Daily Republican., 1881-02-05
THIRD EDITION.
wAK OVER DEAD MEMS nOh 10
rhe DlMculiy with the FiFsI Pres
byaerian Oh uReh GrAVoy ard.


Trouble of a very serious nature has
risen In the First Presbyterian church
in consequence of the proposed i'm
proyements in the cemetery attached to
the chursh. The contemplated i'm
provemsuts have already been mention
ID In the REPUBLICAN,, as has also the
serious objection raised by portion OF
the congregation. Yesterday meeting
Of those who are dissatisfied was held,
but what action was taken is unknown
A local newspaper contains o state
ment from one Of those present at the
meeting, in which the pane OF the
party making it does not appear, bu,
rt nects very seriously upon some mem
bers of the church. The concluding
paragraph OF this article Is as follows
Instead of there being few buried
in ground exposed for sale, tina: strip
is literally honeyoombed with the
bones of the dead, unmarked by any
grave stone, and the mould there is
bat the dust OF at least 500 decomposed
bodies, 1t was the only part OF the
graveyard used In earlier times. These
people who are at the bottom Of all
this are carpet bsggers. They have no
sympathy with ms. The congregation
has bsen unnecessarily extravsgsnt,
and it has piled up debt Of ovet
$ll, 600, and it proposes to psy of ihls
debt by bartering away the dust OF tue
dead.
The article in the Nsws then gees on
to make charges which are shocking
if tue, aud grossly sIandsrous ii
false. The charges in question ars
embodied in the following:
AFTER this extremely severe Tc'
view of the article III question by this
gentleman, other Inquiries brought
forth more serious Tsh 'ctions, h
these are charges Of nisapplication OF
trust funds, and a oareles5nes5 IN con-
neotIcn with the disposition of skeIe-
tons disinterred some time ago, that "
| iuexousable. In the information Oh
tanned il the statement that thir cen
we're dug up in excsvasing the cellar
Of the new parsonage. These were
buried at She Tenth and Market street
corner of the graveyard. Beyond a
passing curto5ily, no one thought u
worth while to pay attention 10 these,
and 80 the skeletons we're neglected.
| Finally a large box Vas procured, and
in this they were heaped, not TeTerent-
iully or tendefly, but thrown in most
any way.
1t is said among these skeletons vas
body, which, although buried hrte
years or more, had boi fully decompos-
ed. They were left lying around uuul
finally they were carried UH by some
one aud taken TO the bone mill, and
supposed there 10 have been converted
, into fertilizer.
When tue addition to the church was
| built q short time ago il became a ques-
ton among some Of the members what
to do with the monument standing over
the grave of Captain Nenen, who was
lat one time one Of Wilmington e
wealthy citizens. Il was, however, tern
dogp, and, with the railing, lett lying
abouI the yard, until Mr. David Chsnd
Ter considerably stepped in and had
the slab put up against the wall Of tht
lohurCh. The floor Of the new building
Ras then built ever the grave"
a REPUBLICAN, reporter to-day called
upon q gentleman intimately connected
with the church this morning and re
Quested him TO make statement in re
gard to the difficulty.
"Tho intention OF the Trustees, ;
lsaid he, was 20 take up the graves OF
King street aui remove them higher NJ
IN the yard 10 the open spaOe OF
Narket street and the middle OF tn,
lyGri, and then TO level 8ni grade thr
ground and putt iu the most heauttu
condition possible, and then to sell tn
shallow lot on klrg street. From tn,
sale of this they expeCted to real 2
enough to pay for the improvements t.
the rest OF the ground and pay OF tn
church indebtedness. They got tn
permission Of the most OF those VIII
ad friends buried there to the IernO
val. They intended, Of course, to ex
erCIse the same care with remains IN
marked by toulb stones as WITH thos
shat we're properly marked.
The lot in question is used ty chill
dren as & play ground. In one oorue
is pile of ashes, ard in the other is
: well. The only bones found, as ! ur
) derstapd il, were near the pavement
: One was an unusually large one, an
vas thought to belong to one OF IL
British grenadisrs, who diei here 500
T after the battle Of BraUdywine. Tt
article published il this paper SPEAK
of lhiIteen skeletons which were found
l together with one body partly decca
pcsfd, buried there three years ago.
II is not likely that any one La
been buried here for many times thre
years. 1t also says these remains WEI
carried off TO tbs bone mill. This
slanderous and intended to DC An II
Jury TO the church.
"Wth reference TO Captain Vernem
remains let me cay thht il rs Rol a
uRrsual thing for churches to
. built over graves. In this case Il
A outside wall Of the new huildtng rUI
u at the head of the grave aid the NOR
\ meut stands right againS. the WALL