The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-26
STORY OF THE GIRL WHO WAS BURNED,
TO DEATH IN CINCINNATI.

TO DEATH IN CINCINNATI.
| We never read a story more sad than that
of Josephine Ellison. 4 few months ago
she was beautiful, lovely girl, the pet Of
an honorable family in Missouri village.
A wretch seduced her, and persuaded hor TO
elope with him TO Cincinnati, where he soon
deserted her. After vainiy seeking other
modes of life, she entered house Of sin.-
But her soul reyolted at the Memphian
darkness Of such life. She was too dis
consulate to please her visitors, too cheer
less to make friends with her heartless com.
panions. At length, last week, she unbur.
thened her heart to one of the inmates Of
the house, who sympathized with her. BY
her advise she resolved to return to her des-
erted home, bow for repentance before her
outraged parents, and atone by life Of
merit for months Of shame. An omnibus
| driver was directed to call for her, and her
| trunk left at the Office. That night the
house took fire from heater in the ceiler.
All the inmates escaped but one. In the
morning the fremen took from the ruins the
charred body of Josephine Ellison. just
as she was being borne away an omnibus
was driven up, with her neatly lettered
trunk on board-but the contemplated pass
| enger had taken another Journey. Joseph-
inc was buried IN the city lott An it'nerarr.
minister performed the services. Fourpro-
fessed followers Of that Jesus who said to
the weeping Magdalanc, "Woman. thy SINS
are forgiven thee,' were asked to do il but
refused. They felt, 81 an holier than
thou"
The night after the burial the police caught
three men coming from the graveyard, carry
ing heavy bag, and pursued thea. They
dropped the bag and ran. On being taken
to the Mayors Office, it was found 10 con-
tain the blackcned remains of the lost par
iah, to whom even in death reposo was de-
MED. The resurrectionists were arrested.
Several of the frail sisters Of the unf0r-
tunate girl, says the Cincinnati Enquirer,
having determined as has been stated, to
bury the poor girl second time, the Rev.
e. 7. Flanders, Of the First Universalist
church, in true Chistian spirit, offered to
preach the funeral service, which took place
at that edifce, on Plum street. Although
no public notice had been given Of the event,
the church was nearly full before the mp
pointed time, and when the hour arrived it
was difficult 10 obtain seat. . The COM
GUS and singular in its character-eomposea
gamblers, courtesans, gentlemen, proeigates
and phlanthropists, all deeply impressed
with the solemnity Of the occasion. 10
judge of the cortege by hurried glance" !"
stranger might have thought it a fashionable
wedding, perhaps, as he perceived carriage
after carriage drive up and deliver their ele-
gantly dressed inmates in front OF the edi-
fee. Observation however, discovered by
the sad faces and sor7owins eyes that 1t was
no occasion of JOY.
The Rev. Mr.. Flanders sermon WAS cio-
quent and touching, from its simple truth
fulness, and sank into every heart. God,
be said, was all love; that he had destined
every human creature for Heaven, and none
had reason to disrair. He alluded 20 the
antecedents of the poor girl, and TO the mis-
erahle life she must have led since her false
step had brought ineiiab.e Affections to her
soul. As he spoke, many persons wept,
and we saw strong men bend their heads to
hide the starting tears while the poor wo-
men, to whom his words were alive with
truth, sobbed like children. We have rare
ly witnessed 4 more impressive scene. All
appeared to be held in sympathy and the
erriny daughters Of shame to be recreated
for the time, and to have repented OF their
sins. Their hearts were purified, doubtless,
in that hour, and the tablets of their souls
washed clean with atoning grief. Alas -
if some good angel could have held them
in this mood, and spoken in voice not to
he disobeyed "Go back no more" Those
women, doomed to n life of misery and reck
less galety, were spectacle and study, as
their tears ran through their delicately GLOW
ed and richly iewelled fingers, and and their
breasts heaved with the first genuine and
sacred emotions they had known for months,
it may be for years. Some of them We're
gaily attired, and their cheeks blaZed with
rouge, and some looked sin stepped and har-
dened but the most of them were plainly
attired, and their features bore the express
ion that sorrow ever yields. \ number
were young and very handsome, and he who
had been ignorant of their profession would
not have dreamed of their frai.;y. The
coffin, of solid rosewood with silver noun
tings, was exposed near the altar, and the
undertaken removed the lid. that those that
wished might gaze upon the dead. Many
Of the vulgavly curious rushed forward, hut
the lorettes moved not. They only wept
the more, and in few moments followed
the corse silently and with new gushing
tears. The coffin was placed in a splendid
hearse, and as the inanmate clay of another
Marie du Plessis moved forward to its Sc
cond tomb the crowd stared for minute
and separated. The sexton closed the doors
! of the church. The sun looked down bright
ly upon the cortcge, and even upon the cof-
fin Of the poor girl-bcttHyed, burned.
dead. buried and cxhumed-and the funeral
of the poor lorette was over.
---~-~~--
HISTORY OF THE .'rHGNiX."
The Phoenix, the bird so famous in
antiquity, is, by moaerns, considered fabu-
lous. The ancients speak of this bird as
size of an eagle, its head finely crested with
feathers Of golden color and the rest of
it purple. with the exception of the tail.
which is white. and eyes sparkling extremely
like stars. The tradition is, that it lives
in the wilderness, and attalns the age Of
500 to 600 years, and when thus advanced
in age, builds itself pile of sweet wood
and aromatic gums, and freins it by the
waiting of its wings, thus DESTROYS itself.
From its ashes arises worm, which in time
grows up to be Phoenix. In the sixth
book Of the annals of Tacitus, ii is stated that
! In the year 7S7 of Rome. the Phoenix
revisited Egypt, which created much specu-
lation among the learned. The accounts Of
, Its longevity vary from 500 to 1900 years.
1t was considered rs sacred to the sun
Tradition has assigned several eras at which
the Phoenix appeared. The frst, informs
US, was in the reign Of Sesostrus; the sec.
ond, in that Of Amases; and the third, at
that period when Ptolemy (rhe third of the
Macedonian race was seated on the throne
of Egypt. When to these circumstances are
added the brilliant appearance of the Pho
nix, and the tale that it makes frequent
excursions with load on its back. and that
when, having made the experiment through
a long tract of air, gaining sufficient con-
fdence in its own vigor, 1t lics with tho
body Of its progentor to the altar Of tho
sun, in order that it may be there consumed.
Some key will be afforded to the frequent
use made by artists, of this curious subject.
as also to the idea advanced by antigua
rims, that the sages Of Egypt, enveloped
under this Alegory, the philosophy of tho
Comets. When an Egyptian monarch is