Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-08-01

49, "cAA" ~ Aoouy ga o>slSG I'LL a. O
given signal. He went to Kilmare. on
the dsylof the funeral, at which he was
present. He examined the lock on the
door Of the vault, and WAS satisfied that
he could easily remove 1t. At midnight
he went to the churchyard armed with a
wrench, pair of shears, and picklock
First satisfying himself that the coach
was in waiting, he entered the graveyard
and proceeded to the vault. The night
was dark and the rain was falling.
Creeping up by the side Of the church, he
approached the tomb of the Bell family.
To his surprise he saw. that the door
was opened and 4 faint light burning in
side. Stealthily drawing near he glanced
in. He saw the coffin living along the
marble slab, and in front of it woman
was standing. Ascend glance told him
that the woman was at work trying to re-
move a ring. frem the finger of the dead.
A sudden thought struck him, and SLOUGH
ing do IN, he reached in at the donr and
with bis, shears, which he had brought to
rid the corpse of its cumbersome shroud,
he cut a piece from the skirt of the wo-
mans dress and, retired unobserved. As
he remained for an instant peering into
the strange scene, to his horror and as
tonishment he saw the corpse arise and
raise the hand which the woman was ap-
parently in the act Of putting TO- her
mouth. The woman gave shrek, rushe l
through the door aud fled, leaving the
lamp burning on the floor. The body
snatcher guessed at once the woman 3 de-.
sign and, impressed with the conviction
that she was q person above the ordinary
rank, he resolved to follow and see where
she went to. He had no difficulty in trac-
ing the -apidly-retreating figure. It
passed out Of the churchyard at small
wicket on the north side of the church
and entered the parsonage. Satisti, 4 that
he possessed an important secret, out of
which be could make monev, he returned
to the vault. The light was still burning
and he signaled the men in waiting.
They were soon on the spot, but on enter
ing the vault they discovered TO their
utter amazement, that the coffin was
empty The bod y-snatchtr kept his Sc
cret, and the mysterious disappearance of
the body was matter OF .unmixed sur
prise. Distinguishing the lamp, the men
quit the churchyard, the body-snateher
returning to his quarters at small inn,
and the assistant going back to Belfast in
the carriage" :.s.
The next morning the news of Mrs
Bells restoration to life was abroad in, the
town. The bodJ-snatcher fingered in the
neighborhood until he ascertained that
the clergyman had quittede HON for a
friends house. Then he called at the
parsonage and asked for the lady of the
house. 1t was with some difficulty that
he obtained an interview, as the domes-
tics informed him that the lady was in
Opposed and confined to her room. my
business" he said, is of very great i'm
portance, and it is absolutely necessary
that I should see her." After the lapse
of half an hour middle-aged, handsome,
stately lady entered the parlor, and gaz
ing with considerable dignity at her WIS.,
itor, said: "What is your business with
NE, sir?'
"Let me shut the door ma'am." he
said, and quickly stepping behind the
lady, closed the door. II think we have
met before, ma am" he said in firm
but respectful tone.
''Sir," the lady exclaimed, in offended
accents.
= II am sure that we have met before,
ma'am," the man said.
;You are mistaken, sir" the lady re-
piled, "utterly mistaken, sir; you will
oblige me by quitting the house immedi-
ately." ~ ,il ii Il
"You, forget last night, ma'am, in the
vault" the man said in allow tone.
The cheek of the lady evidently
blanched, and she gave a gasp for breath.
Instantly recovering herself, she said:
II don't understand you, sir. You are
laboring Under a mistake.' E,:.s
"Well I ma be,'' the man replied
''that's fact; but my impression was
that l saw you last night in the vault
when you were trying to remove the ring
from the finger of what you supposed to
be a corpse
But the lady had sunk into chair, and
was deadly pale: By powerful effort
she overcome her momentary weakness,
and, said in strong tones: II don't know
sir, what you speak Ct. You are either
laboring under mistake or you are q
lunatic.' - .
"Do you happen to have dress like
this, ma'am2"' the man asked, drawing
from his pocket the piec which he had
cut from the dress of the occupant of The
vault the night before s..!..
The lady's lips grew white and dry
She tried to speak, but her tongue Glove
to the roof of her mouth. and utterance
was impossible. i
II am reasonable, madam" the man
said; know your secret, but will keep
it if you will make it worth my, while.
elbow much doyou require2" the lady
asked, acquiring the power of speech by
a great effort. '"' -~t."'
''Twenty pounds down will satisfy me
for the present. the man said, "and more
another time when I need it." ...xil -.
The money was paid, and within a
month the man returned and demanded
more. The lady evidently revealed the
story of her. disgrace, and crime to hel
husband, for he paid the money, and
SOON after resigned his living and. retired q
to England. . . = = = 80 . : = y (.
This part of the condemned man 5 con,
fession was made known to Mr.. Bell. All
the parties to this strange tran sactlon are
not, yet dead, and hence the names here
are fictitious. The writer's informant
however, vouched for the truth of the
story, and there is no reason to doubt his
verat.ifv .IIAEelfH!I {TakTkz&t iEEi H 'i'
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