goods, I line so low that it This catch, but 1 2ean goods must go, OF PROFIT, To cash customers I of- pricesin a few ods. Everything | | else i in proportion. “WALL PAPER. Former Price 25c now 150 | 35e “ 22c “ “ 50e 6s 33¢ = “« G5e “ 45¢ ORGANS. HAMLIN & MASON’S OTHER ORGANS. Former price $100 now «$90 $80 $65 “ sacsiidh hand Orgons noe $25 to $40 SHEET MUSIC. 5 to 15 cents per copy: worth from 10¢ to $1,25- ! Novels, paper covers, | clean up—3 for 25¢ An endless variety of goo W. * dis Aancbiiae room, oc ea no sed. In the further corner of the |GEO. room where the bodies were kept. As the the detective laid his hand on the rope. It was taut. “Here is something.” he exclaim- ed, seizing the crank beionging to | the windlass. came to the surface. body, except the head aud shoulders. Former price $135 now $100 Former price, $65 now $47 to was a windlass and rope which ran [ down through a square hole in the | floor, connecting with a shaft that | descended five stories to the vat | party was about leaving the room | Nearer and nearer it | Tt was a naked | BABY CARRIAGES. Former price, $20 now $14 $30 “ $17 $25“ $16 Some of these last years | designs | i | | } | | i “ “ SEWING MACHINES. “ o $60 $42 : $55 “ $37 $40 $28 “ “$35 $25 These are prices for Cash | bought direct fromthe house. | FINE VIOLINS ieee r price $25 now S16 | | ds to numerous to mention. | Come while the ball is rolling. We must clean up, and have made prices todo it. Ww EAVER. clos a at the back, Sis orbs staring upward, a face discolored by the pressure of the and the ope the corpse had been dragged from the grave. “An old man,” remarked some one and Mr. Harrison stooped to take a closer look at the face. Suddenly ‘his countenance changed color, the ' blood rushed back to his heart. He reeled and grasped for support. “What's the matter?” one, Mr. asked some Harrison said nothing. He ! A BORN HORSETHIEF. ‘SALE | Strange Career of Outlawry ofa young | West Virginia Girl. | Parkersburg, W. Va., Sept. 24— | .| Six months ago Etta Robinson, aged | |16, who was visiting her brother, a |farm hand for Thomas Handly, a | wealthy real-estate owner of Put- | nam county, disappeared one morn-| ing with a fine horse belonging to! Nathan McCoy. After a search for | |some days throughout the neigbor- | hood, including some of the rough- | est hills and thickest ravines, the | |horse was found in the girl’s pos- session near the Ohio river. While her pursuers were debating what to do with her, she dashed into the river, still on horseback, and en- deavored to swim across, but was captured and while being returned to jailtold how she traveled fifty miles alone through a strange coun- try after night. She was placed in jail, but broke out and returned to her brother, when McCoy, from whom she had stolen the horse, took pity on her youth and refused to prosecute her. A short time later a horse belong- iog to a farmernamed Smith dissay- peared with Etta just at the time when the low country was all flood- ed. The horse was tracked through the waters to the other side of the Kanawha valley where girl and ani- mal were found ina hollow. The | girl had swam a stream a mile wide on horseback. She had slept out all night, living on what she could | steal. For the Seranil time her youth | protected her and she was not pros- ecuted. Six weeks later the girl horse} thief stole a horse from Lewis Los- | tri, was pursued across the Ohio river, captured and brough back to | Putnam county jail. Her winning | way won the confidence of the jailor {and he allowed her many privileges. | | Two weeks ago he awoke one morn-| ing to fiud that she had gone, hav-| ing made her escape by cutting | jthrough an old wall. It was after- | | wards found that she had stolen a | suit of mens clothes and taken the jstable key and bad stolen a fine jhorse and fled the country. For} ten day Alf Burnett, the detective, ‘and a posse scoured the country in | i | j | | { | | i | with the horse still in her possession | near her old home. During her es-| capade she had lived on berries, corn or anything else she could find, and alone wandered through the wildest and most dangerous _territo- ry. This young adventuress does not | steal from any motive but simply | the love of excitment and adventure. Her face glows with health and ap parent innocence and her every look McFARLAND BROS JEWELRY STORE, | Watches, Clocks, Solid Silver and Plated Ware, &c. | rough handling of those by whom | V#iD, but she was finally captured | —_—AT BUTLER KEEP THE LARGEST STOCK AT THE BEST PRICEs IN HARNESS and SADDLERY. cer. S&S -——PREVENTS CHAFING——— CANNOT CHOKE A HORSE, Adjusts itself to any Horse’s neck, has two rows of stitching, will hold hames in place better than any other collar. eee ek ee FRANY, BERNHARDT’ N na ilu a Soleagent forthe Rockford and Aurora watches. in Gold, Silver and Filled Cases, Very Caespy Is headquarters tor fue Jewelry Spectacles of all kinds and for all ages; also fine Opera Glasses. You are cordially invited to visit his establishmeat and examine his splendid display of beautitul goods and the low prices ALL KINDS OF ENGRAVING NEATLY EXECUTED The cupidity of the ghouls, who had | | Was dazed, his blanched face turned | rifled the grave, had not been satis-/t0 an ashy paleness and his eyes fied with the price they got for their | Starting from their sockets were prey. They had even robbed the | | riveted upon the dead face before corpse of its grave clothes. The | him. At last he gasped out: “It is only covering was an