The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-05-22
posT-MoRTEM FRANKS.

PosT-MoRTEM FRANKS.
Do the Passions that sway Emotional
Nature in This Life Retain Their
Hold on Us After Death-CrriOus
Phenomena in Vault in the Island
OF barbados.
Cincinnati Gazette
A recent number Of the itantie Non hiy
contains an account OF some post-mortem
Disturbances observed in vault at II
Hall, Lincolnshire, England.
This narrative-almost incredible from
the nature OF the statements made therein
belongs to that class OF testimony which, il
accepted at all by those who are yet on this
side OF that mysterious 'bourn from which
no traveller returns" is regarded as per-
tanning to the supernatural-loo far above
mortal ken for calculation in this iife-or
else il received as true, more 10 difference
TO the known probity Of the narrator, than
to any personal belief entertained by men
in general as to the possibility Of such oc-
cUrrence.
In cases like the ore cited above, and
,ha at which will be presently recited, no sat
isfactory explanation, scientific or other
wise, has ever been given 10 the world
but still the fact remains that such disturb
ances have really taken place IN vaults and
churchyards in various places and at dlf-
ferent times, whose phenomena have been
carefully inquired into and too we'll attest
ed to permit their rejection by Intelligent
minds, or their fippant condemnation as
d" myths because they are inexpiicable by
the scientists Of our day and generation.
The kev. Joseph Cook, in one OF his ear
lier lectures in fremont Temple, Boston,
asserted the tendency of character TO final
permapence this, | opine, means that a
man persistently following the bent OF his
passions and propensities in any given di-
reciiou in this life, establishes those traits
of character here whose lead he must follow
eternsllv and by which he must OF neces-
sity be ruled in all the hereafter. This
doctrine certainly accords with Bible teach
ings, and in il thoughtful minds may dis
cover everlasting bliss and everlasting mis-
ery, a sell made heaven for the righteous,
where good desires In this life will find fuH-
est fruition In the neXt-a sef-made hell
for the wicked, terrible enough TO satisfy
the most rigid exaction in the matter OF
punishment of even John Calvin himself.
= Ii We embrace the faith OF ghost seers,
and believe that the spirits OF those who
once inhabited our planets are permitted to
il fluence earthly affairs In such way as
to bring ato1t Whist are termed super
natural results, and accept in conjunction
with this belief Mr.. Cooks theory Of our
passions in this world dominating Us in
that which ia to come, We could probably
fad sufficient explanation OF the mysterl-
ous circumstance that follows, and which
occurred in the early part OF the present
century.
THE STORY OF A VAULT.
The two families of Mr.. c. and Mr.
s.. residing on the Islsnd Of Barbados,
West Iudies, we're neighbors, and friends Of
long standing until some disagreement
the nature Of which the writer has forgot
ten-arose between their respective heads,
and which eventually led 10 their entire
estrangement. The feud was maintained
with considerable acrimony by both the
chief disputsuts, and was nourished by uu-
n a
one to the other on every occasion offered
for display of their mutual antipathy.
G. in particular, hated his opponent So
feryently, and evinced so.mucb. bitterness OF
spirit toward him, that ). was often heard
TO say: Il don't believe / should rest
quietly in my grave, if c. was near
By and could prevent il" They owned
a burial place in common, a large vault In
Christ Church Parish Cemetery, built while
they we're yet friends, and where the re-
mains of several members Of the two fami-
lies we're Deposited, most OF the cotbns being
incased in lead, as was the custom OF the
time among the wealthy. Mr.. ). went
"the way OF all the earth" some years be-
fore c., and his body was placed in this
vault. Between this time aud that when
c. was gathered unto his fathers the
vault had been opened three or four times
and its interior always presented the came
ord rly arrangement in which 1t had been
last left but mark. at the FIRST funeral
that followed C's, when the vault was
opened, an extraordinary spectacle was
presented to the view of the workmen and
others who were attracted by their reports
concerning it, The collins, that had lain
in the regular order in which they had
originally been placed for so many years,
were found in dire confusion, sll were re-
moved from their places, some on their
sides, some crossing each other, and those
of c and S. standing on their feet snd fac
ing each other from opposite corners OF the
vault, Ii was soon remored that noises
had been heard proceeding from the tomb
BY belated wayfirers IN the vicinity OF the
churchyard, but, as this was only first
mentioned after the chaotic state Of things
inside the vault was exposed, it may be
dismissed as being an effect OF the imagins-
ton; at least, it wss regarded at the time
as lacking that authenticity which actual
Observance gave to the phenomenon.
To account for this, II wss at fret sug-
gesied that the action of water might have
displaced the coffin; but the vault was
quite dry, and showed no evidence OF hav-
ing contained water, even if We admit the
that leaden collins could have
been fl 0ated from their positions; then an
was supposed, but a cDnvuls;on
of nature of this kind. and of a force suf-
fcient to have produced the confusion OBJ
servable in the vault, would probably have
laid the island in ruins, and no shock,
slight or severe, was remembered to have
been felt for some year,; besides which the
effects OF either this agency or that OF water
would have been apparent in other vaults
that mad been opened subsequent to Mr..
C's death, bu. in which no such. displsce-
ment had occurred.
THE SECOND DISTURBANCE.
The cofins were resrranged in their prop
pr order the funeral rites OF the tepaut-to-
be of the vault duly completed, and 1t was
once more securely closed. On the next oc-
casion, not long delayed, when the vault
was opened the cofhns presented similar
appearance of disorder 10 that Just noticed |
as though their defunct inmates had been |
indulging in q - lively" rough and tumble |
exercise Of some sort or the other, and had |
hrow0 together, regardless of consequence,
he leaden receptac!es of their bones, one
ltop of another, crossing, slsntwise, and
mingled together, but the
,offins Of both c. and S. were again found
IN their feet, fronting each other, and
tandipg like grim sentinels over the con-
usion which many persons did not now
cripple TO assert they had in some way pro-
luced
TIE mysterious circumstance wss soon
ridely known, aud the Governor of the
slsnd at that time, Sir George Beckwith,
rearing of il, directed the vault to be kept 1
pen until he could virit it in person. In
be meantime the churchyard vas throneed,
md the singular disarraneement Of the cot-
in was sen by hundreds Of those Who .