Today's Story of Strangeness: Roger Williams was one of the most honored and most beloved of the new settlers in the New World. He arrived in Massachusetts from Cambridge, England, in 1631. He was subsequently banished to Rhode Island for his loudly outspoken religious views. Williams eventually became the leader of a tiny colony that was well known for its unprecedented religious freedom. When Roger Williams died in 1683, he was buried in a grave marked by a modest headstone. It was some time later that the officials of Rhode Island decided to erect a more appropriate memorial. When they opened the grave, however, it was empty. At first, grave robbers were suspect. But, it was much stranger than that. It seems that as the roots of a nearby apple tree grew, they pushed their way into the coffin where they overtook, and eventually absorbed the remains of Roger Williams. The evidence was there, in the coffin, where the tangled roots bore a remarkable resemblance to a human body. The commission decided to remove and preserve the roots which are now in the possession of the Rhode Island Historical Society. (via Blue Moon News)
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