Year: 1866

Ahtf u Il -hNSa4 y u t4ilS Sit ,
is writing a series of verv entertain
ing articles fo- the Lailes' Repository
on Roger Williams, she founder of the
State Of Rhode Island In the last
number we find the following curious
statement concerning the remains Of
the distinguished man


Ninety years after his death, IN
I'LL, steps were taken TO erect to him
some suitable monument, bat the
storms of the revolution came on. and
the work was forgotten. But recently
the quest ton has been agitated anew.
and Williams may yet at least have
some outward sign TO mark his great
ness and Perpetuate his name. Dur
ing period c. lS3 years not even
rough stone has been set up to mark
the grave of the founder of Rhode
Islond, till the precise locality of his
grave had been almost forgotten, and
could onlv be ascertained BIZ the most
careful investigation. Suffice 1t 10
say, however, the spot was found, and
the exhumation made short time
time ago, though there was little to
exhume. On scraping of the turf
from the surface of the ground, the dim
outlines Of seven graves, contained
within less than one square rod, re-
veaIed the burial ground of Roger
Williams. In colonial times each
family had its burial ground, which
was usually near the family residence
Three Of these seven graves were
children, the remaining four adults
The easterly grave was identified rs
that Of Mr. Williams. On digging
down to the charuel house" it was
found that everything had passed INFO
oblivion. The shapes of the. cofins
could only be traced by a black line
of carbonacious matter the thickness
of the edges of the sides Of the cof-
fms, with their ends distinctly defined
The rusted remains of the hinges and
nails, with a few fragments of wood
and single knot, was al that could
be gathered from his grave. In the
grave of his wife there was not q
trace Of anything save 4 single lock
of braided hair, which had survived
the lapse of more than $50 wears.
Near the grave is venerable apple
tree, when and by whom planted IS
not known. This tree had sent two
Of its main roots into the graves Of
Mr.. and Mrs Williams. The larger
root had pushed It's way through the
earth until IL had reached the preci.e
spot occupied by the skull of Roger
Williams There making turn as if
going round the skull, it followed the
direction Of the back bone TO the hips
Here it divided into two branches.
sending one along each leg to the heel,
where they both turned toward the
toes. One Of these roots formed a
slight crook at the knee, which makes
the whole bear a very close rcsem-
blance TO the human form. This sin
gular root IS preserved with great care.
not only as an illustration of a great
principle of vegetation, but for its
historic association. There were the
graves emptied of every particle Of
human dust; not trace of anything
was left. It Is known TO chemistry
that all flesh, and the galatinous mat
ter giving consistency 10 the bones.
are resolved into a carbonic acid gas,
water and air, while the solid lime
dust usually remains. But in this
case even the phosphate of lime of
both graves was al gone. There
stood the e guilty apple tree, as was
said at the time, caught IN the very
act Of " "robbiug the grave


To explain the phenomenon Is not
the design Of this article. Such an
explanation could be given, and many
other similar cases adduced But this
fact must be admitted: The organic
matter Of Roger Williams has been
transmitted to the apple tree; 1t had
passed into the woody fibre, and was
now capable Of propeiling steam en-
CINE; it had bloomed in tie apple
blossoms, and had become pleasant to
the eve; and more, 1t had gone into
the fruit from wear to year, so that
the question might be asked, who ate
Roger Williams?'