Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-05
A SPEAKING TUBE TO A GRAVE.
Extraordinary Precautions Against the
Depredations of Ghouls.

Extraordinary Precautions Against the
Depredations of Ghouls.
From the Philadelphia Press.
Atemporary frame hut, Just large enough to
nold fhree men, stands oddly among tombsfones
IN the middle OF the little cemetery at seth 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. Frdenberg, who died
three weeks ago. From one side Of the hut
profrudes 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 and a bench. and.
protruGlng through the middle of the floor to
the height of four feet. an iron pipe two inches
In diameter, in the center of which is an iron
rod OF the proper size to be moved easily ND
ana down inside the pipe. Toward evening
the superintendent of the graveyard. Charles
hreuger, or his son, goes to the hut, and enter
Ing IT, builds a 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 bv distance
aud the two men look at each other and decide
that the body of young Mr.. Fridenberg has not
been disturbed.
The test with the sounding rod il repeated
hourly through the night and sometimes oftener
with all the reverence such vigilance demands
The arrangement Is simply to put beyond pos
sibility the disturbance OF the body by grave
robbers, for whatever purpose When the
burial took place on Thursday. February z all
the plans OF this method of protection had been
made in detail. When the mourners and friends
mad turned away from the open grave small
wooden box with hole in the middle was low
cred and rested on the lid Of the cedar box con-
tanning the coffin Through this hole one end
or The iron pipe was placed until ii touched the
ia. and Its opening was thus protected from
being stopped up by the earth. Then the grave
was niled in to the surface. leaving through the
pipe direct connection with the casket by
means of the slender metal sounding rod
MI Fridenberg had already ordered the con-
struction OF the hut directly over the grave.
where the watchmen might stay. and had a
stove put In 1t 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 building was raised and ready for oc-
cupancy by the evening of the funeral day The
sounding rod was inserted that evening and
tested by the Waterman in the presence of Mr..
hreuger and Officer Long Of the sixteenth dis
trict. 1t proved thoroughly successful, the
taps on the lid OF the casket coming to their
ears Enthusiastically. but sounding as though afar
on. The night watch and tests hare been con-
tinued ever since, and will be kept up until
there Is no fear from ghouls.
Inc Keeper OF the graveyard, when asked the
necessity of the sonnding-rod tests. when
Watcnnlen 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 tun-
mel their way to it, Mr.. Fridenberg has even
gone further than this. He has specially en-
joined the keepers wife to watch the grave con-
stantly during the day until the extra men
came The graveyard is very lonely spot at
night being surrounded by open lots.
some weeks ago. before the burial of young
Mr.. Fridenberg, Officers Lewis and Long while
patroling In that locality late at night, saw a
man skulklng along the cemetery fence and
made for him. He fed and gave an alarm
which brought two more men over the fence
from the graveyard with lanterns and spades
All three escaped. The popular impression of
the incident then was that they were after the
silver handles on the casket of gentleman
just buried. Again. Keeper Kreuger going out
one morning at daybreak. found by the side of
an undisturbed grave lantern and spade left
by a robber who had become alarmed.
MI. Fridenberg. when asked last night con-
corning the watch at his sons grave said: ut
is simply precautionary measure that is al
ways taken by my famiy-nothing more"