Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-03-21
A DREADFUL ROMANCE.
Going Crazy After Finding His Only Daugh-
ter Was Buried Alive.
New York Sunday-Star.

Ovihg crazy AFTER FAndlnE His Only DaWgh-
ter Was Buried Alive.
New York Sunday star.
~What life romances there are going
on all around us" remarked one OF
Inspector Byrnes' men to a reporter he
met in the Fifth-avenue Hotel on
Thursday.
What brought out that romantic
remark p said the matter-of-fact ink
singer.
You saw that man / saluted as
Charlie moment ago?" said the de-
tective.
@Yes. you seemed very familiar. /"
ave are. Iarrested him fortnight
ago"
ARRESTED ? What for?"
Il thought he was working bunko
racket on a man he was always follow
ing and making up to; but was mis-
taken. He is hired to follow the man"
@Hired to follow him That's very
thin story"
1T seems so, but its true. Here he
comes now. I'll introduce you, and
let you hear the yarn"
The stranger a fiashy young man,
returned through the corridor arm in
arm with a respectable old gentleman.
The two separated at the clerks desk,
the old man taking his key and going
up stairs to his room.
The young fellow turned to the
detective and was introduced to the
newspaper man.
"Well, my days work is over, and a
tough one it's been. He's led me the
liveliest dance yet"
"Where did he take Won ?"
"Into every undertaking establish
ment on the East Side, ordering cas-
kets and shrouds. He ordered at least
fifty, and ] countermanded them"
"Why does he do that ?" inquired
the amazed reporter.
Its a crank he has" said the stran-
ger. Hes sound on every other point
but that. He's a wealthy old chap,
who takes trips around the country,
ordering caskets and shrouds in every
city, to be shipped to him at his home
in West Virginia"
"What started this mania ?"
ooh, a terrible affair. He had no
immediate relatives but an only
daughter, beautiful girl, aged seven
teen. She was buried alive a month
ago, and ever since he has been little
of. rs you see"
Buried alive How was that ?"
@She was taken ill, and the doctor
prescribed morphia. She took an
over dose, and apparently died. The
father went nearly crazy with grief.
The body was kept three DAYS and
was viewed by all the neighbors One
lady insisted that the girl did not look
as if she was dead Doctors were
summoned and they applied several
tests, which resulted III their declara-
ton that life was extinct"
Then they buried her ?''
Eyes, after four men had dragged
the father from the casket"
"The night after the funeral the
dogs of a farmer living near the
churchyard kept up continual howl
ing, and on being let loose the next
morning made direct for the young
girls grave, and began digging at it
with their paws. The old man was in
formed of this, and had the body dis
inferred in the presence of his neigh
bOrs and the villiage authorities. The
body was taken out of the casket. 1t
presented frightful appearance.
THE unfortunate girl had evidently
made superhuman struggles to lift the
lid of the casket after it had been
lowered into the grave. In her frenzy
at her failure she must have lost her
mind entirely, as her face was disfig-
ured in every possible manner Her
long black hair had been plucked
from her head The lining was torn
from the sides OF the casket, and the
pillows were in shreds and arms were
torn and bleeding Her clothing con-
sisted in part of a light summer dress,
which was literally torn from her
body. Her lips were bitten through"
And that set the old man crazy ?"
Mildly so as you see"
Il don't wonder at. it. 1t was terri /
BILE; but why don't his relatives re-
strain him ,"
That would make him worse. He |
Is inofiensive, | am reliable, and they |
are quite willing l shall follow him
about and set him straight"
"But doesn't he ever object to your
presenter
NO; we formed an attachment in
Baltimore, and he doesn't suspect that
am anything more to him than n
chance acquaintance