Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-10-23
ROGER WILLIAMS.
Search for His Remains-His Body
Absorbed by the Roots of
Tree-A CnIious Incident.

Rev j. Ii. McCarty, Of Cincinnati, is
writing a series of very entertaining arti-
cles for the Ladies Repository, on Roger
Williams, the founder of the State of
Rhode Island In the last number we
find the following curious and Interesting
statement concerning the remains of the
distinguished man.
Ninety years after his death, in III,
steps were taken to erect to him some
suitable monument, but the storms of
the revolution came on and the work
was forgotten. But recently the question
has been agitated anew, and Williams
may yet at least have some outward sign
TO mark his greatness and perpetuate
his name. During a period Of one
hundred and eighty-three years not
even "A rough stone has been set up to
mark the grave Of the founder of Rhode
Island, till the precise locality of his
grave had been almost forgotten, and
could only be ascertaned by the most
careful investigation Suffice it to say,
however the spot was found, and the
exhumation short time ago, though
there was little to exhume On scraping
off the turf from the surface of the
ground, the dim outlines of seven graves,
contained within less than one square
rod, revealed the burial ground of Roger
Williams. In colonial times each family
had its own burial ground, which was
usually near the family residence Three
of these seven graves were those of chill
dren, the remaining four were adults.
The easterly grave was identified as that
of Mr.. Williams. On digging down into
the "charnel house" it was found that
everything had passed into oblivion.
The ,hapes of the collins could only be
traced by dark line of the sides of the
coffins, with their ends distinctly de-
fined. The rusted remains Of the hinges
and nails, with few fragments of wood
and single round knot, was all that
could be gathered from his grave.' In
the grave of his wife there was not a
trace Of any thing save single lock of
braided hair, which had survived the
lapse of more than one hundred and
eighty years Near the grave stood a
venerable appletree, when and by whom
planted is not known. This tree had
sent two of IFS main roots into the
graves of Mr.. and Mrs. Williams. The
larger root had pushed its way through
the earth till it reached the precise spot
occupied by the skull of Roger Williams.
There, making a turn, as if going
round the skull, it followed the di-
rection of the backbone to the hip.
Here it divided into two branches,
sending one along each leg TO
the heel, where they both turned upward
ia the toes. One of these roots formed
slight crook at the knee, which makes
the whole bear very close resemblance
to human form This singular root is
preserved with great care, not only as an
illustration Of n great principle in vege-
tation, but for its great historic associa-
ton. There we're the graves, emptied of
every particle of human dust Not
trace Of anything was left 1t is known
to chemistry that all flesh and gelatinous
matter giving consistency to the bones
are resolved into carbonic acid gas, water
and air, while the solid lime dust usually
remains But in this case even the phos-
phate of lime Of the bones of both graves
was all gone There stood the guilty
apple tree" as was said ut the time,
caught in the very act of "robbing the
grave"
To explain the phenomenon is not the
design Of this article. Such an explana-
ton could be given. and many other
similar cases addueed. The organic
matter Of Roger Williams had been trans
miited into the apple tree; it hadpassed
into the woody fiber, and was capable Of
propelling steam engine; it had
bIoomed in the apple-blossoms, and had
became pleasant 10 the eye; and, more,
it had gone into the fruit from year to
year, so that the question might he asked,
''Who ate Roger Williams