The crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1877-1878, 1877-12-27
A DESIGNATED GRAVE.
The work of Gh0uIs. who Were
Frightened from
Their Task.

Cleveland Leader
A horrible and lnhuman attempt at
dcspoiling the grave come to light in
East Cleveland Sunday afternoon, and
it is hoped that the perpetrators may he
caught and given the extreme penalty
of the law, which, unfortunately in this case
falls short ofhanging.
To 90 back TO the beginning, On
Friday night, at about II o'clock, Il
young man named O'COnnOr, with Il
younger brother was passing through
the old cemetery, opposite Lake View
when he suddenly heard the neigh OF
II horse. He stopped, when two men
jumped into buggy, and came driving
swiftly toward him. He pulled his broth.
or out of the way of the horse, and then
suspccting all was not right made II grab
at the back Of the buggy, hoping to com.
pei them to stop The men whipped their
horse up at rapid gait, and hid their heads
by a robe or blanket. As he hung on be
hind, one Of the men said TO the other,
"Drivc with all Of your might, or we'll he
caught"
They soon got away from Mr. O'Conncr
and disappeared in the darkness Not i'm.
agining that the men had succeeded in
doing anything, Mr.. O'COnner said nothing
Of the adventure.
Sunday afternoon man strolling through
the cemetery, came suddenly on horrible
sight He sawapiIc Ofnew made earth, and
standing upon it, aspade llcwent nearer,
and beyond the earth discovered the body
of an aged woman protruding from the
ground, sitting almost upright, and horri,
bly, manglCd about the mouth and arms.
1t seemed to have been there for some
time, as the slight snow that had fallen
had slled into the hair, and frozen upon
parts of the body, which was naked.
lIOrriticd beyond measure the man gave
the alarm 10 the sexton, who hurried TO
the spot, where he saw the dcsccratcd grave
was that OF Mrs. Thomas Williams, of
NIassillon, Il lady cightysiX years Of age,
who had died in Akron some days since,
and was brought here for burial by the
side of her daughter.
The sexton Immediately sent word to the
residence of Mrs. Morris, a niece of the de
ceased woman, at No. 1874 Euclid avenue.
Mrs. Morris son, Mr. =. p. Morris, immc-
diatcly ordered n carriage and hastcncd TO
the spot, determined 10 do all he could in
respect 10 the helpless dead which had
been so rulhlcssIy dcSccratcd. lie sent
word to the police, who were soon upon
the SPOT. and kept back the crowd which
had 50 soon collected. An examination
was made, and the conclusion arrived at
that the two men seen on Friday night had
opened the grave and dug down TO the cot
fin. They then sawed through the pine
box in which the coffin was enclosed,
smashed in the lid, aud inserted hook
in The mouth OF the corpse. They then
pulled on the rope which was attached To
the hook, and had drawn the body almost
out, when the dirt Cavcd in
about il, fixing it firmly in It's place. \
vigorous pull must have been given, and,
the hook breaking loose, tore out II portion
of the cheek, leaving an ugly wound. The
injuries to the arms were caused by draw
ing them through the opening in the lid.
The men were frightened away before be
ing able to make further attempt at cXtri-
cation.
The grave clothes which had been strip
ped from the body were found on the
ground, as also was the spade and a saw
II was also discovered that II ring which
had been worn by Mrs. Williams forty
years - her engagement ring - had been
stripped from her finger and carried off.
Mr.. Morris did all that could be done I'M
der the circumstances. He requested the
police 10 make every effort to discover the
perpetrators Of the crime and bring them
to usticc lie had the body taken up and
carried 10 the vault in Lake View Gene.
terry, where on yesterday morning it was
carefully washed and again clad in the ha.
bilimcnts of the grave ltwas then placed
in new coffin ordered by Mr.. Morris, and
left in the vault, where it will probably re
main until spring.
Mrs. Williams, rs has been stated, died
in Akron, and after her death Il post moI-
tenn examination was made when an ova-
ran tumor, weighing eighty pounds was
removed. II was also discovered that Il
like tumor although smaller in size had
formed on the other side of the body, and
that it was surrounded by II large number
of smaller tlmOrs. The latter was not re.
moved and this fact doubtless led some doc
tor, or collection of doctors, 10 set in mo-
ton means to secure specimen.
Mr.. Williams on Sunday was in the city,
the guest of Mrs, Morris, and proposed n
walk out to the cemetery 10 view the grave
of his wife. Something prevented, and it
was mcrciiul Providence that kept him
from coming suddenly upon the CHASTITY
sight that no man seeing could forget to
his dying day.