The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-06-30
a RARE slonr.
Fhe Church Of The Capuehins % RENE aAd
Its Strange Cemetery.

A RARE sloHT.
EAs Chureh Of the capushins st RENE sad
Its Strange Cemetery.
Some things are done in Rome in .
way that would seem strange enough
70 the good people Of other countries.
Let me give you an instance. At the
end Of the Wis Capuccini stands the
little old church of the Capuchin monks,
. church Of plain exterior, but rich
within with marbles and paintings.
Here IL the celebrated st. Michael by
Guido, . figure known in every Chris
tian land BY the aid of engraving and
photography. But it is not Of 81
Michael that wish to tell you; it is Of
the good brethren of the Capuchib
order, that now are with tho saints, W.
trust. Under this church is thei,
burial place, and their place of resur'
rection, to0-a temporary resurrection
before the final one. To see that this
is properly done is the duty Of tho liv.
ing members, not merely their buryins
but their rising again, to be Glad 10
their monkish garb and placed in tho
niche to which they are entitled &C.
cording to date and regularly estab
lished order.
When in the church go to the left
hand corner near the great altar and
by high railing that shuts you from
the dimly- Lighted side chapels. you will
see bell.rope, pull it. Not always the
safe thing to do, but here entirely SO.
Soon will appear behind the railing .
IL IL
black cap like bowl, fitting tightly to
the back of his head, feet in sandals, all
the rest of him enshrouded in dingy
brown-ask to see the cemetery of the
brethren and he will bid you meet him
at side basement door outside of the
church; here, after waiting few
\ minutes, you will hear the key rattling
in lock venerable with the dust of
ages; the door opens, the monk steps
aside and you pass in and down little
narrow stairway into long corridor,
from which opens series of rooms.
These rcems are small burial pl&ts.
The floor is soft brown earth and
smooth as floor; with rows of cypress
twigs planted at the head of the many
graves. All the furniture and adorn.
ments ct these rooms are made oi
human bones-bones of departed
Capuch3ns. The oandelabrum hanging
in each room is from head, finger
and arm bones. Any one Who has
visited ian arsenal will remember how
sab@s, bayonets, pistols and the various
implements of destruction are woven
INTO decorative wall designs, rosettes
stars and the like. Let him but imag.
/ q,
SAIL up picture of the CHASTITY mura
decorations of this strange place. where
scarce Q space on either wall Or ceiling
g not embossed with some tasteful de
sign constructed from the three hun
lrod and odd bones that 60 to the max
ng of our anatomy. Anyone whs
doubts the picturesque and decorative,
qualities latent in human skeleton
should visit theDemetery 0f the Capu
lchins.
Every alcoveDr niche, and there arr
many, Is occupied by the skeleton of {
.ong-since departed Capuchin, dressed
IN the garb Of the order, their cowl
falling forward over the grim skull
The effect is heightened by scraps d
hair and beard still clinging to tn,
,kull and jaws. The order Of promo
lion, or rotation, is as follows: Shoult
one sof the brethren die, the grouni
being full, then the one who has beel
the longest timR in the wrOund iis takel
lup and dressed, and the brother who i
the oldest occupant Of niche has tt
Igive,Nay for the new oemer, who take
his place In the niche, the old on
being dismantled and his bones dis
!. Ik~sl, ~ - Ao <1nk -
to the wall building and decoration Q
, the place. He has had his day, an
: has thus suddenly been merged in til
general whole.
Many of the skeleton statues hold be
tween their beny fingers card o.
which is written name and date. Some
If they state tho truth, have .heen q
held for more than a century.
These rooms, while not altOgethe
/ cheerful, yet are so gr0tesque and 8,
decorative in their furniture and up
holstery that the impression MADE is b
no means SO ,awesome us one woul
suppose; and, strange 10 say, there
no charnel-house odM about them
This is explained by the fact that th
ground On which The monks lie balrie
fs holy earth brought from Jel usslem
and that il absorbs all the impm'itie
.. THAT might otherwise prove offensive
. III this be really so there ara other part
of Rome shat should be sprinkled Wit
. little of it.
Az you pass from these dimly-ligkte
| chambers Of death to the light of day
q small COIN, dropped in the hand a
6he good brother at the door will 10
be taken aniss, nor are you likely eve
! to regret either the time or none
given for SO rare an experience. Rom
Car. Detroit Free Press.
SCOTCH SA0ACtTY.
An Anecdots which Shows Thst Ther