The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-09
Young Man snstches the Dead BODY OF
his Inamorata.
From the Nashvill. Press and Times.

a From the Nashville Press and rimss-l - q. -
The strangest case OF thieving which was ever
heard OF took place in the adjoining county of
Cheatham few days ago. The narrative, as we
have heard 1t, is simply this A few miles from
Ashland, and not far from the Cumberland river
live family named White, who are in what is
there considered comfortable circumstances. On
Christmas Eve, young girl, some foaItssn years
Of age, died in the house after brief Illness She
was not long home from an educational institution
In Indiana. which she was forced to leave by
reason of unaccountabe indisposi ion. The house
OF the Whites is situated in a rather remote sec.
ton, so that the night following the decease of the
young lady there were no visitors to watch I'M
With the mourning 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 appeared to be more overcome
by grief than the parents Of the young lady.
When her eyes closed In death he was uncontrol-
able IN sorrow, and it was found necessary TO
bring him to different part Of the house and try
to cheer him up by doses of strong drink. 1t was
found exceedingly difficult TO induce HIM TO take
any liquor, and in order to encourage him, the
only brother of the deceased girl imbibed freely
himself Of the stimnants-so freely, In fact that
he was overcome, and fell into sound sleep
about nightfall, from which II was thought best
not TO awake him. The young girls mother had
been in very delicate health for some time past
and the children of the house were of too delicate
an age to sit up all night in . chamber Of death.
Hence. when the hours waxed late there were NO
watchers in the house but young Higgins and the
giirs father. Up to about twelve O'Clock the
young man seemed in semi-lethergic state and
was not at all communicative, but sat brooding
over his sorrow in the gloomiest possible manner.
Shortly after midnight there was a change per-
ceptible. He became laxative, suggested to the
old man the propriety of taking little stimuants,
and of shaking of some of hrs grief. By Judi
cious application of the bottle, and an exceed
ingy Ingenious way of recommending its benef.
cal qualities, he succeeded In setting the old man
ssleep-sent him into so sound q sleep that he did
not wake mp until between five aad six In the
morning. When he awoke be found young
Higgins occupying exactly the same posi-,
ton, rs he thought, that he did in the
early part Of the previous night; sitting
In corner with his bowed head resting on his
hands; but be observed that the young fellows
boots were muddy, and when spoken 70 he him.
self appeared weary, and even exhausted. He
easily accounted for these changes to people who
bad no object In making inquiries into them. The
coffin, whose lid had been screwed down the
night before, was all right Everything appeared
10 be gloomy, and sorrowfuy right. Not much
notice was taken of anything until the hour APP
prosched for the interment of the corpse, when
Higgins showed signs of great agitation, which
were considered the natural result OF his great
grief. The little funeral ARRANGEMENTS being
easily and quickly made, the coffin was carried to
its destined resting place by the three men, fol.
IS the melancholy cortege approached the grave,
Higgins, whether from exhaustion or trepidatIon,
shook 90 violently that be let go bis hola and the
CONN Tell 10 the ground. A rattllng, very
strange sharp noise inside of IL so astonished the
few mourners that their first impulse was TO fee;
but the stern and authoritative look OF the father
rveted every one to the spot. He felt con-
WINGED on the moment that something was wrong.
He Immediately dispatched his son into
the house for q turn screw; and then undoing
the lid he found in the coffin-not the dead form
Of his beloved child, but heap OF stones and
dirt. Higgins, though an athletic young fellow,
eighteen years old, sunk TO the ground In faint
ing &c. The CONSERVATION and confusion was
great. II was owing to the efforts of the old
lady that Higgins did not breathe his last for old
White felt that he had made way with the dead
body of his child. After some time, when young
Higgins was restored. he confessed to having set
the old man purposely drunk and then opened
the coffin and took Judith out and, mounting his
horse, rode four miles in the woods, where he
slowed away the body In little cave and covered
Il up With leaves and branches, and then coming
back filed her place In the coffin with stones and
earth and screwed on the lid again. His great
love for the girl, he alleged, could not let her go
from his sight forever; he thought he would keep
her TO look at few days longer. When the lapse
IF some time allowed the angry feelings Of the
I'D man to cool he looked upon the lover Of his
lear departed girl more in pity than In wrath.
The body was recovered and inferred with be-
coming dignity, and 1t was agreed to say nothing
# the affair." but let it die out The female heart.
lowever, could not keep such secret, and in
ew hours IL spread. and finally became the com.
nontslk of most Of the county.