Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-02-21

pOndered long and deep on the sub
ject. She could give herself no salts
factory explanation of this seemingly
mysterious wish At last a sudden
thought flashed through her brain.
What had become of Miss Dinsmore's
diamonds! A hasty search among
the effects of the dead woman failed
to bring them to light. They must
have been buried with her, she finally
concluded.
A DIABOLICAL PLOT.
With her to think was to act. Sum
moning her lover" she made known
her plan to him He could engage
the services of a couple of ruffians
about town. The three should hire a
carriage, take shovels, and, in the
dead of night, go out to the cemetery,
dig up the body and remove the dia
monds. After studying a while over
the major Morris finally consented to
tde arrangement, for he was as unprln-
cipled as the woman. Sunday night,
December =, was set for the time on
which the deed was to be committed.
Two men were engaged to help him
out in his diabolical scheme The
trio met at we'll known saloon on
Stockton street at twelve o'clock that
night. After imbibing freely, in order
to instill courage in their veins, they
entered a hack driven by Pete ,
an ex-"con,n and desperate
fellow. Driving along rapidly
out Geary street to Cemetery avenue,
a detour was made, and the hack was
brought to a standstill in the rear of
the city of the dead It was then
about 80 a. NJ The moon, which
was in its last quarter, shed forth a
dina light as it settled down behind
the hills back of the half mile track
Not sound disturbed the solitude of
the place. To men blessed with less
nerve, unprincipled though it was,
the fear of the supernatural would
certainly have made itself manifest.
But not so with them. Another nip
at Pete's well-flled flask and they set
out across the long rows of graves to
the place where the body of the dead
girl was inferred. A flve-minute walk
brought them to the spot. A newly
made grave, a few faded flowers
what remained of the heartfelt trib-
utes of her frail companions "a simple
slab with the inscription:
MOLLIE DINsMoRE,
Aged 19 years months,
Rest ia peace.
Was all that remained above ground
of blasted life
A HORRIBLE DISCOVERY.
After few moments conversation
the men began to dig. Morris stood
by and looked on. The ground was
soft and after ten minutes work the
redwood case inclosing the coffin was
brought to view. Scraping the dirt
off the men paused A strange fright
seemed to have taken possession of
them. They refused to open the box.
Morris pleaded with them and called
them towards. This seemed to goad
them on. The whisky bottle was
again pressed into service and its con-
tents literally treated The box was
| lifted up out of the grave and laid upon
the ground. The edge of shovel was
inserted under the cover and it was
pried off A rosewood coffin inclosed
the remains The men shuddered
Great drops of perspiration stood upon
their brows. A screw-driver was pro
duced andWith trem bling hands Morris
unscrewed the lid. With an effort
| it was removed and the form of Mol
lie Dinsmore lay exposed to view.
With hasty, trembling hands a search
was began for the diamonds. They
could not be found. Just as the men
were about to give up the search and
hastily return the coffin to the grave,
Morris discovered a locket in the bos-
ON of the dead Wrenching it open
he found a folded paper, Lighting a
match he read the following birth
notice, clipped from some newspaper,
as it was afterwards found to be.
To Elizabeth @. , wife of John
t, q daughter
With a shrek that echoed through
the hills the man fell forward upon
the ground, seenseless.
Summoning the driver his com
panions carried him to the hack,
where he was deposited on the cushions