Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-09-18
uncloudrd light of the nineteenth century VIC
ask "can such things be- and
us CIVILIZATION A FAILUREY'


ask, "can such things be- and
"Is CIVILIZATION A FAtLURE2'
On Tuesday evening the grave of Samuel
Bowes was opened but the body had been re-
moved. The work was undertaken at the in
stance of Col. L. b. Whitney, the detective who
has been investigating the charges against Be;
for several months and to whose efforts the
Government is indebted for their being brough
TO light.
Late Monday evening he arrived at Mount
Vernon, having been accompanied from Sweet
water by Mcssrs. Heiskell and Tabor, but it was
too late to do anything that night.
The inquest held on the burnt remains found
in the woods having been held in an irregular
manner, and the jury of inquest being selected
by Esquire Reagan, 1t was not considered ad-
visable to let the matter rest. and accordingly
by the advice Of prominent gentlemen, Or.
James Upton was appointed coroner, who Sc
lccted the following additional
JURY or INQUEST
j. G. Montgomery, Edward Clark Col z. S.
Isbell, j X. Gaines, VIM. Smith, Jeremiah
Boyd, and DIR. w. Bicknell, who on Tuesday
resolved TO open sthe grave and remove all
doubts on the subject. Winfield Boyd was
present when this conclusion was reached and
after pointing out the grave requested them to
wait until he could send the mother of Bowles
over from old Mr. Boyd's. Ii was not deemed ad
visable to wait, however, and the work deepening
the grave commenced. Winfield Boyd remain
ing absent longer than necessary, he was sent
for and brought back to the grave.
The work was very disagrecable and the odor
SO offensive that Col. W. and many others were
satisfied that the body was yet there, but it was
persevered in until the boards were reached
covering the coffin, which were removed and
the lid Of the box enclosing the coffin found TO
be loose.
On this fact being made known bystander
who was present remarked that the grave had
been tempered with, for he was present at the
funeral and saw the lid securely fastened. This
created a futter and none were then surprised
when the coffin was
OPENED AND FOUND EMPTY.
On seeing this, Winfield Boyd remarked
"This is either n Yankee trick or Tom. Boyd
! trick" and being asked what he meant replied
! that he "meant exactly what he said-that the
sum of $4,000 was involved and that either
a Yankee or Boyd would exhume body for
that amount.
The grave of the suppostious Thos. G. Boyd.
containing the cbarred body was then opened
and submitted to the examination ofDrs. Bick-
! nell and Upton, who unhesitatingly pronounc-
ed the remains to be those of negro, which no
one of reasonable intelligence now doubts
RETRosPEcTIoN.
Samuel Bowes, whose death occurred on the
| 23d inst, ms stated in n previous issue, was i'll
| for some time previous and n few days before
he died was getting better and the physicians in
attendance particularly cautioned those IN whose
care he was to see that he did not eat too much.
! These instructions were followed, hut during
their absence he went into the cupboard and
ate heartily and drank large quantity OF out
| termilk He was Immediately taken with n re-
lapse and shortly afterwards dled having SUIT
fered great deal during ms last hours
Bowles mother lhtehdea 10 pury MN AT
Sweetwater, notwithstahulhR mos, "; ,poyu
desired That ne should DC taken 10 EIeazar
Church, not beng able ms she saio 10 incur the
expense OF transporting the BODY that distance,
but was overruled by boyo, VINO lou her tnat
he and others would see 10 that. ne theh WEN
out ana procured quahtlly vi ch"rco" u
which
lhh hop was
and it was taken from Sweetwater Mt three
' oiclock on Sunday morning and buried befor,
80 IS ,hot do,-
nom vi tn"t u"S -, - IL: :; AZ :. zo
, whether boyd hau any uesIgn IN thls Is no
for us TO say, putt Lus wholc aiIh,r Mns
out detalls were GerIh,y 10, . neB'e''eu '"ousi
4 they lalieu III thc'r ooJeo" W'
Inc best laid plans oi mice anu men VI: gang "eieo
! A number of buttons were found in the ashe
1 where the corpse was burned, anu on peint
} asked what klnd OF buttons were on ner nus
bands pantaloons' ME- boya oescrioed mem
saying some had patent lastehhgs, "hiie o'ner
= were the ordinary Klnd'
From this 1t supposed that PAIR ot ms ol'
< pants were burned IN order To make the descrlp
o ton of the buttons play the part IN substantial
= ing the dread catastrophe In TINS analr Is re
: peated circumstance that TOOK pace seVera
. years before the war IN Hamilton county, u
q which former member OF the Legislature, VIII
n was also a claim agent, sustained the rote tina
! Boyd now does, as Is known TO many cluZens @
n East Tennessee
h BoYD's ESCAPE.
: On Friday night three men rode rapidly pas
n | AZ rasidnnce of Powell Williams who lives OF