The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-05-13
GHARLEsT!oN's LONG
FORGOTTEN CEMETERY
Human Bones Thrown Up in the
Streets---Workmen For the New
Water System Find Many De-
caying Skulls and Coffns.

Rottlng fragments OF collins and
pieces sof skulls, bones and decaying
remains of human skeletons were un-
covered yesterday by the laborers en-
gagged in digging trenches in Magazine
and Franklin streets for the pipes of
the new Waterworks plant. The first
grave was discovered near the corner
of Franklin and Magazine streets.
The pick of the colored workman cut
through the top Of the coffin and ex-
posed the front of skull and the bone
of an arm. With a gasp the negro
dropped his pick and did some astonish-
ing footwork, which removed him
dozen yards from the grewsome re-
mains The attention of Mr.. Ned
Roach, who is in charge of the gang,
was attracted by the tumult and he
directed the negroes to continue their
digging. Less than five feet from the
first grave another pile of rotting
bones and pieces Of coffin were un-
covered. When the negroes began to
dig in Franklin street nearly every
stroke Of the pick disclosed human
skull, the decaying pieces of cotfins and
numerous bones.
The trench dug from Magazine street
to Queen street, in Franklin street,
disclosed one continuous line Of graves.
Working grimly away the sturdy ne
groes piled pick and shovel and tossed
into the street the bones of the forgot.
ten ancestors of latter day Charles
tonians. No effort is being made to
preserve the fragments 50 that they
NAV be inferred; they are thrown to
one side with the rest of the debris,
and will be carted away as old rubbish.
Alas, poor Yorlck!
There seems little doubt that the
tenantry of an old graveyard have been
thus rudely disturbed. Whose
bones have lain buried in these
thccoughfares for so long time offers
the widest latitude for speculation and
conjecture. The Oldest inhabitant has
thrown up the sponge, No one here
about, so far as could be ascertained
yesterday. ever heard of a graveyard
being located in this section Of the
city. From the appearance Of the
graves end the condition of the bones
it is believed that the remains of some
of the early settlers Of Charleston
have been sbovelled into the glare Of
the Goth century.
The foundation of the present City
of Charleston was laid in 1880. Thirty
houses were built in that year and the
records indicate that they were all
erected in the neighborhood where
these graves were found. According
to history this section of the city at
that time was the resident part" Of
lLa g. II,
part Of the town that had any resi-
dents. Some of the oldest structures
in Charleston are to be found near
Magazine and Franklin streets, and
two hundred years ago this was the
favored section of the colony. It is
therefore not unlikely that Cuffy and
his pick yesterday ripped open the
narrow sepulchres Of some of the
Roundheads and Cavaliers who sought
refuge in Carolina more than two
centuries ago that they might enjoy
liberty of conscience and be free to
worship God according TO their lights
The coffins, of course, had fallen to
decay and crumbled to dust when
touched. Many Of the bones, however
were so well. preserved that their
place in the anatomy Of man could be
determined A Reporter for The
News and Courier unearthed a
piece of skull which bore striking re-
semblance to the cranium of Puri-
tan. The same high forehead, narrow
ing near the eyes, which Bonte in his
great book has described as character
istic of the Puritan type Of head, dis
tinguished this skull from others that
were tossed out of the trenches
Superstitious negroes living in this
section of the city are much wrought
up at this unseemly desecration of
what is probably an old Colonial
cemetery. 1t is safe to predict that
the colored citizens of this community
will not include Magazine and Frank
lin streets in their future peregrina
tions after nightfall.
None of the bodies was buried more
than three feet below the surface of
the soil, nor more than five feet from
the centre of the throughfare. Not
less than half hundred graves were
uncovered yesterday, and the decay
ing pieces of ribs, skulls and other
fragment of skeletons would, if collect