The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-09
A SPEAKING TUBE TO A CRAVE.
Extraordinary Precautions Against
the Depredations of Ghouls.
IT,, n, d. syuJolob;o Eor,oo

hXCraofOlnary precautions Against
the Depredations of Ghouls.
From, the Philadelphia Press.
A temporary frame hut, just large enough
to hold three men, stands oddly among
tomSstones in the middle Of the little ceme-
terry at FIfty-sixth and Market streets. 1t
rests over the newly made grave in the plot
Of Solomon R. Fridenberg, the Chestnut
street jeweler, containing the body of his
son, None s. Fridenberg, who died three
weeks ago. From one side of the hut pro-
trudes a stovepipe, from which smoke may
be seen curling every evening. On the
other side is a window in keeping with its
Size.
The interior shows stove aud bench,
and, protruding through the middle of the
floor to the hight of feet, an iron pipe
2 inches in diane ter, in the center of which
is an iron rod Of the proper size to be moved
easilyup and down inside the pipe. Toward
evening the superintendent Of the grave
yard Charles Kreuger, or his son, goes to
the hut, and, entering it, builds fire in the
stove.
As soon as the sun is set and darkness is
coming on two aged men come to the iron
cemetery gate, and, being admitted by
them, listen intently. With each movement
Of the rod there comes sound like the tap
Of metal against wood, faint and deadened
by distance, and the two men look at each
other aud decide that the body of young
Mr.. Fridenberg has not been disturbed.
The test with the sounding rod is repeate
hourly through the night and sometimes
oftener, with all the reverence such vigil
lance demands The arrangement is simply
to put beyond possibility the disturbance of
the body by grave robbers, for whatever
purpose. When the burial took place on
Thursday, Feb. Z, all the plans of this
method OF protection had been made in
detail. When the mourners and friends
had turned away from the open grave a
small wooden box with a hole in the middle
was lowered and rested on the lid of the
cedar box containing the coffin. Through
this h ole once nd Of the iron pipe was placed
until it touched the lid, and its opening was
thus protected from being stopped up by
the earth. Then tue grave was filled in 10
the surface. leaving through the pine di
rect connection with the casket by means of
the slender metal sounding rod.
Mr.. Fridenberg had already ordered the
construction of the hut directly over the
grave, where the watchmen might stay,
and had a stove put IN it TO protect them
from the cold. The pipe in connection
with the coffin was run through the middle
of the floor as described. The little build
ing was raised and ready for occupancy by
the evening of the funeral day. The sound
ing: rod was inserted that evening and
tested by the Waterman in the presence of
Mr. Kreuger and Officer Long, of the Six
tenth district. 1t proved thoroughly sue
cessful, the taps on the lid of the casket
coming to their ears unmistakably, but
sounding as though afar off. The night
watch and tests have been continued ever
since, aud will be kept up until there is no
fear from ghouls.
The keeper Of the graveyard, when asked
the necessity of the sounding rod tests, when
watchmen remained at the grave through
the night, explained it by saying it relieved
the Young mans family from the fear that
robbers might think the body desirable
enough to tunnel their way to it. Mr..
Fridenberg has even gone further than this.
He has specially enjoined the keepers wife
to watch the grave constantly during the
day until the extra men came. The grave
yard is a very lonely spot at night, being
surrounded by open lots.
Some weeks ago, before the burial of
young Mr.. Frideuberg, Officers Lewis and
Long, while patrolling in that locality late
at night, saw a man skulking along the
cemetery fence and made for HIM. He fed
and gave an alarm which brought two
more men over the fence from the grave
yard with lanterns aud spndes All three
escaped. Tho popular impression Of the in
cident then was that they were after the
silver handles on the cesket Of gentleman
lust buried. Again Keeper Kreuger, going
out one morning at day break, found by the
side of an undisturbed grave a lantern aud
spade left by q robber wEo had become
alarmed.
Mr.. Fridenberg, when asked last night
concerning the watch at his sons grave,
said ut is simply precautionary meas
ure that is always taken by my family
nothing more"
Knox's Hats.