Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-10-30
Ttr8tmtdn.
Burving or Burning


waukie by the attempt of Russian resident
there to burn the dead body ofhis wife, according
to ,bs cnstom of the ancients instead of commit
tinrit to the earth, as is the usage of civilized
nations in our day. An article in the Milwaukee
American of the 10Th gives fuller particulars
We copy it:
Heathenism In Milwaukee.
"FREs CoUNwy'-A DEAD BopY To BE
BusNEp-THE PILE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
STOPPED BY SHERIFF CoNovER-THE BODY
DECENTLy INTERNATIONALLY EXCITEMENT IN
THE CRY.
For the sake of the fair fame of the city and
the reputation Of the better portion of our citi-
Gems. who profess to be Christians and enlighten-
ed people,we should like TO have the record which
follows wiped from our memory and blotted from
the list ofhorrible acts. Of which city has too
long been the scene. But this is impossible
Already the meagre accounts have flashed TO the
borders of our country, and the whole civilized
community have shuddered with horror at the ter
rible thoughts suggested and any attempt to
cover itup, or apologize Tor Its enoImlty would
make us, in degree, parties to IT,
Yesterday afternoon, Immediately after dinner
we were startled by the information from citi
zen of the first ward. that at that moment man
by the name of Pfel, n resident Of the first ward,
and who lives in one Of the elegant dwellings up.
on the lake bluff on the North Point Plank Road
was preparing pile Of wood and other eot,busti
blcs for the purpose Of burning the body Of his
wife, who died the night before. We could scarce
ly believe it anything but hoax. We. however
repaired nj once to the Office of the sheriff, and
found that it was true, and TINT Sheriff Conover
Under-Sheriff Beck and other deputies, had al
ready gone TO the scene of this heather funeral.
On arriving at the house, found a sight
that probably never before met the eye of an y
merican The heather Pfeil had got gang OF
,arL5 ray six of AM
arranging it upon the lake shore in the rear of
his house, for the purpose Of burning the body
of his wife. scarcely cold according to his land AS
he say 81 her ideas Of burial There were tho sh A.
wings the turpentine, and the funeral pile of
sixteen cords Of wood IT sight TO make
Christian blood run cold, and civilized and en-
lightened minds shrink with horror at the con
temptation of the moral depraviiy, that in broad
day light should attempt such an ungodly act.
We we're anxious to see the man who was
thus bedoyed and beheatbcned and found him
in remonstrance with Sheriff Conover, and stout
ly claiming his right to burn his wife as he had
laid out But the Sheriff told him it could not
be done in this community, and AT once took
charge Of matters and changed the programme
Acting in concert with PEEL was man whose
name our citizens will be shocked with wonder
to hear, Mr.. Wendt. He also claimed the full
right of Mr.. Pfel to burn his wife, and said to
the sheriff that he had business to interfere.
He was present to assist Mr.. Pfeil IN the heath
enish rites Of burning.
The body lay upon table enyeloped in shroud
all ready to be carried out at the back door and
placed upon the pile.
The sheriff told the man that if he should per-
sist in any such attempt 10 outrage the cherished
moral sentiments of the city, that ere the
pile had been half consumed there would be a
maddened crowd about him that would put him
also upon the cracking flames to meet doom
But no talk aud no circumstances could convince
him or Mr.. Wendt that they had not perfect
right TO perform any heathenish practice with the
body that their hellish morality might dictate.
They said there was no law against it in Wis |
consin, and it might have had weight with fools
and heahens but those who know all law comes |
from the moral sense of the community. and |
should be the congealation of public sentiment. |
were not prepared to listen 10 such stuff.
At length the sheriff ordered u coffin and n |
hearse TO give the woman decent and Christi |
an burial. This Pfeil doggedy and tacitly as
scented to, as by this time large crowd of people
had congregated around the house, not without
reiterating his right to burn her, and his deter.
minaton to do SO if the officers would permit it.
Mr.. Conover offered to allow him any form of
ceremony, any peculiar mode of funeral rite, but
the heathenish mode he had chosen. But no, he
would give no directions and consent TO moth
ing. Mr.. Wendt said, gentlemen, it makes
no difference with as, if we cannot go on our |
way"
As soon the coffin came. the sheriff ordered |
the corpse put into it, and wisely stood over it |
till it was done and the lid screwed down. Some |
gentlemen near by helped TO place the coffin in
the hearse and it moved away, followed by a car
riage containing only the Infamous husband of |
the dead I'VE think Mr.. Wendt got into the |
carriage, together with DIR. Young afterwards) |
Sheriff Conover and Under Sheriff Beck went |
to the burial place and the body safely put
into Christian tomb and away from the hands |
of the moral monster who had lived so long in the
sight of churches and school houses, and learned
no better than to do the natives upon the banks
of the Ganges or the Indus.
Thus ended the most outrageous attack upon
the morality of our community ever made worse
if possible,than thes hoeting OF the lamented Adj
ans.
Pfeil calls himself Russian, and we believe
is q man of property and education His house
is an elegant and filled with the airs of lux
ury and elegance. His wife is said TO have been
a born Brahmin, lady of culture and refinement
although Pfe says she repeatedly directed him
to burn her body when dead she having been sick
for three years
If it had been some dranken creature, we should
not have wondered so much; but an educated
man, and backed by such a citizen as Mr.. Wendt
is, surprised us beyond measure.
But we do not like to let this matter rest here.
There is something dark and covered up in
this affair which calls for coroner's inquest, |
and one should be held to-day upon the body. |
Public sentiment demands that such an outrage
should be sifed to the dregs, and if any iniquity
has been transacted it should beferreted out Let
the matter be taken in hand at once, and the body
taken from the vault and full examination had
of that and the facts connected with the death.
After this has been done, let some steps be ia
ken by which it shall be ascertained whether there