Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-08-21
From the Basds.o~n Gazslra.
A SKETCH.
WITH AN INCIDENT.

parties were the wharEmaste and Il iIttIc Dltch- .
man, tho proprietor Of barrel apparently "l
whiskey, upon which Ao was sitting, most mani +
fcstiy impatient At the detention OF the loat.-
After a cagthencd explanation OF tho PFoPiie'E .
Of law exacting fees fox tho use {! !.-G '-~~.!t@
wharf which seemed very satisfactory 70 /
him, he paid his money, rolled his barre! iitiie .
further from me, and again sat down GPon IT.
turning his unrenittng gaze up stream. mere
was nothing very peculiar in his appearance
He was ii small nan clad IN piain rusty suit OF
block and seemed lltl!o aGiated which attrl-
butcd TO his recent unexpected interview with me
wharf master and 20 his feeling himself surrounded
by curious strangers. In short, saw nothing ~
his Appearance interesting 10 me, or which
promised 10 furnish any food for speculation. But
both he aud ms barrel soon bec0me O. Ieci5 no'
only Of attention but Of interest and susricton--
No sooner was The latter removed from the place
where IL had been first laying, than most often
sive smell, Of putrIdity aIoso and dltllscd Itself
among us. From my HcnrGoss 10 tho source. The
first and strongest portion fell TO my share; hat
tho busy handkcrchiets and fngors-fEc nvcricd
head5-ihe WY faces and frequent q 2cu.Gti1Hs,
showed that II had greeted the oIftctJr.es II all
on tho wharf ] looked ar tho barrel; one heQd
was painted red and marked double rectded
whiskey; but vas assured that on double nor
triple rectIication ever bestowed such an odor on
whskev, else there had been need ipr Tempo
rance Societies. Tho other head composed
Of rough boards, aud while there was already tcs-
imony that the barrel did not contain wht@hcF, IA
space between tho pieces showed c0nciust"ely
that it did not contain any liquid. What all Il
contain? Ny eurious!tY awakened by the false
legend tho barrel head and heightened by
tho indCscrIbable but overpoworIDg et.t19IA that
It sent forth, urged me t0 answer tao question.
A thought struck me. A few days previous |
had been ono Of the circle Of trienGs III which
Medical Institut,ons-tho mode Ia which they
were supplied with iocts for dissection, &c,
where had heard relate cd some instances OF dead
bodies being packed IN barrels with salt md for
waTded wh!skoy-tho weight not being mate
rally different and the public not a whll the
worse for such = scientific fraud. Was not this
an insiancn2 The suspicion hoonuo rsrttet' TIP
on my mind. | looked at the barrel again; n
whltish liquid was sluuqlshly oozipv tron the
creyice in The end, and sickeHed to think that
ii had but iast now circulated about the decay
ing remains oi-perctancc Departed Jriend?-
The stencil, too, which had arisen upon the re
mcval Of Inc barrel, and which remained ia fol-
force among US, strongly IN favor OF my CON
oiusion | looked again at the Dutchmau; his
plain black clothes excited my Indignation. If
they not part Of his wages Of iHIguity,
they had at least been assumed rs the gaEb oi re-
specabihty-a screen for his aot4rioas employ
ment-And now could readily account for his
uneasIness-his dread Of scrutny--his anxiety
for the coming of the boat; he rus Il resurrection
list; and in his countennnco | read every Inca
ment Indicative of Hare a Burk or any Of
their murdcrous graverobbsog fraternity 70
lolced IN the ndage, murder, (and grave robbiug
added,) Will OUT
Ned what on earth c0n it be that smells So? ?
limited my suspicious and pointed out the
grounds OF them. My companion was ono Of
those who feel q holy horror at every attempt TO
invade the repose Of tho dead, and before | was
aware, or had finished my reply he had gone 10
communicate tho whole to the wharI-naslcr in
tho strong language which his excited feelings
would dictate The whArfmastcE was IN u Gl-
lena. lie had received his fee nnd dare not
turn the DGtchman the barrel off the prcni-
scs, anu yet ho felt that we also would be exceed
ingiy annoyed bv their remaining. He tod the
circumstance 10 the boatmen, to The merchants
to the decntures, TO tho iaties-ta all bat the
Dutchm0n hImseit.--Eor a moment eli ccnvcr-
saiion ceased aud there was a stIilncss-such as
betokens the storm; 4 concentration ol searching
looks upon one sui Jaci, n low comparing Cf notes
and observations, and then rs when some pow
oFin' chemtcai agent introduced among bodies
mutually rcPe!ant TO each other produces ran
ID and general COMMUNICATIVE was blend.
ing together OF all the minor groups hitherto 81
distinct, into great Perturbel mass, seemingly
for consultation, percha0co for action The boat
men swore--tho merchants expressed their in
dIgnatIoa IN genteel phEase-the Yankee guess
Cd II was rather bad caikIaton,' and the ladies
gave vent TO their horror and umazatnenl IN
groans and CALCULATIONS. but all seemed agreed
That something should be done TO punish such al
outrage upon public feeling.
'iellow, old man. said huge boafurarn st
length, the very representation of strength de-
termination and recklessness-a very Mike Flax
relr go
fish mino par and i. ISL mine nisbuns. was
the iaconic and logged reply
This was too much Our sarzos ~ 49, 80,
soiiIties had for some time been sjtti,r !, ;,4,
Inont upon him, and now that he dared n rail, e
boldly ami independently an honest r,en--es
u, indeed his integrity had never been susne,,4
they cianored for sentence Of coudemn,,;,r
&c 20 forth against him.
'Heave him overheard, shouted oue.-m,la
dctions of every form were hurled from ali siies
and 1t was well for The Du'chnlan that N was
no matter Whist was said.-Whie some wero 90
Iionsly considering tho proprietv Of .snI.Iing,
me Duichman and his barrel into the drink as \