The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-03-07
81 should think so. But let us see

Guided by the noise, which had now
reached a symphonic volume, variety,
and continuity, we climbed narrow
stairway, land without knocking, entered
the room from which the sound pro
ceeded. / shall never forget the sight
and sound and smell which met my
senses at that moment.
The central object which attracted
my attention was a mahogany coffin,
which was placed upon two wooden
stands in the centre Of the room. This
evidently, as l had reason afterward to
know, encased the mortal. remains OF
the late Pat O'Shaughnesey. Two tai
low candles sputtcred and dripped from
the nozzles OF black bottles, which
tlanked either end of the coffin. On
its centre stood two other hotties, which
did not bear candles, while several par
TALLY filled or empty glasses and cups
supported the bottles in their unhappy
position. There was one or two small
tables in the room. These were COW
cred with jugs and bottles, while the
assemblage of heart stricken mourners
were holding fast to mugs and cups and
glasses, drinking therefrom now and
then with pathetic devotion. There
must have been twenty or more of
these people, men and women, crowded
into that small, filthy den. Some were
sitting; others standing; all drinking.
smoking, and bowling
''Whillew. Will il-il-lew! arrah he
wuz a brave lad, he wuz"' yelled a
brawney female near me. / at once
recognized her as the most successful
cotton-s -stealer on the wharf.
''Will yez tell me, now,' shouted a
coalheaver, as he staggered toward us
to give us welcome, ''did yez have a
betther wheeler on the place than Pat,
who's on his way to heaven, God bless
him. ss..
Our questioner tried to make the sign
of the cross as he finished his remark,
but his inebriated finger wandered
somewhat. Truth, however and the
evident objection of making any other
answer, compelled me to admit that at
was bully wheeler But my reply
was lost in the 'arrahs," the 'swhill- G.
ee-lews," prolonged for many seconds,
the groans, the yells, which burst forth
at the moment. -.... ..=
you'll take drink p demanded my
friend of the infiamed visage.
''Certainly and glad of the chance y
and / took the frey poisonland adroilty
threw it on the floor. ..,..-... 81
1--WE have made mistake to come
here | said to my friend in an under
tone. Let us keep together, and get
out as soon as possible. u
do you see that fellow in the cor
ner talking to the man with blue jack
ct %
Yes I replied; ''that is the man
who was sent to the House of Correc-
ton for stealing iron on the wharf
How is it he is out SO soon? We must
keep an eye on him.
BY this time Henry and / had gained
a place nelr the window, where we
could the better survey the scene, and
at the same time get a breath of air. A
strange sight it was, where the solemn
and the ridiculous, the grotesque and
the pathetic were strangely mingled
a picture for the pencil of Dore and
Gavarni combined. At the head of the
coffin sat the widow, her face buried in
her hands, while she rocked her body
to and fro in paroxysms of grief To
her, all thought and consciousness lay
within the four walls of that thin coffin.
She seemed to ask for no sympathy -
she received none from that beastlv,
drunken crowd surrounding her: Beat
ing theiai with their arms, crying to
the Holy Mother, shouting the PROV
ess of the dead man, boasting Of their
own, some were singing, others pray
ing, many cursing. Surely these were
demons, and not men and women.
Suddenly one of the group we had
when we first entered the
room jumped upon table and shonted
''It's sacrilege upon the Holy Church
to have id Proteatant at a Catho-
lie wake !" @
''That's TRUTH screamed another
"What are they here for? It's shame,
it is ~
'Oh, howled your dirthy jaw re-
marked one Of the gentlemen who had
asked us to the feast.
"Out wild the Protestant blackguard, -
came from the crowd in significant cho-
rus. f...t..E- ..-
"We'll say about that" was the res
ponse of our friends; and in an instant,
without further conversation, these
mourners were assaulting
each other right and left The bottles
flew in all directions; an earthen mug
laid open the cheek of my friend, I re
ceived an ugly blow on the head. Hen
~ was medium sized, compactly- built
man. He could strike an awful blow.
/ am of a rather big -toned, muscular
make, and we delayed as little as was
consistent with politeness in reaching
the door. In fact, we struck right and
left, not minding much who went down
The row was by this time really terrif-
fic the air was rent with howls, and
curses, and groans the women scream
ing at first, and then taking hand in
the fight In the melee over west the
coffin on the floor. Two or three of
the walkers, with pious intent, in the
midst of the whirllng to and fro, took
it in their arms and tried to replace it
upon the stand, but the crowd which
surged from one side to the other Gle
feated their purpose.
'Kill the Protestant baste!' yelled
our friend from the House of Correc-
tion,at the same time striking furiously
at me with the leg of a table. I caught
grasp.