Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-12-02
The Children that were Made into
- Skeletons.

Two or three DAYS since, one Of the Pro:
fessors at the Medical College on Erie
street, was startled by the sound of loud
and Continued crying in the Building, as If
of some one in great distress. Finding the
sound did not cease, he called up the Jan
itor, who, however, could give no Informs
ton ss I'd the source of the noise. A search
was made from cellar to gafi ct, but without
success, until the Professor entered the
Anatomical Museum, when he was startled
by the apparition of a stout Irish woman,
standing before q row Of skeletons that
have for many years grinned horribly on
the curious visitors from their presen: po-
sition.
There stood the ghastly skeletons STATING
at the'woIhan, with horrid mirth distending
their feshless jaws from ear to ear. Years
ago they had been cut up, the bones clean
ed, hung on wires and vanished. the veins
distended with red liquid, and the whole
skeleton put up in grim imitation os per:
fec. human being.
There, too; stood the wothan, regard AS
the solemn mementoes cf man s mortality
with mingled affection and awe. She was
in the bitterest stage of grief. With her
apron she was weeping her swollen eyes,
whilst the whole building resou1eed with
her pitiful howls. Struck with astonish:
men, at her presence and behavior, the
Professor inquired into the cause Of het dis
tsess Of mind. %esss - -ssxs
i-Ochone: IT'S a broken hearted crsythur
am, whiIiloo! An it's gone the innoeents
are, my own childer, ochone!''
"But, my dear woman" exclaimed the
Professor, al don't understand this"
"Yez donr!' iertely replied the woman,
suddenly turning on him, But it's n,ayhap
one of the murtherin' ,hayvess We are yeEsslfi
Shure, an this blessed mornin' an wasn't
it five blessed little childers had, an more
by token Jemmy's breeches wanted mend
in, an it's lookin' for him was 10 put on
one of Pat's-och, murther, but my heart III
break shure," and at the remsmbranee of
the FIVE "childers," or Jemmy's torn
breeches, she went of in another howl.
"Have you lost your children," kindly
eDquired the Professor.
Lost, did We say! Lost! IT'S mrrfhered
ye name. Look there!" she thrillingly
al she pointed to the grinning
skeletons call of row." "Shure, don't
know my own childers! Och, Jenny my
darlint, it's little thought the butcherin'
thayves wud cut ye up an scrape yer bones
cfore night, ochone."
The Professor was thuhlerstruck. Here
were skeletons than for twenty years had
stood peacefully on their pedcstals, claimed
by an Irish woriiaI as her children who had
run around the streets in ''looped and win
dow q raggedness" that very morning. The
woman was soon hustled into the street,
but quickly returned, having attracted by
her cries large crow d,who we're debating on
the propriety of making forcible entry into
the building in search Of the lest "childers."
Seeing that matters had assumed serious
aspect, the Professor Begged the crowd to
be patient until the woman could tell the
whole II her story, and then, it they be-
lieved her, he would open the ColIegs for
their inspection. The request was COM
piled with. and no sconet did the woman as
sert that her living children OF the morning
had been transformed to dried up anatom les
in the afternoon, than the crowd scattered
in sudden haste whilst loud and rapid ex-
plosious Of laughter echoed from street and
alley - Cleveland Herald.