The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-04-05

The Body snatehers seerst-The Eyste
rioIs Occupant CT the Tomb-The Corps
that Suddenly Rose into Life-ThI
Flight Through the churenyard ant
the Pursrit-Ths Figure On the Lawn
and the Midnight Summons.
| Within the memory of many now
living the resurrectiOnist or body
snatcher piled his disgusting trade
and had for his clients the mOst
learned and famous physicians and
surgeons of the day. Criminals exc
| cuted at the drop, and the unclaimed
dead of the hospitals had ceased to be
interesting subjects for the anatomists,
and with the refined taste of the cpl
cure they longed for the corpSes of the
| delicately nurtured and refined, and
were ready to run great risks and pay
| large prices to secure them.
Graves were ruthlessly robbed of
! their contents, and even the walled
tombs of the Opulent and high-bOrn
were raided on, and the newly-intrO-
| duced tenants removed to pass under
| the knife of the operator and the mi
| cToscope of the man of science.
Hundreds of stories are related of
the horrible deeds of the body-snatch-
REMARKABLE AND soUL-HARRoWJNG
than the one just about to be narra-
ted. The facts were given to the wri-
ter recently, and it is believed that
they are now published for the first
time.
In the town of Nilmare, i'll the
north of Ireland, resided many fami-
lies of distinction. The head of one
Of Do
tleman of twenty-five. He inherited
large estate from his uncle, and
soon afterward removed from his for
mer abode to take possession of the
family mansion in Kilmare. He mar
ried the only child of a wealthy East
India merchant, residing in Liver
pool, by whom he had two children,
In the fourth year of their welded
life Mrs. Bell was taken suddenly ill,
and expired the next day. The symp-
toms were of a peculiar nature, and
the limbs so increased in size immedi-
ately after death that magnificent
diamond ring of great value could not
be removed from the lady'S finger,
and was buried with her OF course,
this fact was well known to the in
habitants of Kilmare, as Mrs. Bell
was the wife of the most considerable
man thereabOut, and naturally there
fore, all concerning her was q matter
of conversation and rumOr.
The old church-yard of Kilmare
stood on the side of hill, and imme>
diately in the rear of the church and
adjoining the chancel was the tomb of
the Bell family. Here, in accordance
with immemOrial usage, the body of
the deceased lady was to repOse, and
there il was deposited on the third day
of her demise. After the ceremony
the key of the vault was put in its
usual place by the sexton in the Ves-
try of the church.
The day had been gloomy, ,9and as
night drew on a thin rain fell, which
increased at about midnight in
smart shower. Mr.. Bell, who was
about retiring, went to close an open
window, and as he did so fancied he
saw
\ WHITE FIGURE CROSSING THE LAWN
in front of the house. The next mo-
ment il disappeared, and, satisfying
himself that he was the subject of
delusion, he commenced to undress.
Suddenly the clear tones of the door
bell rang through the building. Mr.,
Bell paused, and moved toward the
door of the apartment and listened.-
In few seconds the sound again re-
Verberated through the house, and
Mr.. Bell opened the door and stepped
out into the corridor. At that mo-
ment as he glanced down the stair
way he saw the housekeeper moving
toward the front door. Thenhe heard
her set the small lamp she carried on
the table, and open the lock and bolts
of the massive door. Then
A DREADFUL AND PROLONGED SHREK
Followed, and at the same moment
Mr.. Bells butler ran along the hall to
the front door. Mr.. Bell had reached
the head of the stairs and was i'll the
act Of descending, when the butler
reached the spot where thehOusekeep~
er lay on the floor apparently in a
swoon. What was Mr.. Belps sur
prise TO see the butler raise his hands,
fix his gaze upon the door, and then
sink to the floor as though struck
dead.
Utterly bewildered and confounded,
Mr.. Bell hastened down stairs. The
sight that met his gaze when he
reached the center of the hall almost
froye his blood. There stood the fig
ure OF his wife in her grave clothes,
leaning against the pillar of the door,
with one hand thrown across her
breast. For a moment Mr.. Bell was
almost overcome. Then he remem-
bered the white figure which he saw
crossing the lawn IA fey seconds before
the bell rang, and another glance
showed him that the garments of the
figure before him were dripping with
rain.
Julia. my darling, my wifc?" Mr..
Bell exclaimed, and stepped toward
the figure.
1t made a movement toward him,
and the next instant it was
EMBODIED IN HIS ARMS.
The scene that ensued battles all de-
scription. ltwas indeed the wife, but
that day buried, who was restored to
the arms Of the bereaved husband and
al, Il,