The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-03-25 00:00:00

succssaruz, ORZMATION.

Dr. Price'. attempt to c'emete the b nly of his
intent non on the summit of Caerlen Hill, o lu day
night, the 13th of January la., the prosecution and
legal proceedings which followed, and the aoctor's
dischsrp by the jury at the recent melees at Cardiff,
ere not likely to be forgutten. After the inquest on
the body of the child bad been held the doctor placed
the remain. in a wooden box made for the puritan', and
nothing well known as to what bad become of It.
Many won the conjecture* as to when, where, and
how the doctor would dispose of the remains. By
some it was (sought that the body had been o 'rimmed
in • large oven which the doo or had in his house;
whilst others, who knew hiaundioching.detormingion,
felt waylaid he would complete the work he had
begun. The letter supposition bee proved to be
oorreot. On Friday morning, on the same spot, the
doctor suomeded— without interruption be it known
--in bur:2l4c the remains of his intent son
and heir. Three hurdles were plaited in the
ground, forming • triangle. Half a too of coal
was platted inside the enclosure, in the centre
of which were two large iron grates, upon which
was placed • large wooden boo. Inside thie box wee
a smaller oee oontaining the body, which was ierepeed
an 21 napkins. The ipso, between the two boxes was
filled with ataL A greet quantity of petroleum we,
thrown over the cotl, sod this served to make the pile
cue UMW of fire as soon se ignition took place. The
pile wag lit at half-past eight, and continued burning
furiously for fully three hours. The doctor, with •
large shawl thrown over his shoulder., w. pre‘ent
during th • conflagration, eel was seen walking t 11 '
fru, In all probability chanting some ancient sacred
eons to himeelf. In about hell an hour'. time hie
ceule Joined him, and stood for • little while
hard by, as if they had *line S. pay em. 64
tribute of respect to their muter'. heir. A little
while after " Modern Dhu " was cum leading his
rnaeter'e donkey and cart past the pile. When be
bad come up in front of the burning mound, the
donkey, thinking his vocal organs were equsl to
the crackling noise made by the flame., cornat-noed
to bray most vociferously, ills music wee soon
bushed, lsr the faithful Hoohyn hurried the as, from
the sacred some without much oerem ony. It wee
amusing to me some of the inhaSit out., not a few
representing the female community of the town, climb-
ing the breset of the bill, and peering over the fence
to catch • olicopee of the doctor In the performanze of
that very rite which many of them bed on the first
000111400 interrupted. But the scene was changed
They did not even crow the fence, until the doctor,
seeing their curiosity aroused, and their anxious feces,
went up, and cordially invited them to approach, on
c-ondition that they would not toach or interfere with
the sacred pile. Between t oan I three hushed of
the inhabitants then via tad the 40000, and aoaduated
themselves most orderly and 000000 utly. When asked
why he did not sacrifice • cow or cell, ha shook his
head, and said, " 34 woke," refevrirg to his bull," shell
di* a natural death, and shall then be burnt."
Dr. Price annotunoo his intention of erecting at
I.lantriennt a CreMatiltillUl, stud points out the
financial advantages of cremation, the total cost of
the cremation of his son having only cost him Ets. 2.1.
Every vestige of the holy wes burnt, and the breeze
carried the SAM SW.i. Dr. Price argues that the
ritual of the Caurch of England reeognioed °remotion
at on. period in the phrase "ash., to ashes." Hs
protest. &waled the inurnment of the ashes of cremated
persona al calculated to rekindle the grief of the aut,
vivore of the deed.