The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-06-25

" Cuftoue PROVISIONS IN last Vesta-
n,snts--Ths Grave Of . Man Who
DisIiksd The Society Of Women.
The remarkable will Of man who
died not long ago directing the under
taker to stab him through the heart
after he had been pronounced dead by
his physician Is not unique one. The
fear Of being buried alive has driven
many a man to stIpulate 10 his will
that extraordinary steps be taken to
make sure Of death.
Thus. for instance. q magnate Of
Plymouth. England. dec reed by his
will that his wife should cut or one
Of his toes or fingers to make sure he
was dead. adding that he made the
request 20 that "as she had been trou.
bIed with one old fool she will not
think Of marrying a second"
The will Of Lord Lytton contained
special directions as to the examina-
ton Of his body in order to provide
against the possibility Of his being
buried while in trance. which ap-
peared to be an apprehension Of his.
A farmer of Hertfordshire. England.
who died In 1120. was 10 certain that
his lethal slumber was to be not really
death. that he inserted in his will his
written wish that. "as he was about
to take a thirty years nap. his coffin
might be suspended from beam in
his barn and by no means nailed
down." He. however. permitted II to
be locked. provided hole were made
In the side. through which tie key
might be pushed. so that he might let
himself ont when he awoke. His
nephew. who inherited the property.
obeyed his whim and did not bury the
coffin till 1851. allowing him an extra
year of grace.
The Sieur BODY, who died In 1915 at
the age Of ninety-six. said In his will:
Eight and forty hours after my de-
cease desire that post mortem ex-
animation be made. that my heart be
taken out and placed in an urn. which
shall be intrusted to NJ. Baudoin (the
undertaken. In conformity with an
arrangement between him and myself
my heart is to be conveyed to q
mausoleum in the department Of La
Mayenne and there to be deposited. as
agreed"
Robert. the famous Earl Of Mellent
and Leicester. one of the early cru.
saders in the holy land. died In l11S
In the abbey Of Preaux. where his
body was buried. but his heart was
conveyed to the hospital at Brackley.
there to be preserved in salt. Isabella.
daughter Of the Earl Of Pembroke. who
died in 1890. ordered her heart to be
sent In a silver cup to her brother.
then abbot Of fTewkesbury. to be buried
there before the high altar. The heart
Of John Baliol. lord Of Barnard cas-.
tie. who died in 1860, was by his wild.
ow's desire inclosed in an ivory caske.
richly enameled with silver.
But all these examples. strange as
they may be. are not especially re-
markable among the countless mum.
bers of curious wills which are record
ed through many generations.
There is. for example. the will Ut a
rich old bachelor, who. incensed at
what he considered the attempts Of his
family to put him under the yoke of
matrimony. vented his spite ON the
whole sex Of women by saying In his
will: II beg that my executors will
see that I am buried where there Is no
woman inferred. either to the right or
to the left OF me. Should this not be
practicable in the ordinary course Of
things direct that they purchase
three graves and bury me in the mid
die one Of the three. leaving the two
others unoccupied."
John Reed. gaslighter Of the Walnut
Street theater, Philadelphia. filed that
post for forty-four years. There is
not on record a single performance at
the thenter ut which he was not pres
ent. He never aspired to appear ON
the stage in his lifetime. but he was
not without his mute ambitions. and
before he died he contrived ingenious.
" to make sure of assuming Shake
speareun role after his death. A clause
In his will read:
my head Ia to be separated from
my body Immediately after my death.
the latter be buried In grave. the
former. duly macerated and prepnred.
to be brought to the theater. where ]
have served all my life. and to be en-
ployed to represent the skull Of YOrick.
and to this end bequenth my head to
the properties."-New York Sun