old tattered | | father!” and sank unconscious into Wa jand action deny that peculiar con- duct is from evil motives. Physi- cally she is beautiful, always full of | life and a general favorite. Her ed- eation and manners have not been shirt used tor the purpose of avoid- | ing detection should the body be seen. Slowly it was brought to the level of the floor and raised as far as the windlass would permit “It is not the man,” said Mr. Har- son. “Delvin died of consumption and was more ematiated than this one.” He turned to give up the search when he was urged by the detective to look at the face which was still | covered. “It is hardly necessary,” said Mr. | the hands of the detective. | An undertaker was sent for and | the body was taken away and silent- ly reinterred the next day. In the | meantime the fact that the body had been stolen had been discovered at North Bend. The messengers sent to the city were met with the cir- | cumstances of the discovery of the body by his own son. The excite. | ment at Cincinnati and throughout the country was intense over the outrage. General Harrison himself | personally took charge of the case Harrison, hesitating and evidently | 0d subsequently had the satisfac- desiring to retreat insist—" “Still, if you | tion of sending the perpetrators to the Ohio penitentiary.—Cleveland The body was thereupon raised | Plain Dealer. out of the well, the trap door drop- ped beneath it and the body lower- ed upon it. The rope had been rudely tied about the body below one arm and as it drew upward had pressed the head forward. When the pressure was released the blood streamed from an incision in the neck. Loosening the rope the body fell to the floor. The light fromthe window above shone directly upon the head and shoulders. Silently the little group awaited until some- one should remove the cloth from the face of the dead. The more Election Betting in Montana. Helena, Mont., Sept. 52.—Betting is always a feature of a campaign in Montana. The approaching elec- tion is attracting great attention and many wagersare being made, Few bets can be secured against J. K. Toole, democratic candidate for governor, but there is considerable activity between the admirers of Martin Maginnis, democratic, and T. C. Powers, republican candidate for congress. In this city a bet of $1,800 even was made on Maggin- neglected, neither is she other than neat and comely in her attire. Her youth, beauty and general excellence in many ways have created a vast deal of sympathy in her behalf and some of the most prominent citizens of Putnam county are interesting themselves in securing her release. A 1RAIN HELD UP TEXAS. Five Desperate Men Help Themselves to the Express Car's Treasure ana Escape. Fort Worth, Tex., Sept., 25.— Late last night as the northbound Santa Fee train was pulling out of Crowley, ten miles south, three men boarded the train and two others jumped on the locomotive, placed pistols at the heads of the engineer and fireman and compelled them to stop. The robbers cut the engine, and the baggage, mail and express car from the rest of the train and made the engineer pull half a mile further. The men then got into the express car and ordered the messenger to show them the money. He pointed to three bags of Mexican silver. One of the men ripped open a sack and | shoved the silver out the door while another threw out the other sack. restive were preparing to depart, | 248 and Powers and another of $500 } They took two packages said to con-| when Mr. Harrison, with a cane | W9S also made on the same candi- i tain which he had in hand, brushed the} | dates. $5,000 each, but overlooked | Bets of $300 to $200 are al- | thre or four other money packages. | aLVLSo SEDALIA, HANNIBAL, i ST- LOUIS AND THE NORTH AND EAST Ps tc ta Ne Est ‘sud MOUs OO Pf UAMAIANS ‘AA *cr HLIM ALHUAdOUd ANOA AOvW Id SERVICE OF Haxpsome Day CoacuEh —And— PULLMAN BUFFET SLEEPING CARS, ST. LOUIS, SEDALIA, | AND KANSAS CITY TO FARMERS! TEXAS POINTS, | With direct connection for Califor- nia and Mexico “LVYUOONGAC NI LSIT ALAAdONd AAS ‘OU ee | par-TO SAVE MONEY SEE“@e_ | |ELEGANT FREE RECLI® ING CHAIR CARS ON A. C. SAMPSON, Rich Hil!. D. H. HILL, Hume. J. G. McPEAK, Foster. C.S. PUTNAM, Adrian. | HUGH M. GAILY, Amorett ALL TRAINS .S. PIERCE, Virginia, or See eee - W. SNYDER, Butler, For a Policy of Insurance in the SEDALIA A N D HANNIBAL DWELLING : HOUSE :00.,, N4cLMORE THAR. Guo —Andon Night Trains—- _ | FORT SCOTT TO SAINT LOUIS. a | Making Direct Connection in Uniow | Depot's with Express Trains — j In All Directions. | For Tickets and Further Informs 4 |tion, Call on or Address, Nearest § IANOnp~ BAR STERN a. nt EWIRE | (MO. KAN. TEXAS), Ticket Ageat #4 200F7 MORE THAI ER STYLE: covering from the face of the body. | st coe ae to bare $10,| “| The engineer was then made to | i It revealed the face of an old man, | 000 ready to bet on Maginnis aE |couple up and move. The train) with full white beard cut squarely | odds, Nobody has failed to secure Teached here about midnight and, i For Sale by R. R. DEACON, | off below the chin, white hair cut | a taker against Maginnis. | 20 men started in pursuit ot once. jp 389157 BUTLER, MO| ‘ee that each 1 has Diamond trade mar} rf H | ianufsctured only Se wie | Geo, A. Eddy and H.C. Cross, Receivers 40., 8t, Louis, Mo. nd 6 cents for sample. { investigating party entered a small | room on the top floor in which they and all sorts of rubbish incident J. WALDO, GASTON MESLER Gen. Trat. Gen. Pas.& Tk AB Sedalia, Missouri- Man.