The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-04-19

passed out of the vault the door Of
which was wide open. Down the church
ward path she went TO the street, along
which she walked for half q mile, until
she reached her late home. Fortunate
ly the large gate t. the park was unfas-
tened, and she hastened up the roadway
to the dwelling. The rest the reader
knows. She rapidly regained her
health. and lived to good old age.
But who was the woman who stood by
the side of the coffin when the corpse
suddenly rose and startled her into sud
den fiight2
Next day the lamp was found extin-
guished on the floor of the vault. 1t
was identified as one which usually stood
in the vestry, and was used by the sex
ton. It had doubtless been removed at
the same time when the key Of the vault
was taken. Beyond that all was mys-
terry.
The object of the woman, however,
was easily discovered. As already stat
ed. Mrs. Bell was buried with a valua-
BILE diamond ring on her finger. The de-
sign of the woman was to steal thisf
the supposed corpse. Finding itimpos-
sible to remove it, the darling thief had
raised the hand of the dead woman to her
mouth, and in her attempt to withdraw
the ring with her teeth caused the pang
which went through the frame of the evil
dent victim of trance, and aroused her
to consciousness. On the finger, just
below the ring, the marks of the teeth
were distinctly visible for several days
after Mrs. Bells resuscitation.
Every effort was made to keep this re-
markable circumstance secret from the
gossip of the neighborhood, neverthe-
less every exertion was used quietly to
ascertain who the robber of the tomb
was. The general impression was that
the garb of female was assumed as q
disguise, and that the depredator was in
reality a man, and probably profess.
ional body-snatcher.
1t was thought that the remarkable
circumstances attending Mrs. Bells sup
posed death had aroused the desire Of
some medical expert to possess the body
for the purpose of an autopsy, that he
had employed person to steal it, ano
that the body-snatcher, discovering the
valuable jewel, had resolved to gam pos
session of it for himself.
! Soon after this extraordinary occur
renee the vicar of the parish resigned
his living and removed his family to En-
gland. Several years passed away, and
the incidents herein recorded were al
most forgotten. Mrs. Bells father died
and Mr.. Bell and his family quilted Xii
mare, and took up the residence a
Toxteth, near Liverpool
| ct tnfu IN,
James Binnis was arrested for murder
and lodged in Lancaster Jail. He wal
tried, convicted, and sentenced to bt
hanged. Before the last sentence Of the
law was executed, he made confession
of many crimes, and among the rest o.
his exploits as q professional body
snatcher, in which business he had beer
engaged for many years. The following
facts are taken from his confession
In July, 1920, he was living in Bel
fast, having fed from England to escape
punishment for his offenses. He hac
done several small jobs in Belfast fol
the doctors, and on the night of July 20
in the year named, a well-known physi
clan of Belfast sent for him, and tolC
him that he had very delicate piece o.
|
lady of great beauty, and the wife o.
a rich proprietor, had just died of very
peculiar disease, and the doctor and hi
associates desired the body to investi
gate the cause of death. The doctor
paid him so much money down, and dis
patched him to Kilmare with such in
structions as were necessary.
He was to secure the corpse, and ,
coach would be ready at the churcbyar
gate in which there would be two assist
ants who would be ready to assist him a
given signal.
He went to Kilmare on the day of tn,
funeral, at which he was present. HI
examined the lock on the door of til,
vault, and was satisfied that he coulC
easily remove it. At midnight he Wen
to the churchyard armed with a wrench
pair of shears, and a picklock. FRS
satisfying himself that the coach was il
waiting, he entered the graveyard ant
proceeded to the vault.
The night was dark, and rain was fall
ing. Creeping up by the side of tn,
church, he approached the tomb of th,
Bell family. To his surprise he saw
that the door was open, and faint hgh
burning inside. Stealthily drawing
near, he glanced in. He saw the coffir
lying along the marble slab, and in from
of it woman was standing. A seconC
glance showed him that the woman val
at work trying to remove a ring from til,
finger of the dead. A sudden though
struck him, and slouching down h,
reached in at the door, and with hi
shears, which he had brought to rid tn,
corpse of its cumbersome shroud, he Gu
a piece from the skirt of the woman
dress and retired unobserved. As lie re
msined for an instant peering into til,
strange scene, to his horror and aston
ishment, he saw the corpse arise anC
raise the hand which the woman was ap
parently in the act of putting to he
mouth. The woman gave shrek
rushed through the door, and fed, leav
ing the lamp burning on the floor.
The body-snatcher guessed at once tn,
woman's design, and, impressed will
the conviction that she was person
above the ordinary rank, he resolved tC
follow and see where she went to. III,
had no difficulty in tracking the rapidly
retreating figure. 1t passed out of tn.
| churchyard at a small wicket on The