"Respecting His Memory."

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 209, 16 October 1888, Page 2

"Respecting His Memory."

REPUGNANT PROCEEDINGS. [iSQM OUB OWN COBRESFONDSNT ] . 81'DSBX, Oat. 1). “ What may happen to a man after he la dead ” was seen the other day iu the case of the remains of the late brilliant ut unstable Deneihy. He is a celebrity of the early days of the colony. Many have never heard of him. but to - rie section of our colonists his memory is elijjqst an object of idolatory. ijp possessed phenomenal' talepta both as a speaker and writer. But his instability wai equally phenomenal. He gave way to drunken habits and died in poverty and disgrace at Bathurst, where he was buried in unconsecra’e I ground. A number of admiress, headed by Mr D. O'Connor, M P. for West Sydney, thought the time had arrived to do honor W hik remains, and last week they obtained authority to ransack the Bathurst burying ground in search of the relics. Here they were met by unexpected difficulties. People who knew to an inch where the body was buried 2o years ago were strangely at fault when the ground began to be turned over. The first body exhumed and thought-to be his was rejected, as a pair of gaol boots were found iu the coffin. It was finally settled that it was the remains of “ Spjder,” an aboriginal who had been hanged for rape. Then a skhU w as turned qp, with a remarkable foontal deve’op. ment, which was at once claimed as that of tl;e departed orator. Bpt unfortunately the thigh bones which appeared to belong' <o the said skull were those of a iqqn folly six feat high, whereat Deneihy was rather under than over the average height. This trifling difficulty, however, was solved by an old identity, who claimed to remember that the bones in question had been thrown on the top of Deneihy’s coffin at h» interment. Eventually a satisfactory assortment of fragments was irjustered, put into a gorgsons cofiiu spfl sept down to Sydhey. ’ A. for the Other remains, whose last resting-place was «o unceremoniously disturbed, I have uot heard that any special care was taken of them. Over those which were said to bo Deneihy’s Mr O'Connor orated in his usual florid style, and they received, moreover, the eoo esi rstioal good offices of which they had so long been di-nrived- In view of the fact that large numbers of persons affect unbounded admiration for the dead-gud-gcue recipient of these posthumous honors,Tit is a remarkable and noteworthy fact that out of the whole popuhtion of the metropolis only eighteen attended the ceremony. Surely it would have been possible to vindicate his memory without so many unsavory oonodiiiitant«i|