The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-02-18

t-s..nex II I.ondon Times. ]

nc remains OA 0IOuWciispntAiN hpu
printed records, and partly from what
heard from Mr.. Wilkinson, TO whom
,ome Of the press have alluded. Oh
yer Cromwell died at White Hall
Palace, on the 81 Of September, 1908,
after protracted illness. lie had
beca long suffering from agae, and
hi, case Is cited in medical books as
one of man who died OF ague while
our warehouses were grooming WITH
Peruvian bark, which he did not
know how to use. During this illness
he became 50 depressed and deblliia-
ted that he would allow no barber 10
come near him; and his beard, IN
stead Of being cut in certain lash
ION. grew all over his face. After his
death the body lay in state at Somer-
set House, having been carefully EN-.
balmed, and was afterward buried
with more than regal honors, IN Hen.
re- wills Chapel in Westminster
Abbey, where it lay until after the
Restoration. it was taken out OF his
grave. as were also the bodies OF Ire.
ton (Cromweli's son-in-law), and
Bradshaw; the latter as President OF
the High Court Of Justice, having
pronounced sentence of death on
Charles /. The three bodies were
taken in carts 10 the Red Lion, In
Holborn, and on the 3olh Of January,
the anniversary Of King Charles
death, they were removed on sledges
to Tvburn, where they were hanged
until sunset, and then taken down
and beheaded, their bodies buried
in . deep pit under the gallows, and
their heads stuck upon the top Of
Westminster Hall, where at that
time sentinels walked.
alretou's head was in the middle.
and Cromwell's and Bradshaws on
either side. Cromwell's head, being
embalmed, remained exposed to the
atmosphere for twenty-five years, and
then. one stormy night, it was blown
down, and picked up by the sentry
who. hiding it under his cloak, took II
home and secreted il ir the chimney
corner. ard, as inquiries were being
constantly made about it by the gov
eminent. it was only on his death
he'd that he revealed where he had
hidden il. His family sold the head
ID one Of the Cambridgeshire Rus-
sells. and, in the same box in which 1t
sun is, it descended to a certain
Samuel Russell, who, being needy
and careless man, exhibited it in a
place near Clare Market. There II
was seen by James Cox, who then
owned famous museum. lie tue'
in vain to buy the head from Russell
for. poor as he was, nothing would at
first tempt him to part with the relic,
but after q time Cox assisted him
with money, and, eventually, 10 clear
himself from the debt, he made the
head over to Cox. When Cox at
las, parted with his museum. he sold
the head of Cromwell for two hundred
and thirty pounds, to three men, who
bought it about the time OF the
French Revolution to exhibit IN Mead
Court, Bond street, at halt a crown a
head. Cautiously enough, it happen
ed that each OF these three gentlemen
died n sudden death. and and the
head came into the possession OF the
three nieces of the last man who died
These young ladies, nervous at keep.
ing it in the house, asked Mr.. Wiki
inson, their medical man, to take care
of it for them, and they subsequently
sold il TO him. For the next fifteen
or twenty years Mr. Wilkinson was
in the habit of showing it to all the
distinguished men Of that day, and
the head much treasured, yet remains
in his family.
The circumstaniial evidence is very
Curious. 1t is the only head in his.
tory which is known to have been
embalmed and afterward beheaded.
On the back OF his neck, near the
yertebrn, is the mark of the cut OF
an Ak, where the executioner, having,
perhaps, no proper block, had struck
too high, and, laying the head, in its
soft, cmhalmed state, on the block,
Hattened the nose on ore side, maxi
ing it adhere to the face. The hair
grows promiscuously about the face,
aud the beard, stained IT, exactly he
same color hy the embalming liquor.
is tucked up under the chin with the
oaken staff Of the spear with which
the head was stuck up ON Yves min
ser Hall, which staff is perforated y
worm that never attacks oak until
it has been for many years exposed
TO The weather.
The iron spear, head, where 1t pro-
trudcs above the skulls rusted away
by the action OF he atmosphere. The
Jagged way in which the top Of the
skull is removed throws us back to a
time when surgery was i'll its infancy.
while the embalming is so beautifully
done that the cellular process OF the
gums and the membrane oil the
tongue are still to be seen. Several
teeth are We, in the mouth; the mem
hrine of the eyelid remains: the pia-
matur aud the dura mater. thin mem
branes. which | believe lie over the
brain, may be seen c.ingjng to the
inner and upper part Of the skull
The brain was of course removed but
the compartments are very distinct.
When the great sculptor, Flaxman.
went to see it, he sad a: once. "Iou
will not mind my expressing any DIS
appointment may feel on seeing the
head?" "Oh, 80 said Wilkinson.
.but viii you tell me the Characters
ties by which the head nigh. be rec
o9nized:" "Well." replied FIaxman.
81 know great deal about the con-
fguration of the head of Oliver
Cromwell He had low, broad fore
head, large orbits to the eyes, high
septum to the nose, and high cheek
bones; but there is one feature which
will be with me crucial test. and
that is, that, instead Of having the
lower jawbone somewhat curved, ii
was particularly short and straight,
but set out at an angle, which gave
him jowlish appearance The
head exactly answered TO the des
cription, and Flaxman went away cx-
pressing himself as convinced and de-
lighted.
The head has also a length from
the forehead to the back of the head