Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-03-17


The Chatham Canada Planet is rsspon-
sible for the following strange story:
For 3 number Of days past strange m.
mors have been ahostin this locality. AG
the story reaches US, it would seem that .
lawyer practioing in the village Of Nor
peth, in this county, for number Of years
past, Of the name Of W. W. Wiltroek, Wa
taken i'll some months ago, snd took
number Of morphine powders, from the
supplying effects Of which it was asserted
he ultimately died. An inquest Was
held on the body, and verdict rendered
that Wittroek died from the effects Of the
morphine powders. He was in dus line,
it is alleged, buried in the Episcopal church
yard, and not far from Morpeth, followed
thither by very considerable concouRss
Of friends and acqusintances. As he ap-
peared in his coffin to those who saw him,
he was dressed in fine suit Of black
brosdcloth, with gloves on his hands and
boots on his feet, and it is reported that
those who touched the body remarked hat
1t impaired 3 peculiar sensation not de-
rived usually from the bodies Of dead per-
sons. But the coffin was in due time
closed, and, ss before stated, followed 70
the ohurchJ ard, and the widow, who Waa
the mother Of two children, eventually re-
eeiTed the sum Of about $40, 0,000-soms
say SIC, 500-from the insurance company
in which his life was insured, with poF.
tion Of which she liquidated the liabilities
incurred by her departed husband. After
the accounts Of Mrs. Wittrock's husband
had been liquidated, the lady herself We
are led TO believe, left Morpeth, and, al
though she was brought up and married a
or in the vicinity Of Toronto, her maiden
name being Grubb, or something Of the
sort, it is said she, with her two children,
went ct once 70 the State Of New York,
without 90 much as visiting her friends
and relatives in the city Of Toronto, Gnd
that she is now, and ior some time past
has been, residing In the city Of Buffalo,
and that her husband, who was supposed
to have been buried on Talbot street, In
the pleasant burial ground connected with
the Church Of England near MoFpeth, was
recently seen in the city Of New York, and
that he is now to be eeen in PT0PFjS per-
sosG in the streets Of Buffalo city. Il Il
further reported, with Whist truth ct this
moment we cannot say, that some two
weeks or more ago the insurance company
thst issued Mr.. Wittrocks policy, sent
agents to Morpeth and exhumed the oof-
i'm, and have removed it to where few
folks know it is, and thst when it Waa
taken up it was found to be filed with
cordwoOd and stone.
At the time his death was reported, thero
were very curious rumors shost and mAay
persons openly expressed themselves as bo-
lieVing that the vital spark had never fed
from the body-in q word, thst the appear
ance Of death was assumed, and that the
fact Of the body being dressed in broad.
cloth. was merely to deceive the eye and
render less hfe-like what would otherWiss
have been but an Indifferent counterfeit
Of death. Be this, however, as 1t may, va
can only say that we have, within the pssi
few days, had conversation with the gen
tleman who supplied the horses 70 draw
the coffin to the grave, and he confirms
much We have above stated, and says thai
he had heard that the coffin had been 70
moved by the agents Of the insurance Of
fee, but cannot say that it Is so Of his OWL
knowledge. He was one, We believe, WhC
acted in the capacity Of 3 juFyman ct the
inquest held on Mr.. Wittrock's body; and
he says he believes Wittrock 10 be dsst
man. Two doctors in the same locality .
the time testified to the same opinion, an'
they were both physicians Of highly Te
spectacle standing.