Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-12-31

the tomb from public knowledge.
Cunlectures have been made that he
was buried at West BarnStable, where
he was born, while many others have
believed that he was inferred at An
dover, Mass, where he was killed by
lightning, and this supposition wa,
strengthened 10y the fact of his request
shortly before his death to be buried
on a knoll directly IN the rear of Mr.
Osgood'S house at Andover.
Local historians have looked
in vain for. any clue that would lead
TO solving the mystery. But by
collecting probate records, family his
tory gathered from various sources,
together with the traditions of one
family, the tomb has recently been
authentically located wherein were
Inferred the remains of the distin-
guished patriot 1t is right i'll the
heart of Boston in the famous old
Grmary burying ground. Thomas
Bridgman, who wrote II book of cpl
taphs Of the Granary burial ground,
docs not mention the name of Otis.
The bronze tablets on the iron gates
do not record the fact that James
Otis is buried within the ground, but
the records are conclusive In fine
records of st, Johns lodge of +. and
\. VI. of Boston. is recorded the fact
that James Otis was made a Mason
in 1852, and was member of that
lodoa The uevsuopprs unfinished ot
the time of Mr. Otis denth and funeral
finnish but meoora ncrounts The
Boston Gazette and Country JouruaI.
under date of Boston. Nav %. 17S3,
saws. I've hear from Auloypr that
last Friday Evening the House of Mr..
Isnar Osrood WAS set ON Fire and
much shattered hy Lightning, by
which the Hon. James Otis. Eso.. of
this Town. leaning uuop his Came at
the front Door. wa, instantly killed.
Several Persons were in the House at
the Time. some of whome were VIC.
lentlv affected by the shock. hut iume.
diately recovering. ran 70 Mr.. Otis
Support. but he had expired without
Grown. The Friends and Ac-
tllnlnl1DGpS me Deceased are
informed his Funeral is to he
To-Morrow from his House neal
the County Court House. Free
masons are to proceed the Corps" "
Mr.. Otis room i'm the Ospood Louse
at Andover was ON the left hand side
of the front door. when looking at the
view of the house, and at his death he
was standing in the doorway of the
room to the right. The lightning
struck the chimney and followed a
ra%ter of the roof. which rested on one
Of the upright timbers to which the
doorpost was attached. The easing
of the door was split. and the nails
torn out. Samuel Allvne Otis, the
Youngest brother of James Otis. pro-
reeded at once to Andover and brought
his remains to Boston. Col. Joseph
Nav. prominent citizen of Boston.
member of Kings chapel, who died
in Boston in 1871. was we'll yersed in
the history of Boston. He came to
breakfast. after his usual morning
walk. and said to the family, II have
seen something wonderfully interest
inc this morning. As / passed the
old Granarv burial ground. | saw that
the tomb was open in which | knew
were the remains of James Otis. and
with the hplp of the sexton opened
the lid of OTIS coffin. and behold. the
coffin was full of the fibrous roots of
the elm. especially thick and matted
about the skull. and going out. |
looked up at the noble yerdant elm,
and there. in transtigured glory. was
all that was material of james Otis. :"
The elm referred to was one of the
gigantic Paddock elms brought as
saplings from England, and that for
merly stood on the fremont street
sidewalk in front of the burial ground.
! They tsiX of them were cut down
about % years ago, against the pro-
test of all old Bostonians. tits known
that the roots of these trees were cut
away when the stone foundation for
the fence now standing was laid, but
the roots continued to grow and pene-
trated the floors of the tombs Col. Jo-
seph May was the onlyperson living in
1925 that was able to identify the spot
where the victims of the massacre
on State street were buried in the
Granary burying ground. He stood
at the tomb with his father in 1870,
being but ten years old, and witnessed
the interment. He noted that the
covered tomb was few feet from
large tree. In 1885, when the city
government proposed to erect monu-
ment, the tomb was opened, and in
the presence of members of the city
council and Mr.. May, the remains
,ra,o ;lan+;6od os +ba v;o+iu,s ,f +l,,