The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-12-17

people at length having solved the
meaning of the awful words "post-mor-
tenn examination" had risen up in arms
and declared that no such desecration of
the dead should be allowed. Before
Toney Monaghan became a land agent
he had been one of themselves, and
though he had been little hard upon
them of late, there wasn't one man
among them but would raise his voice
against having the poor boys body cut
up like beasts. The consequence wa
. riot. The police were overpowered,
the doctors sent packing, the inn taken
by storm. For two nights the body
lay in state, being walked by wild COM
rades. at the end of that time the au-
thorities, only too eager to bring mat
ters to peaceful issue, allowed it lo be
quietly buried. AS the grave closed
above it, popular excitement seemed to
die away.
But if the people were satisfied the
authorities were not. Everybody be-
lieved that a murder had been COM
mitted, and that the subsequent riot
was only an effort to prevent the dis
covery of the murderer. No sooner,
| therefore, was the unfortunate man
| buried than the doctors received an
order authorizing them to exhume the
body and make post-mortem examina.
tion in secret. One night, two nights
aftes the funeral, they set out on their
mission with hopeful hearts. 1t was
bitter winter weather. The night was
black dark, the ground was frozen hard
and thickly covered with snow. Max
ing straight for the graveyard, the doc
tors employed themselves in opening UP
the grave. For several hours they
worked with pickaxe and spade; at last
they came upon the coffin, raised it W
and opened the lid.
1t was empty! ..s ... s-..s
AT this piece of audacity on the par
of some persons unknown, everybody
was more amazed than ever, and agair
came the conviction, stronger than be
fore, that murder had been done. Blu
try as they would, they could discove
nothing The whole county was thrown
into tumult, and popular excitenen
was at it's height when 7 unwittingl.
solved the terrible secret by finding th
body in the bog.
Having sworn Shawn to secrecy, | as
sisted him to re-enter the box, ant
forthwith sent word of the discovery t,
the magistrate. The box was at one
removed, and the post-mortem examina
ton concluded and the discovery mad
that the unfortunate man had died o
heart disease. Again everybody wa
amazed. an this time the wonder va
mixed with shame. After the examina
tion was made the coroner's inquiry wa
hurried over, and once more. in solemn
pomp and with ali the rites of tn
church, the agent was laid in his grave
Amidst the solemn concourse whicl
attended this second funeral, I notice
the wild wan face which had haunte
me ever since that day when 1 had see
it by the frozen window of the ninth
face ofthe very man whom. in my ow
mind, / had accused of murder! Fo
a moment / hung back, ashamed, the
boldly walked forward and pressed
bank note into the poor creatures hand
He looked from it to me in dazed amaze
ment, then the sight of one of his ragge
children seemed to make him realiz
what the money would do. He clutche
It closer, and with one last look dow
the open grave, he crept across the bog
toward his home.
By whose hand the corpse was cor
veyed from the church. yard to the bo
was never discovered. 1t was general
believed, however, that news of th
intended examinationrhad been wEis
pered abroad, and that the agent was ex
humed and hidden solely with view
preventing his body from being "cu
up. ."-Ha7per's Weekly.