The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-18
"oLp BILL" cLAaK.s TALE.
orswsoms Mystery Of nsaals.s Corpse
M the Moreue

at the MorRas.
oriEzled old "BilT Clark, the head
at 20 Adams street.
has been 30 many years engaged In
thu care Of tho dead be almost feels
more AZ home In their company tAan
In that Of the living. at whom be looks
askaace as a rule. but occasionally no
will unhend into Eoclability and at
such times viii draw from the store
house Of his memory weird and ghast-
ly experiences which cause the new
hands at The mOrgue 10 open their
eyes IN wonder. No one, however,
ventures a. any time 20 expr'fs even
grain Of unbelI.f 10 any Of the ven
cradle morguekeerer's entire accn'
racy Of recollection and truth Of mar
ratiye "Old Bin was never known
TO tell a lie In All hls NE and no
cherlshes his reputation for vcracity
a. the very applo Of his eye. The
other night he told a strange tale
about the hcadlcss perogrinlllons OF
the body Of Marie GrignDyiiz, which
the police found floating IN a box In
the Chicago river Just north Of the
forks. The corpfe was that Of SRI
u rs or thereibouts and. though II
was MANNED and hacked with knives.
traces Of its unusual beauty remained
perceptible 10 the most unobaervant
Of the hundreds who we're attracted
by curiosity or duty 10 view the body
II was nude when found and the alb
sence " the head seemed 20 add an
insuporable obstacle 10 the difficulties
OF Identification. OmCia's desparei
and even the most ardent Of new
iledgod reporters butted their heads In
vain against this stone wall of mys-
terry. Everyone had given up hope
and II had been determined to inter
the poor headlrss corps next day
when. strangely enough. out ~ no.
where. unheralded nd by route IN.
known then and 4 lly undiscovered
now. the head appeared ~ the morgue.
exciting the wonder of az and the sn-
perstitlous fears Of thousands
never did know how that head came
10 rejoln ~ body. and ! don't suppose
/ ever will" said Clark but what
do know IL just this was on guard
a. the old morgue that nigIt There
might have been three or four bodies
on the slabs can't exactly say. one
Of them being. ~ course. the head
less girl Grignoyltz There had teen
a good many visitors early bat after
a while things got quiet. midnight
came on. and ! sort NJ made myfelf
comfortable IN o Title chair. and. with
Bit Of pipe. and leaned back think
ing Il may be- ms eyes closed for
just second or go but. anyway. a
quick rush " fresh llr aud the shut
ting Of the door sent me on 10 my feet
with a start. glluc 4 arou a quick
~. and ran 20 the door and looked out
No one was In sight. ana all would
have been sin cxoe,t that ! heard .
bell tolling midnight Then ! stepped
back In doors. feeling a BIT queer
somehow turned up the liglts. and
the first thing saa was tha. the body
Of the headless SRI was gone The
naked slab lay there before me. and lts
late occupant had vanished as en-.
/ tlrely a. II she had become a spirit OF
air. Well. now. ! needn't assure you
this took my brci'h away completely
! All the time lnew the body hadn't
been stolen or hadn't disappeared by
natural means. end this made me feel
more peculiar than ever There wasn't
any telephones In those days. and
couldn't do nothing by leaving the
morgue. so ! sac down in my chair
again. feeling a little shlyery IA
been there about minute. I guess.
when fen that same peculiar ruth
~ damp air over my legs. and knew
the door was orcn again. Soft foot
steps came toward me didn't dare
raise my oyo hut the tail OF my
glance fe'l or ac floor and ! raw stalk
past me tbe vJ.. naked feet OF WON.
au Then luk down in my chair
and closed ms eyes with my hands
Tho old man stopped lud with rraa'
dclircnrlon nlrd ais pIro from a can.
vas sack "W,l'" rrsried hf Young
ost auditor. Well said Clsrk. slows
ly. "jusi ihon the sergeant came 90
and together ve went oyor 90 vher,
the bodies lay Lying 0n iLc hrels
~ the hoadlrss girl with 6C- two
hands holding 81 H. was the sto1-
uarlngeycd head Dr. had lost. viii
lts long yellow hair all dlhhled IL
blood The lips were parted and th
white teeth were cleuohod upon q bi
Of parchment II had red letters OF
II. printed In English capitals. whlcl
said
"'Thls n the Head ~ Marie
Grigpoyitz. Traitor
And We never found out singl,
thing moro about the matter" con
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