The Wheeling Repository

SOMETHING UNCOMMON.

On Tuesday the 22d inst. a box was found on the Virginia shore of the Ohio river, a short distance below this place. Upon opening the box, it was found to contain the remains of a human body, disfigured in such a manner as to render it difficult to say whether it was that of a white or black person.

The presumption was, that some unfortunate person had been murdered up the river, and the body committed to the current to prevent detection. The Coroner was about to hold an inquest, and applied to Doctor Forsythe to examine the body.

The Doctor intimated that an inquest was unnecessary.

Upon a minute examination of some grave clothes in the box, it was manifest that the body was that of a black woman, lately belonging to the Subscriber, who died on the 10th inst. and was decently interred. It is also ascertained, that the body was taken from the grave, sawn and hacked to pieces, by the midnight butchers of Dr. Forsythe's shop; and that they afterwards placed it, in a most indecent manner, in the box in which it was found, and, with peculiar inhumanity, put the box in the river, and left it to be cast ashore, where the body might be eaten up by dogs, hogs, &c.

Is it fitting, that the remains of any human being should be exposed in this way? Would any person possessing the smallest share of humanity, or decency, have any hand in such a brutal and infamous transaction? It is hardly credible, that persons who had not divested themselves of every humane and honourable principle, would so far degrade themselves, or disregard the feelings of others, as to be guilty of such conduct.

If the remains of deceased persons are to be disturbed and mangled in this way, it may fairly be presumed, that cases of death, though solemn and distressing to others, will be desired, and heard of with satisfaction, by the savages of the Doctor's shop. So general is the dread of similar treatment, that scarcely any family in the town or its vicinity, would, in case of the death of a relative, be willing to trust the corpse in the grave-yard, without a guard to prevent its being taken up.

This is published to the world, in order that the indignation of the public may be awakened against such an inhuman and abominable proceeding.

GEORGE KNOX.

Wheeling, Dec. 28th, 1807.