The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1869-01-07
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Nashville t1enn.) Press and Times, pee o.
The stranpest case of thieving which We
ever heard Of took place in the adjoining
county Of Cheatham few days Ago. Inc
narrative, as we have heard IT. 70 Simply .his:
A few miles from Ashland, and not lar rom
the Cumberland River, live family named
White. who are in what Il there called com
Portable, circumstances. On christmas eve
Young girl, some ioufte years old, died
"a the house, after bxief Illness. She was
moi long b, me from an educational institute
n Indiana, which she was forced to leave By
reason of an unaccountable indispusi,ion. The
house Of the Whites Is situated in rather q
remote section. so that the night following
The deceased the young lady, there were
no visitors 10 watch up with the mourning
family, save ora young gentleman named
Higgins, who lad 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 grf than the parents Of the young lady.
When her eyes closed in death he was I'M
comfortable in his sorrow, and twas found
necessary to bring him to different part OF
the house and try to cheer him up by doses
Of strong drink IL 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 stirnuIants-so freely, in fact,
that he was overcome, and fell into sound
sleep about nigtfall, from which it was
thought best not to wake 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
ell night In the chamber Of death. Hence,
when the hours waxed late there we're no
watchers in the house but young Higgins and
the girls father. Up to about IL o. clock the
young man seemed in em-lethargic state,
and was not at all communicative, but sat
broodiGg over his sorrow IN the gloomiest
possible manner. Shortly after midnight
there was change perceptlble lie became
laxative, suggested to the old man the pro>
priety of taking q little stimulant. and Of
shaking off some Of his grief. Byaj sdicious
application Of the bottle, and an exceedingly
ingenious way of recommending its benef
cial qualities, he succeed in setting the old
man a sleep-sent him into SO sonnd sleep
that be did not wake up until between 1--WE
and SIX in the morning. When he woke he
found young Higgins occupying exactly the
same position, as he thought, that he did In
the earlier part of the previous night, sitting
in a corner with his bowed head resting on
his hands; but he observed that the young
fellows boots were muddy, and when spoken
to he himself appeared weary, and even ex-
hausted But he accounted for these changes
to people who had no object in making in
quiries into them. The colin, whose lid had
been screwed down the night before, was all
right Everything appeared to be gloomy
and sorrowfully right. Not much notice was
taken Of anything until the hour approaced
for the inferment Of the corpse, when Hig
ging 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 cofiin was
carried to its destined resting place by the
three men, followed BY the mother, and the
little children, but rs the melancholy cortege
approached the grave Higgins, whether from
or trepidston, shook SO violently
that he let 60 his hold and the coffin fell to
the ground. A rafting, very strange, sharp
noise inside OF it so astonished the mourners
hat their first impulse was to flee but the
stern and authoritative look Of the father
rivited every one to the spot. He felt con-
vinced on the moment that something was
wrong. He Immediately dispatced his son
into the house for turn screw and then
undoing the lid he found in the coGn-not
the dead form Of his beloved child. but heap
of stones and dirt Higgins though an ath>
letic young fellow, eighteen years old, sunk
to the ground in q fanling fit. The conster-
nation and confusion was great Ii was
D ring to the efforts Of the old lady that Hig-
gins did not breathe his last, for old
White felt that he had made away
With the body OF his child. After
sometime, when young Higgins WAS restored,
ne confessed to having set the old man pur-
oosely drunk, and then opened the coffin and
ook Judith out; and, mounting his horse,
rode four miles in the woods, where he stow
ed away the bodyin little cave, and covered
i up with leaves and branches, and then
coming back, filled her place in the coffin
again. His great love for the girl, he al
legged, could not let her go away from his
sight forever; he thought he would keep her
10 look. at few days longer. When the
apse Of some time allowed the angry feel
ngs Of the old man 10 cool be looked upon
he lover Of his dear departed girl more in
pity than in wrath.
The body was recovered and inferred with
becoming dignity aud it was agreed to say
nothing Of the affair. but let it die out. The
female heart. however, could not keep sdch
a secret, and in few hours it spread, and
finally became the common talk OF most OF
The country