Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-05-04
He rose. painfully, and shook hands

when we got to the vicinity of the Gem
etery. knew the locality we'll, and
very quickly selected a place for en-
trance. ..f
One Of the boundary walls Hanked a
solitary lane, and between the stone
work and the embankment thrown up
for landscape gardening there was a
very deep hollow, profuscly planted
with bushes of all kinds.
We were dressed as laboring men,
and remained in the common bar of a
hotel in the ncighborhood until twelve
O'Clock. Then we cautiously returned
te the spot indicated, and, notwith-
standing the fact that George was suf-
sering from his late injuries, / sue
cccdcd in getting him over the sloping
wall and following myself.
There were no houses in the immedi-
ate vicinity. The lodge was at the
gates at the lower end Of the grounds,
and we rightly concluded that any
secret expedition would keep as far
from it as possible.
An hour passed very slowly, and l for
one was beginning to think that the
paper was meant to get Saumarez out
Of town for that night, when we heard
the sound ofwhccls coming up the road
by which VIC had come.
This corner of the battle-ground
formed such tongue-like angle that
one wall nearly faced the other.
Chance had brought us to an admirable
spot to view what was about to take
place. On the other side the embank-
ment within the wall was lower, and
SO, when the wheels stopped, we soon
saw dark figure rise above it, and
gradually climb inside. Then another
appeared, and the former stood ready
to receive u supply Of spades, mat
tock and a bag of smaller tools, The
second man now came up gradually,
as If ascending laddcr-they had a
short set of steps In the cart-a third
followed. and last Of all came lady,
deeply veilcd.
After looking cautiously about they
stopped by a tree, and one Of the men,
bending down, said softly:
This is the spot"
white marble cross, and after whis
percd conversation one of the men
stranger to both cf us-threw of his
coat and commenced digging,
shall never forget the details OF
that nights work or the thoughts that
filled my mind. The other two men
shared the labor, but awkwardly, and
the work progressed we'll only when
the first digger was in the hideous,
deepening hole. The yelled woman
stood motionicss by the gravesidc, the
moons rays fitting in a ghastly way
round her white cuffs, and shimmering
through the thick veil to the pale face
beneath. ga
At last the mattock struck with a
hollow sound upon what must have
been coffin. The man below now
used his shovel vigorously, and even
tually those above lowered two ropes
to him. When those had been ad-
justed the man ascended and Joined
the others in their efforts to raise what
was below.
After good struggle, in which the
lady Joined, bulky coffin was brought
to the surface.
Then one drew heavy screw-drivcr
from the bag and began to work on the
coffin lid When he had drawn two or
three nails he evidently grew inn
patient, for he put the blade of his
weapon under the lid and gave o
wrench, and the rotten wood gave
way.
The man uttered an exclamation we
can not repeat here, and then the
woman stopped, and drawing back
some mouldy drapery, plunged her
arms into the empty coffin, crying, ex-
ultantly: 37l EfFI
81 told you so."
They now set to work to lower 1t
in its place. So -~----..
1.-THE man who spoke" said George
Saumarez in whisper to me, sis St.
John Marsden."
We waited until the soil was all put
back and pressed down somewhat
skillfully by the principal operator.
What remained he carefully gathered
up and deposited close to the wall.
Then the group separated, and slowly
descended into the cart, which l knew
was concealed by high hedge and two
walnut trees on the other side-an
open space of the level of the road
having been retained outside the wall,
but within the old boundary Of the field.
for purposes best known to the de-
signers Of the cemetery. "' - '''
When the cart drove away and was
lost to sight we cautiously left our
place Of concealment and approached
the white cross. George Saumerez
grew deadly pale when he read these
words:
Sacred to the memory Of Gregory
Saumarez, who died 21st September,
49,. aged sixty-three years; and Mar
garet Nehlson, his wife (afterward the
wife Of Godfrey HassardD, who died
10th of November, 1s-, aged fifty
three years"
"Great HeaveAsr' he cried, "what is
the meaning of thisp"
II can not say" was my reply, "but
have o shrewd suspicion that your
mother 10 alive. Were you at her
funeralp" = Itf
"The coffin was closed before got
home," he answered, "and l was SO
dazed with grief that I did not recog-
nize the grave again. Besides, i was
so hurt at her marrying DR.. Hassard
that l could not make up my mind to
visit her grave again"
i The next morning / applied with my
chief for warrant against st. John
Marsden, and other persons unknown,
for sacrilegiously breaking open a Ger.
tain grave, When had arrested him
at his office, hurried to the residences
Of the doctors who had signed the
death certificate Of Mrs. Hassird, hav-
ing sent other officers with the date Of
the decease to the principal insurance
Offices. e.s ..-A-t.
One Of the medical men, DR.. B.,
was grave old gentleman, who al
once said that he had been brought in tC
consult with DR.. c., and being sat
istied with the symptoms Of heart dis
ease and the other gentleman's treat
ment, he signed the certificate eftei
viewing the dead body. He was ap
palled when said that the coffin was
empty, and readily accompanied me tc
the house Of his colleague.
We found him In, and when men
toned the name of the lady who was
supposed to have been dead, he cried
"I have been expecting this for years