National Republican., 1883-05-05
A REMARKABLE TREE.
The Body OF on Old Ministcr Grows into
Mulberry Bush.

Philadelphia Press.
In tho private cemetery adjoining the
Academy of Natural Sciences, almost hidden
by the tall, green grass aud covered with
moss, there stands tho stump of what was
once a hourishing mulberry tree. If this
stump could speak IL would unfold most
wonderful tale of transmigration, not of the
spiritual, but Of the physical kind, for the
tree of which the stump is melancholy relic
found Its birth in human death, and -four
ished and grew upon diet of blood and bones
and coffin boards, like the famous tree that
sprang from the grave Of Roger Williams.
Linked with the history of this stump there
is another history, equally curious, which
concerns two churches, one long since torn
down and forgotten, the other now standing
In II fashionable quarter of the CITY, Away
back in the beginning Of tho present con-
tury, before steamships were even thought
of, Mrs. Agnes Duncan, good Scotch dame,
of noble birth, set sail in u stout ship for tho
infant republic. When in midocean the ele-
ments set up terrible hub.bub, tho rain
came down in torrents, the waves rolled
mountain high, and the superstitious Scotch
dame, falling upon her knees, prayed for
delivery, vowing in return for this boon from
merciiul Providence, to build and ondow a
church when she should reach dry land. She
a frame church was built on Thirteenth street,
on the west side, half way between Market
and Filbert. The first pastor was Rev. Isaac
McIpniss also q Scotchman The church
grew and prospered, and u number Of the con-
gregation, for their own convenience, estab-
lished private cemetery-the one now ad-
joining the Academy of Natural Sciences.
This was in 1924. Mrs. Duncan removed to
Baltimore. branch church, or chapel"
was established at Twelfth and Walnut
streets, presided over, in spiritual sense, by
one Rev. Blackwell and afterward by
John Palmer, who will be remembered by
many. Blackwell gave his name TO the
little church on Thirteenth street. In the
mean time Rev. DIR. Alclnniss, who had
grown to be stout old gentleman, with white
hair, fell sick and died of typhus fover. He
was covered with winding sheet laid in n
coffin of fine black walnut and carefully de-
posted in his own plot of ground in the pri-
vatc cemetery. The years went by and the
memory of Pastor McInniss faded from tho
memory of all but few. One fine day in
spring mulberry saplng pushed its way up
through the grass pear the head of the grave
| Warm air and sunshine favored its growth,
and it soon developed into healthy tree,
bearing an abundance of blood red mulberrics,
which the children of the neighborhood
mOnopOlized as u fruit created especially for
the delcctation of their tender palates. Per-
berry tree was a strange one, but to this day
the peculiar cause of its presence would prob
ably not be known had it not been for a
quarrel which arose in the Blackwood church,
and which finally eliminated in the trustees
claiming, as tho property of the church, the
little graveyard. They were ousted, and in
revenge ordered the bones Of their ancient
pastor McInniss, to be dug up and removed.
Forthwith TO the grave proceeded the
trustees. The gravedigger drove his spade in
the ground and scattered the damp dirt
around. Deeper and deeper into the ground
went the spade. The pile of earth by his side
grew in size Still there was no sign of the
coffin. Dsmay was depicted in the
countenance of the trustees. The spade be-
came entangled in the roots of the mulberry
tree. When more dirt was removed it was
found that the roots had completely filled that
portion Of the grave occupied by the coffin, of
which not so much as a fragment was left
only two of the metal mountings on the lid
and few nails. Not bono could be found.
The mulberry tree had absorbed everything.
Not even a trace of II bone or Of the shroud
was there, although long time was spent in
the search.