The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-02-09
BURIED 700 YEARS
TOMB or LoNe-DEED PRELATE
UNCOVERED.
Evidently Place Of sepgleher Of >
Bishop Of tire Roman Catholic
Church, 7ut His History
Has Been Lest

Workmeu at the Minister az Basic.
Switzerland. while installing a new
heating plant short time ag0. dis
1 covered il an interior crypt a tomb.
which has been made the subject OF
= curious investigation.
I It was evident that the body en-
closed IN the stone walls was that OF
a high funetionaFy. tt was clad in the
Testmsnts Of q bishop OF the Roman
Catholic church The skeleton hand
still clasped the wooden crook SYN
bolical OF the shepherd.
Who was the prelats buried in this
box Of stone2 Inquiry showed that the
body was that either OF Bishop Lutold
T., Of ArbuFg who died in 1913, or Of
Bishop Heinrich IT,, Of Thun, who died
Ia 1888. Il Is known, at least, that
the opened tomb contained the re-
mains Of man who died nearly 700
years ago.
The proceedings following this dis
coYery were somewhat remarkable. A
photograph Of the open tomb with the
body In It was taken with great diff
hculty, for it vas almost impossible in
that narrow underground hole to make
a clear picture.
For the purpose Of thorough exam
ination the body was taken from its
bed Of centuries to a room In the mu-
scum Of the city. This was difficult
TO do, for the slightest touch was like
iy to cTumble anything in the tomb TO
dust The examination required two
days. and then the remains we're
buried again, 1t is hoped. never more
to be disturbed.
The body had been embalmed. but
the process only delayed and did not
arrest the process OF decay. The tomb
consisted simply Of slabs Of stone ce-
fnented together and the remains in
their splendid vestments were laid
upon bed Of fiat stones placed in po-
sition without cement.
The head had been pilIowed on a
stone scooped out a little. But the
head had not survived that interval
of seven centuries. Nothing of Il was
found excepting some handfuls of dust.
a small bit Of the lower Jaw and few
teeth.
Some Of the fingers were covered
with skin that had turned to parch
ment, but they crumbled at a touch. A
lew Of the cloths plainly retained their
texture and ornamental designs. but
he greatest care in handling them
was required or they would drop TO
pieces. All were discolored so that
hey looked like brown tobacco leaf.
Chemical tests we're made Of some OF
he cloth, but nothing of importance
VAS discovered.
The highly ornate shepherds stan
lad been made Of pieces Of ash, lin
len and oak wood, mortised together,
'ut now rotten to the center though
Iull perfect In shape.
The most striking results OF the in
'estigation was the photographs, 20
n number, Of the cloth and embroid- <
'ry patterns, The tattered leather san
ials and the tomb Some Of the en-
patterns are Of remarkable \
'eauty and intricacy
There was great difficulty in fixing
he sandals so that they might be pho
ographed. for they were little more
han dust that a breath would blow
way They had been fitted to the
eet Of dead man nearly 300 years
efore Columbus discovered America.
We know of the remarkable scru-
my that has been given to the mum
liied remains of the ancient kings
nd queens Of Egypt; this is probably
he first time that the dust OF a Chris
AN prelate has been subjected to
Imilar investigations The ancient
rocesses Of preserving the bodies OF
he dead far excelled those Of the
hristian era as Is strikngly shown in
ne present case, for the attempt TO