Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 1
Theywereasfollows:
MORECEMETERYDELVING
ItwasthismorningdiscoveredbyRobertHart,nightwatchmanattheNorthBurialGround,thatghoulswereagainatworkintheancientportionofthecemetery.ThegraveofEzraWeeden,whowasbornin1740anddiedin1824accordingtohisuprootedandsavagelysplinteredslateheadstone,wasfoundexcavatedandrifled,theworkbeingevidentlydonewithaspadestolenfromanadjacenttool-shed.
Whateverthecontentsmayhavebeenaftermorethanacenturyofburial,allwasgoneexceptafewsliversofdecayedwood.Therewerenowheeltracks,butthepolicehavemeasuredasinglesetoffootprintswhichtheyfoundinthevicinity,andwhichindicatethebootsofamanofrefinement.
HartisinclinedtolinkthisincidentwiththediggingdiscoveredlastMarch,whenapartyinamotortruckwerefrightenedawayaftermakingadeepexcavation;butSergt.RileyoftheSecondStationdiscountsthistheoryandpointstovitaldifferencesinthetwocases.InMarchthedigginghadbeeninaspotwherenogravewasknown;butthistimeawell-markedandcared-forgravehadbeenrifledwitheveryevidenceofdeliberatepurpose,andwithaconsciousmalignityexpressedinthesplinteringoftheslabwhichhadbeenintactuptothedaybefore.
MembersoftheWeedenfamily,notifiedofthehappening,expressedtheirastonishmentandregret;andwerewhollyunabletothinkofanyenemywhowouldcaretoviolatethegraveoftheirancestor.
