Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1882-07-06
Selected Sfory.
The Decoration of Tolnbs.


slave found guilty Of disturbing a
body after interment, was put to
death, while the act, if perpetrsted
by free man, entailed the con6sca I.
tion Of a moiety Of his possessions.
Constantine decreed that woman
might obtain divorce from her bus
band ifshe could show that he had
disturbed grave, and at one time in
England it was deemed unlawful to
open grave for a second person, ok
cept for husband or wife, The
tomb of Edward l., when opened,
disclosed "the King, dressed in his
robes with a coronet on his head, y
which statement may be accepted as
proof that it had remained inviolate
up to tho period when it was disturbed
under official sanction. When the
Calvinists, more than three centuries
ago, broke open the tomb Of Matilda
Queen of the Conquerer, "they stole a
ring off her finger" In the reign Of
the second James the remains Of Ed
ward the Confessor were exposed to
view in Westminster Abbey. and while
Winchester Cathedral was undergoing
repair toward the close Of the last
century, Canute's tomb was opened.
The ashes Of Sebert, King Of the East
Angles, were brought to light in the
reign o: Henry ILL.,, and the grave Of
Rufus was disturbed with the knowl.
edge if not under the sanction, Of the
merry monarch. George w. called
upon Sir Henry Halford to examine
the body in the coffin placed in the
royal vault un 1er St. Georges Chapel,
and supposed to be that Of Charles |.
A bone Of the neck belonging to the
vertabrR being found severed as bv
an axe, confirmed the common balief.
At the same tine the remains OF Hen.
ry VIII. were exposed; but delicacy
OF feeling-if such words may be used
in connection with proceedings Of the
kind it is said, prevented the inves-
tigators from violating the repose Of
Queen Jane Sey mour's ashes, deposited
in the same place.
The tomb Of Queen Catharine, who
was unfortunate enough to become
the widow of "blnf King Hal" and
who subsequently, marrying Lord Sey-
nour, died at sudelsy and WAS buried
there, ia said to have been violated
Eve times. On four occasions a local
authority, whose testimony has been
supported by inhabitants Of Winchomb
within the past forty years. says: 1.-THE
remains were exhumed by band OF
bacchanalians, at which time the out
RACES were so disgraceful that veil
must be drawn over them" These
shocking scenes were enacted at the
close Of the last century. This next
time the tomb was opened on the plea
Of antiquarian research. To the credit
Of the present owner Of Sudeley Castle,
the ancient chapel has been restored
to more than its early magnihcence
and the Queen now reposes beneath a
splendid memorial tomb. 1t is on rec
ord that the bodies OF the fret Henry
and Richard Ceur de Lion were dis
mem osred and portions buried in diff.
erent places; and it is notorious that
skulls Of eminent persons have been
removed from their cofins and casts
taken of them. William Hewitt, re.
ferring to the case Of Pope, says that
his skull, taken from the vault in
Twickenham Church, "is in the prl-
vate collection of phrenologist, and
that Fifty pounds were paid to man.
age and carry through the transac'
ton Mrs. Lushington, in her once
popular narrative, calls attention to
the fact that 1.-The mountains in the
neighborhood of Goorno are merely
roots over the masses of mummles
within them. The coth-s serve as fire.
wood to the whole nelghborhood. lm-
mense numbers of bodies have been
removed from London churchyards
within the last twenty years in order
to carry out improvements, and more
thaa one large railroad station has abb
eorbed the consecrated ground in
which our fathers laid to sleep. The
Infamous outrages committed under
the pretext of advancing the interests
anatomical science are too well known,