The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-04-16
a Wrong to the Dead and ORense to
the Living,
A51erille Press and Banner.

The grave Of Judge Wardlaw, in
Upper Long Cane Cemetery. was opened
one night last week, and the metallic
case in which he was buried was broken.
Circumstances indicate that the deed was
done on Monday night. The fact that
the grave had the appearance of being
tampered with was reported to his friends
on Friday or Saturday, when they i'm
mediately sent a man to examine it.
He returned at once, without touching
it, and reported the facts which present.
ed themselves. Hon. W. b. Parker, and
Messrs. Bennett and A. W. Smith went
to the grave without delay. They found
that it had been opened, and had been
but partly re6lled. Part of the fresh
clay was left lying around the grave,
a piece of metal, supposed to be part OF
q metallic case, was found near by, the
edges of which showing that it had been
recently broken.
The Judges friends were of course
apprehensive that the body had been
either taken away or disturbed, and fol
this reason the dirt was thrown out. In
opening the grave it was discovered that
the depredators had greatly widened il
in throwing out the dirt, and that they
had entirely uncovered the coffin.
When the coffin, or metallic case, was
reached by the Judges friends, the top
was found to be broken in the middle,
just above where the hands Of the deceas.
ed were folded across his breast, but NO
signs were apparent that the body had
been at all disturbed. The metallic slab
which covers the glass over the face, was
removed and the face and body were
found to:be in remarkably good state
of preservation, though the deceased had
been buried some eighteen years-since
some time in 1878.
The large rock with which the coffin
was broken WAS found on the top of the
ground.
From the mud which was thrown out
against the marble, the hedge and sur
rounding shrubbery, it is evident that
the deed was done during the rain which
fell Monday night of last week. The
grave stones which mark the resting
place of the wife of the Judge, and which
were near to his own grave, we're hespat.
tered with mud, and one of the minor
parts was broken, and the large marble
slab bore evidence of having been remov.
ed from its proper place, and afterwards
set back in position. The tracks of the
persons doing the work were plainly tc
be seen at the head and foot.
Owing to the exceeding soft condition
of the earth, the depredators left the
.clesrest impressions of their shoe tracks
the ground being 30 soft that immedi.
ately around the grave and in the
adjoining field Of pines their tracks were
distinct-even on the pine needles. The
tracks Of others Of their number, as they
xetreated in another direction and from
their ghoulish deed, were too plainly left
to leave any doubt as to the condition
of the earth, or the size and form of the
feet.
The depredators met at the grave
coming from different directions, as by
agreement; and. when their shameful
work was done they departed by different
routes:
In opening the grave the monument
which had been erected to the memory ot
the Judge mas partially undermined, and
in consequence, it is now three inches
out of plumb.
The news of this desecration of the
sacred precincts of the dead, was a great
shock to the friends and relatives of the
deceased, and they are at loss to attri.
butte motive for so strange and so unu'
sual deed. Nothing like the desecratior
of the graves of the dead is common in
this country, end there is no known
reason why his grave should have beer
disturbed, but it is surmiBed that the
depredators hoped to find something o.
value, which they might remove.
Diligent effort will be made to ascer'
tain the names of the persons who have
committed so outrageous crime against
all our better sentiments, and if found
they will be severely dealt with.