The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-10-31
The Resurrectienists.


d" Now, John my son, mind an watch
my grave after Pm in it, and dinna for
ony sake, let the doctor bodies get
hand o. me-" Soon after uttering these
words John Todd's mother closed her
eyes and gave up the ghost. Three
days afterwards her dutiful son, sad at
heart, laid the good old woman in her
grave beside the remains of her hus-
band. John did not forget the injunc-
ton she had lain upon him, but faith
fully remembered aud obeyed it. As
soon as darkness had swallowed up the
light Of day. he proceeded to the old
church yard for the purpose of remain
ing there all night to prevent resurrec-
tionists from removing or disturbing
the corpse of his mother. He took the
precaution of arming himself with an
old rusty pistol, which he loaded with
plenty Of powder and handful of hard
barley. "The barly bree often gans
to their heads" said he to himself,
{" but I'll maybe gle them pree' O. this
barley about their shins. The ane Of
ten makes them stotter and stagger
but I'm thinkin' this'll make them
dance a jig"
1t is by ro means pleasant or envia-
ble to be alone in an old ghostly church
yard, on dark, dreary, winter night,
when the stars are shrouded with black
clouds, and the lights are dying out in
the neighboring cottages; when the
solemn wind means drearily among the
groaning trees, and the old iron gate
creaks and jars on its hinges when
you fancy that every white tombstone,
starting through the darkness, is a
sheeted ghost, and that every gust of
wind sweeping past is wandering
spirit; that the rustic of dead leaves
is the whispering Of fearful phantoms,
and that all around you the air is filled
with the spirit Of those whose bones
are mixed with the dust beneath your
feet. lL aHt
John Todd felt that it was far from
pleasant, but his courage never for a
moment gave way, and he never once
entertained the idea of forsaking his
post. Whenever thoughts of ghosts or
apparitions entered his head he took a
good pinch of snuff, and did his best to
sneeze them out of it again as soon as
possible. John had not been long in
the churchyard when it began to rain
very hard, and in order to keep him
self dry he crept in under large fiat
tombstone, placed horizontally on four
pedestals about two feet from the
ground. There he lay snugly wrapped
in his plaid for two or three hours, and
was just on the point of beginning tc
sleep and snore simultaneously, when
he was startled by noise, evidently
caused by certain parties climbing the
churchyard wall. John Todd instantly
clutched his pistol and felt if all wa,
right about the tri gger and touch-hole
He did not rise, however, but remained
as he was, keeping as still as mouse
and watching the resurrectionists as
they entered and began to wend theil
way among the graves. RI II o.
There were two of them, but owing
to the darkness he could not tell wha
they looked like. They did not &C
near his mothers grave, but went to an
other and began to dig with might ant
main. He was desirous to see who th,
men were, that he might report them
and instead of treating them to :
shower of barley, he lay still, undecid
ed how to act. At last he saw then
raise coffin out of the earth, break i
open, and take out dead body. This
after they had carefully examined it b.
the light of their lantern, they depos
tied in large sack, and one of then
dragged it away short distance from
the grave and leaving it behind tn
tombstone beneath which John Todt
was concealed, went back to assist hi
accomplics in replacing the empt
coffin and filing up the grave.
Now or never thought John, is th
time for action. Without moment
hesitation he emerged from his hidin
place, quietly drew the dead man ou