A Strangs Story.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 80, 23 May 1871, Page 7

A Strangs Story.

The Hartford (Connecticut) Journal relates the following interesting story of tiie grave of the late Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island : —Ninety years after Lis death—that is in 1771—steps were taken to erect some suitable monument to the memory of tho founder of Rhode Island, but the storma of the involution came on and tho work was forgotten. Recently the subject has been revived, and Roger Williams may yet have some outward sign to mark and perpetuate his name. The precise locality of Ins grave has been carefully ascertained and examined. On scraping off tho turf from the surface of the ground the dim outlines of seven graves were found, contained within less than one Square rod. In colonial times each family had its ,own burial ground, which was usually near the family residence. Two of these seven graves were those of children, the remaining four were adults. The easterly grave was identified as that of Mr Williams. On digging down into the

“ chiiniel house,” it was found that everything had passed into oblivion, The shapes of the codins could only bo traced by a black line of carbonaceous matter—the thickness of the edges of the side of the colllns, with their ends distinctly detined. The rusted remains of the hinges and nails, a ith a few fragments of wood and a single round knot, was all that could be gathered from his grave. In the grave of Ins wife there was not a trace of anything save a single lock of braided hair, which had survived the lapse of more than ISO years. Near the grave stood a Venerable apple tree, when and by whom planted is not known. This tree has sent two of its main roots into the grave of Mr and Mrs Williams. The larger root had pushed its way through the earth till it reached the precise spot occupied by the skull of Roger Williams. Then making a turn as if going round the Skull, it followed the direction of the backbone to the hips. Here it divided into two branches, sending one along each leg to the heel, where both turned Upwards to the toe. One of those roots formed a crook at the knee, which makes the whole hear a very close resemblance to the human form. The graves were emptied of every particle of human dust. It is known to chemistry that all flesh and the gelatinous matter giving consistency to the hones, are resolved into carbonic acid gas, water, and air, while the solid lime dust usually remains. But in this case oven the phosphate of lime of the bones in both graves was all gone. There stood the “guilty apple tree,” caught in the very act of “ robbing tho grave." The organic matter of Roger Williams had passed into woody fibre and bloomed iji the apple blossoms, and had become pleasant to the eye ; and more, it had gone into fruit from year to year, so that tho question might be asked, who ato Roger Williams ]