The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-24
DIED UNDER THE ALTAR.
Death of an Unknown Woman in Church
Her Groans- Fears of the Superstitious.

Death of an Unknown Woman in Church
Her Groans Fears of the Superstitious.
Especial to THE HERALD.-Examiner Dispatch
New YORK, Sept. 23. - An unknown
woman was found dying in the cellar
of the Roman Catholic Church of the
Sacred Heart at Mount Vernon, West
chester county, Saturday night. Half an
hour later she was dead.
The church is located at the corner of
Second street and Fifth avenue, in a fash
ionable neighborhood. 1t is an imposing
edifice of brick and stone that cost $4,000.
Rev. Father James 7. Coles is pastor of
the church.
About o'clock Saturday evening he en-
tered the edifice to make preparations for
the Sunday service. As he approached the
sanctuary he heard groans from a, direc-
ton he could not quite determine. Again
the groans filled the church. This time
they Sc 1med to come from directly under
his feet. Passing behind the altar where
there is door to the cellar, he made up his
mind that some one in distress was there
Father ECo.es FASTENED to summon some of
his pensioners who reside near by, and
by the light of a lantern they entered the
cellar.
The groans had ceased: only the sound
of heavy breathing was now heard. There,
close to the bottom of the steps on heap
of evergreen bows that had been used to
decorate the church last Christmas, lay
young woman. Her face was ashen pale
and her curls were tangled in the cedars.
Ter dark eyes closed as the lantern light
shone on them. She was speechless. Ten
derby the people lifted her and carried the
obviously dying girl into the church.
Father Coles sent speedily for DR., Good
win and then administered the last sacra-
ment for the dying. Before the doctor
reached the church death had plaeed-t the
unfortunate creature beyond his aid, She
had not spoken a word after being discOv
cred.
On the bed of boughs where she had lain
was found a russell leather satchel contain
ing a pocket book containing Sl5 in bills
and silver and key which fitted the pad
lock ON the cellar door of the church. The
bank bills We're damp and matted together
as if they had been rained upon. The eel
lar of the church is damp and mouldy.
The girl seemed to have been of French
descent, but there was nothing on her by
which she could be identified. She seemed
to be about twenty-five years old. Her
face was emaciated but showed traces of
former beauty. No one knows who the
woman was or where she came from, but
the mystery will be probed to the bottom.
The finding of the woman will relieve the
minds of superstitious people, who, for
nearly three months, have imagined that the
Church of the Sacred Heart was haunted.
There is well at the back of the church.
Just opposite the cellar door there is win
dow letting ligt and air in the cellar. On
dark nights the villagers living near the
church have felt their blood run cold when
they heard the creaking of the wheel at
the church well, and people walking past
the edifice or moonlight evenings have been
startled by seeing white face looking
from the cellar window. Evidently the
woman had in some way fitted a key to the
paddock on the cellar door and could enter
or leave at will.
BY direction Of the coroner doctor
made an autopsy. He found the body in an
extremely emaciated condition. The
stomach did not contain particle of food,
but gave evidence of inflammation, which
had perhaps been caused by the excessive
use of alcohol. Both lungs were in
badly diseased state, having several large
cavities i'll the upper part.