The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-12
THE HEAD OF OLIVER CROMWELL.

WHICH 1T PASsED-PRooFs OF ITS IDEN-
TITY-Irs PRESENT PossEssoR.
''Senex" writes to the London Times as
follows: Several imperfect statements hsv-
ing lately appeared on the above subject. let
me explain what became of the remains of
Cromwell. Partly from printed records,
and partly from what / heard from Mr..
Wilkinson, to whom some of the press have
alluded, Oliver Cromwell died at whitehall
Palace, on the Sd of September, 1858, after a
protrseted illness. He had been long suffer-
ing from sgue, and his case is cited in msdi-
cal books as one of a man who dIeo OF ague
while our warehouses were groaning with
Peruvian bark, which we did not know how
to use. During this illness he became so de-
pressed and debiitated that he would
allow no barber to come near him, and his
beard instead of being cut in certain FASH
ion grew all over his face. After bis death
the body lay in state at Somerset House,
having been cart fully embalmec. and was
sfterward buried with more than regal hon.
ors in Henry Wis chapel in Westminster
Abbey, where It lay until, after the Restora-
ton, It was taken out OF his grave, as were
also the bodies of Ireton (Cromweli's son-in-
law and Bradshaw, the latter the president
OF the high court OF justice, having pro-
nouDced sentence of death on Charles /.
10 tuIt6 DOOl6s were Iah00 IN carts 10 the
Red Liop, IL IJ!born, and on the 3Oth Of
January, the anniversary of King Charles
death, they were removed on sledges to Ty'
burn, were they were banged until sunset.
and then taken down and beheaded, their
bodies buried in deep pit under the gall
lows and their heads stuck up on The top of
Westminster Hall, where at that time senti-
nels walked. Ireton's head was i'm the mid
die, and Cromw wells and Bradshaw's ON
either side. Cromwell's head being EN-
bslmed. remained exposed TO the atmo-
sphere Tor twenty-five wears. and then one
stormy night it was blowu down, and picked
up by the sentry, who, hiding it under his
cloak, took IL home and secrtted II in the
chimney corner, and, as inquiries were be-
ing constantly made about IL by the govern
ment, it was on his death-bed that he re-
vealed
WHERE HE HAD HIDDEN II.
His family sold the head to one of the Cam
bridgeshire Russells, and in the same box
in which it still is it descended 20 a certain
Samuel Russell, who, being needy and care
less man, exhibited it In place near Clare
Market. There Il was seen by James Cox,
who then owned famous museum. He
tried in vain to buy the bead from Russell,
for poor as he was nothing would at first
tempt him TO part with the relic, but after a
time Cox assisted him with money, and
eventually, 10 Clear DlU1S6lI IIOul UeDb, No
made the head over to Cox. When Cox at
last parted with his museum be solo the
head of Cromwell for G230 to three men,
who bought it about the time of the French
Revolution to exhibit in Mead court, Bond
street, at half a crown q head. Curiously
enough, it happened that eech of
these three gentlemen died
sudden death, and the head came in
to possession of the three nieces of the last
man who died. These young ladies, ner-
vous at keeping it in the house, asked Mr..
Wilkinson, their medical man, 70 take care
it to him. For the next htteen'o twenty
years Mr.. Wilkinson was in the habit OF
showing it to all the distinguished men Of
that day, and the dead, much treasured yet
remains In his family. The circumstantial
evidence is very curious. II is the only
head in history which is known To have
been embalmed and afterward beheaded.
On the back of the neck, near the vertebrs,
is mark OF a cut of an axe where the exc
cutioner having, perhaps, no proper block,
had struck too high, and, laying the head in
its soft embalmed state on the block, Hat
tened the nose on one side, making il adhere
to the face. The hair grows promiscuously
about the face, and the beard, stained TO
exactly the same color by the em-
balming LIQUOR, is tucked up under the
chin, with the oaken staff of the
spear with which the head was stuck up on
Westminster Hall, which staff is perforated
by a worm that never attacks oak until it
has been for many years exposed to the
weather. The iron spearhead, where it pro-
trudes above the skull, is rusted away by
the action OF the atmosphere The jagged
way which The top OF the skull is removed
throws us back 10 a time when surgery was
in its infancy, while the embalmiug is so
beautifully done that the cellular process OF
the gums aud The membrane Cf the tongue
are still IN be seen. Several teeth are yet in
the moui ID The membrane of the eyelids re-
mains th9 pis-mater and tha dursmster,
thin membranes. which I believe lie ever
the brain, NAV &c seen cliugiDg to the in
ner and upper pant of the skull. The brain
was, of course. removed, tut
THE COMPARTMENTS
are very distinct. When the great scu lptor
Fisxman, went to see il. he said at once,
lyon will not mind nv expressing any dis
appointment may feel on seeing the head?|
Oh, MOI" said Mr.. Wilkinson, shut will
you tell me the characteristics by which
the head might be recogniZede" WELL"
replied Flexman, az know g great deal
about the configuration of the head of Oliver
Cromwell. de had a low broad forehead,
large orbits to the eyes, high sentum TO
the nose and high cheek bones, but there is
one feature which will be with me a crucial
test and that is that, instead of having the
lower jaw bone somewhat curved, 1t was
particularly short and straight, but set out
at az angle, which gave him jowlish sp-
pearance." The head exactly an
swered to the description, and
Flaxman went away expressing
himself as convinced and delighted. The
head has also a length from the fore
head to the back of the head that is quite ex-
traordinsry, and one day, before MIR. Wilkin-
son retired from practice, his assistant called
him into the surgery to point out to him
how exactly the shaver head OF the lad who
was there as a patient resembled the en-
bslmed htad of Cromwell up stairs, and
more particularly in the extreme length be-
tween the forehead and the ccciput. Mr..
Wilkinson mentioned the circumstance to
the gentleman who brought the lad to him.
"No wonder" said the gentleman, "for this
lad is direct descendant of Oliver Crom-