POTATO PLOTS ____ Between the Graves in St. John's Cemetery. An Accusation made Against Superintentent SCHNEIDER-- Appears to be the Result of Business Rivalry. ___
Farmers at Wallabout market this morning discussed the discovery that potatoes are planted in St. John's Roman Catholic Cemetery at Middle Village, in Newtown, Long Island, and jests were made as to the richness of the soil. For many years John SCHNEIDER has been identified with the cemeteries of Newtown and at present he is the superintendent of St. John's. Adjoining the latter is Columbia Park, a picnic grove, with a hotel attached, of which Henry F. CLOSIUS, is the proprietor. Many visitors to the cemetery patronize the place. The brisk business done by CLOSIUS for a long time evidently made Superintendent SCHNEIDER envious of him and he determined to have a share thereof in his family. With SCHNEIDER to determine was to act, so one fine funeral day, not long ago, there fluttered in the breeze from a tavern near the cemetery gate the banner of Andrew LEITZ, showing pictures of foaming and enticing schooners. Mr. LEITZ is the son in law of Superintendent SCHNEIDER, and his rivalry made Henry CLOSIUS angry. Mr. CLOSIUS was anything but inactive. He had heard from a grave digger in the cemetery a story of an alleged most diabolical act on the part of Superintendent SCHNEIDER. It was to the effect that one day in putting up a monument on a plot Superintendent SCHNEIDER found that the head of a coffin was in the way and ordered eighteen inches of it sawed off. The sawing, according to the story, severed the head of the corpse in the coffin. At once Mr. CLOSIUS reported the matter to Bishop McLOUGHLIN, but nothing came of it. The rivalries between the saloons of CLOSIUS and Superintendent SCHNEIDER'S son in law, LEITZ, continued and grew very bitter. CLOSIUS looked around again to get square. He noticed a few days ago that SCHNEIDER was planting potatoes and corn around and about the graves in the cemetery, and further investigations showed that one early crop of magnum bonums, the finest meatiest sort of spuds ever grown on the whole island, was ripe for digging and being dug. Those are the ones the Wallabout farmers referred to. "Aha!" said CLOSIUS to himself and at once another letter was dispatched to Bishop McLOUGHLIN. To learn what the Bishop thought of growing potatoes in a graveyard an EAGLE reporter called to-day at the big granite episcopal mansion at Greene and Clermont avenue. "You have received a complaint against the Superintendent of St. John's Cemetery?" said the reporter. "I have nothing to say," said the venerable prelate. "It was as to making a farm of the cemetery?" "I have nothing to say," said the Bishop. "Superintendent SCHNEIDER has been accused of beheading a corpse," said the reporter. "I have nothing to say," said the head of the diocese. The fight between the rival saloons at Newtown continues, and CLOSIUS now wants ball playing as well as potato growing in the cemetery. SCHNEIDER admits that he has raised the produce in the cemetery but says he has turned over the proceeds to the cemetery authorities. Back to CEMETERY INDEX Back to CEMETERY INDEX Back to BROOKLYN Page Main