The Southern journal., 1846-01-24
MISCELLANEOUS.
A Man Built in a Wall.
Florence, Haly, May, 1916.

| y ~'-~ - AOAO'
We entered the little town of San
Giovanni,lSt. John, )snd after strolling
over the cathedral, sent Tor the man
who keeps the key Of the door that
shuts over the withered form Of a man
cased in the side wall Of the church
Of San Lorenzo. As the sort of trap
door swung open, recoiled in horror,
for there stood upright huean skel-
eton, perfect IN all its parts, staring
me with his dead eye.sockets. No
coffin enclosed it-no mason work
surrounded II, but among the naked,
jagged stones it stood erect and mo.
tionless.
This church has been built centu.
ries ago, and remained untouched till
within few years, when, in making
some repairs, the workmen had occa-
sion to pierce the wall, and struck this
skeleton. They carefully uncovered
it without disturbing its position or
loosening a single stone. Why and
wherefore cannot tell, but the priests
have suffered it to stand in the place
and attitude it was discovered, an OBJ
Ject ofsuperstitious dread, veto uni
versal interest. A narrow door has
been made to swing overit, to protect
it from injury and shield it from the
eyes Of those who worship in the
church. The frame indicates a pow
erful man, and though il is but skel.
eton, the whole attitude and aspect
gives one the impression of death Of
agony. The arms are folded across
the breast in forced resignation, the
head is slightly bowed, and the shoul-
ders elevated, as in the effort to
breathe, while the very face-bereft
of muscle as it is-seems full Of suffer.
ing.
An English physician was with me,
and injured to skeletons as he was,
his countenance changed as he gAzed
upon il, and then his voice was low and
solemn, as if he himself had seen the
living burial. Said he, "Ihat man died
By sufocatio", and he was built alive
in that wall"
| In the first place, i, is evident it was
a case Of murder, for there are no
grave clothes, no coffin, and no mason
work around the body. The poor ci.
Witty OF a savage was not shown here
in knocking ffthe points ofthe stones
to give eventf.e appearance Of regu-
larity 10 the enclosure. He was
packed into the rough wall and built
over, beginning at the feet.
! 1t is extremely difficult to tell any.
thing Of the manner of death, whether
painful or pleasant, by any skeletons,
for the face always has The appear.
ance Of suffering; but there are indica-
tions about this skeleton, which show
that the death was painful one, and
caused, doubtless, by suhocalion. In
the first place; the rms are not eros
sed gently and quietly, in decent com
posure OF death, but far over, as with
a painful effort or by force. ln the
second place, the shoulders are eleva-
ted, as if the last strong effort was for
breath. In the third place the bones
ofthe toes are curled over the edge
Of the stone on which he stands, as if
4 contracted in agony when life parted.
I Sand" continued the doctor with
true professional detail, she died hard,
for he was |, powerful man. He was
full six feet high, with broad chest
and shoulders, and strong limbed." !
knew all this before; for | felt it,
There was no mistaking the manner
of that mans death. / could tell every
step ofthe process. Doubtless there
| was originally some hanging or church
furniture to this part of the church to
! conceal the displacement of the wall.
In dark night the unfortunate man
was entrappei, bound and brought
into this temple, where he could first