Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-03-14
A Mysterious
Burial inSiarn
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper union.l
BY WARREN MILLER


of Bankok, lived Lin Thai in al
thatched house elevated on posts and
looking more like an antiquated barn
than anything else. One night Linn
Thai came home from q gambling
house in Bankok-the Siamese beat.
the Mexicans in gambling-having lost
what little money he had, and settled
himself to chewing the betel nut be-
fore turning in on his straw bed.
While thus engaged, the juice of the
betel nut dripping through the open1
ings in the floor, Lin looking through
the crevices in the back of the house,
uttered an exclamation of surprisa
and cunning satisfaction. His abode,
though primitive one, stood in the
vicinity of the residence of Thee Wan,
rich ivory merchant. Lin had very
good eyes and could distinguish dis
tant objects with remarkable clears
ness.
He saw Thee Wan and his wife car
rying from the rear of their house al
box just large enough to contain lit
tie child. Thee carried the box while
his wife held, light. They took the
box to spot about hundred yards.
from their house; Thee dug hole inI
the ground; the box was placed in it,
covered with earth; then the man and
his wife knelt beside the spot, and
they said their prayers. This being
finished, Thee led his wife away, she.
weeping as though her heart would
break.
Linn Thai was overjoyed. He had
often gazed upon the palatial resi-
dence of Thee Wan and cursed his
fate in having to live in such hum
BILE abode as his own while Thee Wan
resided in such splendor. Lin did
not consider that while the merchant
had worked hard for his comforts, he
Nim) had spent his time gambling,
Lin had lively Imagination, and
evolved many explanations of the Sc
cret burial he had witnessed. This
was his favorite theory: Thee VANS
wife had an orphan nephew, minor,
who would inherit large fortune in
elephants. The child had been under,
the care of his aunt. To get possess
sion of the elephants, the couple had
murdered the heir and buried him in
the rear of their grounds in the dead
of night.
While Linn was asleep that night he
dreamed that Buddha had appeared to
him and told him that his theory was
correct, and directed him to send a
message to Thee telling him that he
knew his secret and unless he would
send him a hundred tekels (about $500
he would inform the kings officers
that he had seen him and his wife
bury their nephew at midnight
Now, while Linn had every conf
dence in his dream and in Buddha, he
would rather have examined the grave
himself and confirmed the theory. I'm
fortunately, the grounds of Thee were
inclosed and guarded by dogs. Linn
would have poisoned the dogs, but the
dog is sacred animal in Siam, and
Linn dared not commit such an I'M
holy act. So he proceeded more dis
creetly, obeying Buddha's instructions,
and sent an anonymous letter to Thee
demanding blackmail.
Lin waited week, and receiving
no reply, he sent another message to
Thee, this time demanding a, thou
sand tekels for keeping the secret.
Since this produced no effect he kept
on sending demands, till firing of
threats, he sent one more message
declaring that it was the last, and
that if the money was not Immediate
ly Forthcoming he would inform the
kings judicial officers of what he
had seen.
This, like the rest of Lim's mes
sages, not producing any effect he in
formed the kings chief prosecutor Of
the mysterious burial and awaited the
result. He was soon summoned ito
court, where he told the whole story,
including the elephant fortune, which
had been confirmed by Buddha in his
dream.
The king was very wroth when hel
heard of the elephants, for his majesty
has cinch on the elephants in Siam,
and it is hands off by all others. He
sent an order for Thee Wan to appear
before him and answer to the charge,
that had been made against him and
his wife. Thee appeared at the court,
and begged that the king send his
chamberlain to his hous the grave
should be opened, and the contents Of
the box exposed.
The same day the chamberlain, Thee
Wan, and his wife, and Lin, with at
tendants from the court, stood beside,
the spot where the burial had taken
place. The grave was opened, the lid
removed, and there lay the remains
of little monkey.
Thee explained that it had been
pet of his wife's, that there was no
nephew.> no elephant fortune; indeed,
that Lin had coined the story out of
his brain.
Lin was taken by the chamberlain
TO the king and the results of the in
vestigation were given to his majesty.
Lin begged to be excused for making