The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-05-01

Means, But Reduced to Poverty by an
Unfortunate Marriage, Dies in a Phll-
adelphia Eospital-Her Remains In
TERED at Lynchburg, Va.
(tfom tie Lyech6ary, Va, NscS, april 2l.l
In the Southeastern portion of Spring
Hill Cemetery, near this city, at.the base
of a triangular-shaped lot-that, from
its neglected condition, bears evidence
that no tender hands inspired by loving
hearts, have had aught to do with It TOR
years-stands small, substantially built
brick vault, the ownership of which has
excited the inquiries Of many OF the
habitual visitors to that beautiful city OF
the silent, and only to remain unan'
swered, save with the rarely offered eX-
planation that Kit belonged 10 strange
lady"
The mystery that surrounds it IN the
minds of many has at last been ex-
planned, though in a manner calculated
to add additional sadness to the refiee-
tions inspired in the minds of visitors by
its presence. 4 letter was received IN
this city on Thursday, from the Secre-
tary of the United States Plate Glass In
surance Company of Philadelphia, ad'
dressed ''To the superintendent OF the
Cemetery of Lynchburg, Va.," in which
it was stated that Mrs. Fannie Caldwell
Gilbert, had died in that city on that
day, (16th,) that she had tomb IN this
city in which the body of a child had
been deposited fifteen years ago, and
th:it she desired to have her body sent
thrre at her death to be deposited by her
child He further stated that the lot had
been purchased in another name. but
had been. changed to that of Gilbert.
Af.er the body had been deposited in
the vault the deceased desired it to be
locked and the key destroyed. The
writer concluded by stating that ''she
was worthy woman, but by an unfortu.
nate marriage had lost all and died
poor"
The letter was delivered to Messrs.
G. A. Diuguid & Son, funeral directors,
on the day Of its reception, who, re-
membering the circumstances referred
to, Immediately wrote Mr.. Rindge to
send the body at once, and the wishes OF
the deceased should be complied with
gratuitously. The body, however, had
been shipped before the reply Of the
Messrs. D. had been written, and ar
rived here by Adams Express on Friday
noon. On the top of the box contain
ing the casket there was tackled a card,
about eighteen inches square, on which
was this indefinite direction: ''To Sex
ton of Cemetery, Lynchburg, Va"
"Paid, S12.o0." In the lower corner
was written ssopen this for information
and directions in full. J. Rindge."
Promptly acting upon this suggestion,
Mr.. Diuguid, who received and recelpted
for the box, found the following letter,
the three pictures referred to therein,
and the certificate Of the Philadelphia
health Office:
PHILADELPHIA, April 18th.
ssTo the Sexton of the Lynchburg Gene
terry.
ssDEAR SR: A lady by the name of
Mrs. Fannie Caldwell Gilbert died in
the German Hospital yesterday, who
was a Southern lady and once possessed
with means, but now pennilesS. Accord
ing to a law of this State, her body has
to be delivered to the medical Institutes
unless some one comes forward and
claims the body. I have done so, and
have raised money to give her nice
burial. I have learned that she has a
tomb in Lynchburg, which she had
/. built some fifteen years ago, and III
which she deposited her child, who died
while she visited your city one summer.
think she said DR.. Murrell or some
such name, attended the child. She
bought the lot in the name of Rosciter,
and after her second marriage the name
was changed to Gilbert on the record,
and she stated that she had made an ar
rangement with the sexton to hold the
kew, and when her body was deposited
therein he was to lock the tomb and de.
stroy the key. The name Of the sexton
I do not remember; he may not be living
at this time. The body will be delivered
by Adams Express prepaid and we hope
that Mrs. Gilbert's last request wlllbe
carried out. I send you with this a
picture of her before she was taken sick.
Her body is mere skeleton, would not
weigh over sixty or sixty-fve pounds.
She was robbed of all her wealth and
abandoned by low, drunken gambler
and scoundrel eleven years ago the 4th
of last October. The casket is enclosed
ma tight case as this States law requires
in all cases. should, with others who
have interested themselves in this case,
be pleased to hear from you as soon as
'econvenienU after the arrival and diSpo-
sition of the body. She was the
daughter of Chancellor James Caldwell
of Columbia, S. C, and her family have
all died
with much respect l remain yours,
ETC.. ISAAC RINDGE."
The certificate of the Health Office of
Philadelphia attributes her death to
carcinoma" ordinarily called cancer.
- -The pictures enclosed are what is
known as litho-engravings, and indicate
the features of a person of fine presence
and marked Intellectually, albeit ofsad
expression, and from their toelt ensemble
indicate that they were prepared for in
sertion in a book. On the lower margin
of one there was written, in feminine
characters, For DR.. Murrell or family"
on another, SFor Mrs. John W. Dan
iel,nthe other blank, presumably inten-
ded for s'the sexton"
MRS. RoSCITER IN LYNCHBURG.
About the year 1872 Mrs. Gilbert,
then Mrs. Rosciter, came to this city os-
of hao1th oonIs