Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-10-11
5Rliscellamg,
A Romantic Story and an Adroit
Swindle.

late date says:
Many of our citizens will remember
the sudden death of stranger at the
Keystone House some two years ago
The circumstances attending the death
were of such peculiar character that
they gave rise to much wonderment at
the time. The deceased had come to this
city in the capacity of an agent for the
sale of liquor, and in the interest of Gas
he alleged firm called Brooks & Co.
He met with great success while here,
and accumulated considerable sum of
money.
One day he WIS taken i'll, and in the
short space of week he was numbered
with the dead. About month previous
to his death he had bought a new suit of
broadcloth clothes, and had worn them
but once prior to his death. There be-
ing no relative to take charge of his body
or effects, Mr.. John b. Markley kindly
volunteered to take the matter in hand.
The body of the stranger was nicely laid
out, and upon his person was his new suit
of clothing, which afterwards was to act
in the capacity of an article of identif-
cation. The body was then placed in
Wentz' vault at the Lancaster cemetery,
for period of two months.
The trunk of the deceased was then
opened, and it was found to contain
deed for a large number of acres of land
in the State of Illinois, quantity of
samples of the articles he was selling,
valued altogether at one hundred dollars
and several letters addressed to Mr..
Brooks In the bottom of the trunk was
found tin sign with the name of A.
Wintercast upon it. Advertising was
then resorted to, but it was Of no avail,
and at last the body was taken from the
vault and buried in the strangers lot un
der the shade of a beautiful cedar tree
A short time after this Mr.. Markley
received letter from a man in Phila-
delphia calling himself Samuel Shober,
who among other things said that he was
well acqua nted with Mr. Wintercast,
and that he had wife in New Orleans,
and that he, Shober, would write to her
and let her know of the death of her
husband. He did SO, but instead of tell
ing the truth of the affair he informed
her that he, Shober, had seen her hus-
band die, had laid him out, and that the |
expenses so far had been 500, and that
she should please send him that amount
Immediately, that he was poor and need
ed it. Like true woman she immediate |
ly sent on the money with the request |
that the body of her dead husband should
be expressed to her. OF course this re-
quest was not fulfilled, nor was the mon
ey ever heard of until within a short
time back, when Mr. Markley concluded
to write to Mrs. Wintercast, he not hav-
ing heard from Shober since he received |
the first letter. Soon after writing Mr.. |
Markley received letter from the wild
ow Wintercast, shesaying that she would |
be on to Lancaster for the purpose of
taking The body of her husband to Ger
mantown and have it buried alongside of
that of his mother-a request which he
had made during his lifetime. Yester-
day morning she arrived in this city, and
in company with Mr.. Markley she visit
ed the cemetery, but the sexton was I'M
able to find the exact spot where the Boz
dy lay. Another visit was made this
morning. and the grave was pointed out
by the sexton, which was Immediately
recognized by Mr.. Markley.
A spade was procured and the body
was disinterred. When the coffin was
opened it was found that the nose, eyes
and most of the face had gone to decay.
A set Of false teeth were yet hanging to
the upper jaw, and the rest of the body
remained intact, and lay as straight as
the day it had been buried. The skin
upon the hands and neck had turned
black, but not the faintest smell emitted
from the coffin.
The widow was rather doubtful about
the body being that of her former hus-
band, and to satisfy her fears the tailor
who had made the clothes was sent for,
and he Immediately recognized pecu-
liar cut in them which set at rest all !
doubts. DIR. Z. Greenwald happened to
be in the vicinity, and at the request of
Mrs. Wintercast the solemn funeral SER
vice was gone through with as though
the body was just being buried. When !
the deceased was buried there was no r
service held, and when the widow was
informed of this fact she made the re.
quest that Rev. DIR. Greenwald should
perform the ceremony.
The body of the deceased, after la
ing in its narrow home for two wears.
was this morning taken to Germantown. 9
where it will be re-interred. Mrs. Win
.ercast has been living in New Orleans
for many years, and is quite wealthy.
DoN,T CoMPLAIN.-Said a yery old