Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-03
Many Veterans of the Con-
federacy Expected to
Stop in Richmond.
ROMAATIc HISTORY OF
! THE HALL0WED SPOT
Raids of the Ghouls Who
! Robbed the Graves of the
: Dead Poor Recalled.
~BY VERA PALMER.

tho Lost Cause in those tragically
storious days OF 6l-65 Will meet once
more In their annual reunion and
recount tales OF battlefield and camp
IRE. Many Of these visitors. doubt
lass. will journey over TO oakwood
Cemetery, where 5000 OF their
marked only by little square head
stones placed by grateful coun-
try.
But. we OF the younger generation.
know comparatively nothing OF that
burial ground in the eastern section
OF the city unless We happen 10 have
lots there In which all that is mortal
Of our loved ones have been laid.
There are probably many citizens
who think of the place just once a
year-the annual memorial day
which is observed. May 10th. the
birthday OF General Stonewall Jack
son.
although Oakwood today is the
largest cemetery in the South in
point of area. this has not always
been true. for when it was formed
In 1856 il comprised only sixty acres.
This part is not far from the main
gate and is known as the Old Range,
and "isasurrounded by the principal
Roadway. But il did not take long
for tipe and disease to fill so small
a spaccS for although Hollywood had
been dedicated, ii was In the far
western part OF the city; out of town
by many squares.
States another GO acres was bought
from Jacob and Adam Feitig, and is
Known as the annex. 1t is located
on the north side ,of the cemetery
II was from Emily c. Shores that the
first part was purchased. Then
just two years ago Jacob Feitig dis
posed of number OF additional
acres to the company. the ground ex-
tending out to Thirty-,irst Street.
w. Allen Dickinson was keeper OF
this..iiiteresting old graveyard from
February ]. 1850. 20 March |. 1890.
when ne was succeeded by his SON
in-law, r. Lynn Tucker. who for
many years had been connected with
the Office of the City Treasurer. Mr..
Dickinson. II is said. knew more
about old Richmond and especially
the families holding sections in the
Cemetery. of which he was custodian
would seem that Mr.. Tucker has in
herited not only his office, but much
Of MS information.
Apunnsual Spot.
some of the most unusual spots In
brenct, OF Washington 4 Frenchman,
as the final resting place OF his in
FAINT, son; The structure is of red
ground floor there is an altar COM
plctely enriched with the symbols
OF N" toHAn Catholic Church. OF
which the owner Is known TO be a
devout son. To one side OF the door
is a stairway leading to the crypt
where now not only is the body of the
bEenet. On the left OF the entrance.
over which is cross, is tablet
with the following inscription in
French:
ard .Dauhrenet. born at Washington
the e22nd OF Septmber, lSSI-dicd at
Richmond the 9th OF August. 1889. at
the age of twenty-five months and
six days.
A"At the request OF the family"
Then there are the Nethcrwood
statues which were ehiseled by lanes
sbd sis aSG Mns
widely known stone-mason and con-
tractor OF this city. and ne is said TO
have had an important part in the
CONSTRUCTION of the present City Han;
The statue to himself was completed
several years prior 10 his death and
represents the sculptor IN ordinary
dress. but wearing the lamb kin
apron III The order of Ancient. Free
and Accepted MasonS. II sNrmounts
marble column .Ssiia.to have been
submitted and rejected as par, Of the
mortal TO Mrs. Motherhood Is an al
legorical figure The sculptor stone
mason was an Eng,isnman; born In
Yorkshire, but he came 10 this coun-
try in early youth.
Many Unclaimed Sections.
sone OF the greatest difficulties now
confronting Mr.. Tucker is the large
numbeT-. of unclaimed sections. in
going soycr his books nc finds, for in
stn ncet. p lot standing in certain
name and further perusal shows that
not only is the owner dead, hut also
his wife and perhaps his children.
The only way now TO trace any con-
nection is 10 search for the heirs OF
TIVE original owner and, II possible, to
obtain from them funds for tho up
keep of the section in question. There
are more than 1000 Of these unclaim-
ed lots, and while the company keeps
the grass cut for the sake OF the
general. appearance OF the cemetery,
yet there is a certain neglected APP
pearance. especially as many OF u.
mounds are sunken and have no
markers.
whenever a clue is found the
keeper promptly sends off 4 letter
TO the supposed claimant, but the an
swers do not come IN SO quickly as
he would desire. One would think
that persons would not be reluctant
about keeping neat and trim the
graves Of their relatives. but IL APP
pears that such is no, always the
case.
.aThere was Grea, excitement in the
city in 1850, particularly for those
citizens who had loved ones buried III
Onkwood, !or II was announced that
ghouls were at work and that al
ready forty graves had been rohbcd.
the graveyard several times q week,
1T was declared, and II could be cas-
. 1y seen where the grass was
trampled by the dragging OF the bod
les. q II was the eastern part OF the
cemetery which suffered most-that
SECTION where the poorer people were
4 buried. blu; this fact did not lessen
the horror.
aAltho ugh some OF the bodies were
Grave Robbers Driven Out.
chesapeake and Ohio Railway, the
ihto the dissect!ng room Of the Ned
tfce produced actual terror among in
dsviduals who declared publicly that
they.were afraid 10 die for dread Of
the Body -snatchers getting them. The
Incident created so great n Juror that
the Council Committee on Cemeteries
sfarted an Investigation. and regard
B convicted. the grave robbers found
the community too hot for them and
they bad to- transfer their activities
} There are 1000 sections in Cakwood
and mot even Mt. Dickinson knew
3 how many graves, but H. is though.
THAT 10000 would not DE too nigh an
3 estin7ate.. II Is not cemetery o.;
%the famous. like Hollywood, neither
4 does one see 30 many handsome tomb
stories, for II Is the resting nlace OF
thosaf OF m edium means But sureiy
slaere Is no acre of God in the coun
thy which can boast OF more bcauti-
~ III NpUepa nr hstfnr Lar,