The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-14
Miscellany



4 YOUNG MAN STEALS TIE DEAD BODY OF
HIS SWEETHEART.
A Kentucky paper relates the following,
which is certainly the strongest case of THEY
ing we ever heard Of: i
few miles from Ashland, not far from the
Cumberland river, live family named White,
who are IN What is there considered comfort
able circumstances. On Christmas eve a
young girl, some fourteen years old, died in
the house after brief illness. The house OF
the Whites is situated in rather remote sec
ton, so that the night following the decease
Of the young lady there were NJ visitors to
watch up with the mourntul family, save one
"a young gentleman named Higgins, who
had come on horseback in the early part OF
the day to visit the sick girl. He had visited
her before. He found her sinking. and APP
peared to be more overcome by GRIEF than the
parents OF the young lady. When night
came, most of the family retired. the only
watchers being young Higgins and the girls
father Up to about II O'Clock, the young
man seemed to be in semi-letharSlc state,
and Was not al all communicative, but sat
broudLg over his sorrow in the gloomiest
pos sibe manner. Shortly after midnight lie
became laxative, suggested to the old man
the propriety of taking little s.imuant, and
of shaking off some OF his grief. By Judi
ClOuS appICdLiOH vi buC uUGlIe ne SucCpeuCu
in getting the Old man aSleep-sent him info
so sound sleep that he did not wake up
until morning. When be awoke he found
young Hi gins occupying the same position
as in the early part OF the previous night !;
sitting in corner with his bowed head rest
ing on his hands; but be observed that the
young fellows boots were mu dy, and when
spoken to he himself appeared weary, and
even exhausted. He easily accounted for
these changes to people who had no object in
making inquiries into them. The coffin,
whose lid had been screwed down the night
before, was all right.
Not much notice was taken of anything
until the hour approached for the nterment
OF the corpse, wnen Higgins showed signs Of
great agitation, which were considered the
natural result of his great grief. The little
funeral arrangements being easily and quick
" made, the coffin was carried to its destined
testing place by three men. followed by the
mother and little children, but as the melan-
choly corteee approached the grave, Higgins,
whether from exhaustion or trepidation.
shook so violently that be let go his hold and
the coffin tell to the ground. Arattling, d
very strange, sharp sound inside oil it so as
tonished the few mourneis that their first
impu Sc was to flee; but tee father sterCly
called them back, and sending for a screw
driver, he opened the lid, and found in the
comn-not The dead lorm OF his child, but a
heap OF stones and dirt. Higgins, though an
athletic young fellow, sank to The ground in
Iainting fit. The CONSERVATION and contu-
SION was great H $3.50 49l#tJ
After some lime, when young Higgins was
restored, he confessed to have set the old
man purposey drunk, and then OPP. ned the
coffin, took judith out, and mounting his
horse, rode four miles n the woods, where he
slowed away the body in littlecav and COW
cred it up with leaves and branches, and
then coming back filled her place in the coffin
with stones and earth, and screwed on the
lid again. His great love for the girl, be al
legged, could not let her go away from his
sig hit forever; be thought he would keep her
to look at lew days longer. When the
lapse of some time allowed the angry feeling
OF the old man to cool, he looked upon the
loser OF his dear departed girl more in pity
than in wrath.
The body was recovered and inferred with
becoming dignity. ..--...