Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-09-26
TWO FEET IN THE GRAVE
REMARKABLE STORY OF THE LIFE
 OF PARKEs, OF ST. LOUIS.

Other, Then m Arm-As Often as He
 Married Wife She Was KilIed-Now
 All His Relatives Are Dead.
 Just as day was dawning William F. Parkes, who is nearly seventy years old, or that portion of him which still lives, was found by Henry Murphy, a grave digger, lying unconscious upon Parkes' own grave in a remote part of Calvary cemetery.
 With the help of physician he was re vived after an hours hard work.
 The story of Mir. Parkes' life and his queer mania is indeed a remarkable and in teresting one. Half of him is dead and buried, but in the rosewood coffin which he purchased himself there is still room enough for the rest of him when life passes away.
 Mir. Parkes was born in q suburb of De troit little less than seventy years ago. His father was well to do.
 When but twenty years old he married Bessie Woodruff, whom he had known since infancy. This was but the com mencement of his matrimonial career.
 Mir. Parkes lost his first wife year after he married her, and shortly after her death he met with his first accident While rid ing half broken colt one day the horse suddenly shied and threw him to the ground, breaking his left leg. The surgeon who was called to attend him set the leg wrong, and it was necessary to break it again. The operation was not a success, and blood poisoning set in.
 After n lengthy consultation the physi- clans de cided to cut the leg entirely off.
 The doctors wanted to take the pieces of the leg to dissect, but young Parkes insist ed that they should be buried. After much arguing his wish was gratified, his leg be ing buried in n neighboring cemetery. When Parkes finally recovered he mar ried his dead wifc's sister, who had nursed him during his long illness. MT. Parkes decided to go to Saratoga Springs for his health and take his young bride with him He was never to reach the place.
 When half way to his destination the sleeping car that carried him and his wife jumped the track, and disastrous wreck occurred. Mir Parkes' remaining leg was crushed and mangled. and he was taken from the wreck unconscious. Clasped tightly in his arms was his young bride, but she was dead.
 Young Parkcs' father was hastily noti- fled, and he insisted that his son should be brought home.
 For many long hours the best surgeons that could be procured labored to save his remaining leg At the end they were com pelled to amputate the leg close to the body. The grave was opened and the leg buried with the other, leaving Mir. Parkes n man without legs.
 He was now almost entirely helpless, and for year he remained in his fathers house, almost without hope and longing for death. Summer came and n unique wheel chair was made for Mir. Parkes and he propelled himself for short distances about the neighborhood.
 Among the boarders at an adjoining l farm was Miss Bessie White She was a consumptive and had but one arm, that ! I. E-~Il | Her father was wealthy and she had con siderable money in her own right. Young Parkes met her They both were unfortu- nate and their feelings were akin. Three weeks afterward they were married by the ! village parSon.
 | Parkes' life seemed to brighten, and for two years-the brightest of his life-he l lived with his wife in Detroit. Then her | fatal disease asserted itself, and after n lin 1 gering illness of three months she died. ! She left him S9O, 600 and n little baby girl.
 Parkes went back to his fathers house sad and entirely dejected. He hired a nurse for his baby and determined to de | vote the remainder of his life to her wei ! fare.
 The nurse, q widow named Mrs. Maria 1 Lawler, was still young and handsome. Parkcs fell in love with her and soon asked l her to become his wife. She refused, but for six months he fought his suit with such persistence that he conquered, and they were married by a Catholic priest, Mrs. Lawler having been brought up in that de nomination.
 MT Parkes bought neat little cottage near his fathers farm, and in it he in stalled his wife and child. A few months afterward his father became very ill, and young Parkes remained constantly beside
 his bed.
 One night when he was watching his dy
 ing father, q servant whom he had hired
 came home to his cottage intoxicated, up
 set a kerosene lamp in his room and set the
 house afre. Mrs. Parkcs and the baby
 were sleeping soundly, and before assist
 uncc arrived they were both smothcred tC
 death. Just as the sad news was brought
 to Mir. Parkes, who sat at his fathers bed
 side, his aged parent raised himself, uttered
 a few incoherent words, and fell back
 dead.
 Parkcs' father and his wife and chile
 were buried on the same day. It was sac
 day for Parkcs
 After the graves had been covered ant the last sad words spoken Parkes wa:
 placed in d carriage to be taken to q now utterly cheerless home As the carriag, was crossing some railroad tracks an en zine came scrceching along, the horses be , came mad with fright, and despite the ef
 forts of the driver they dashed down thu road at headlong speed. PIrkee was with | in utterly helpless. Suddenly the carriag , cullided with tree, smashing the vehicle , instantly killing the driver and throwin!
 Parkes out, breaking his left arm in tw, places and crushing it.
 He was carried home unconscious, an, | when he was himself again the doctors haa
 amputated the arm close to the shoulder . It was buried with the other portions 0 l MT. Parkes.
 t For many years he remained in hi I mothers house, passing the time the bes z he could. His mother died, and shortl Hfterward he sold the farm and came t n St. Louis. He bought the little cottage h now owns and determined to pass the re
 mainder of his life there.
 When Ee was settled he purchased ? handsome rosewood coffin, placed it in hi l parlor, and sent Tor the remainder of hi 2 body When they arrived he purchased
 dress suit, dressed the legs in the trousers the arm in one coat sleeve. and placed theI ( in tIH coffin in their nat ural positions. Tn e rest of the suit he is saving until the rest C
 him is dead.
 Once q week Parkes determined he woul
 visit his own grave, decorate it, and kee
 it in good order. He had a little chai . made, so he could propel himself by turr ) ing crank.
 On his second trip to his grave Nil Parkes was run over by runaway horse and his left shoulder was severely injured
 The doctors were compelled to take out bone and cut away large portion of tb ) flesh St Louis Chronicle