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Ere the lid was finally secured, Schwabe placed himself at the head of the coffin, and recognised the skull to be that which he had rescued from the Kassengewolbe. The sarcophagus having then been closed, and a laurel wreath laid on it, formal possession, in the name of the Grand Duke, was taken by the Marshal, Freiherr von Spiegel.
Now it was the custom of the Landschaftscollegium, or provincial board under whose jurisdiction this institution was placed, to CLEAR OUT the Kassengewolbe from time to time whenever it was found to be inconveniently crowded and by this means to make way for other deceased persons and more louis d'or.
"Meanwhile these strange proceedings in the Kassengewolbe began to be noised abroad. The churchyard was a thoroughfare, and many passengers had observed that something unusual was going on.
On such occasions when the Landschaftscollegium gave the order 'aufzuraumen, it was the usage to dig a hole in a corner of the churchyard then to bring up en masse the contents of the Kassengewolbe coffins, whether entire or in fragments, bones, skulls, and tattered graveclothes and finally to shovel the whole heap into the aforesaid pit.
Attention should not be attracted if he could help it. "When the night came, he himself, with a trusty servant, proceeded to the entrance of the Kassengewolbe. The four men were already there. In darkness they all entered, raised the trap-door, adjusted the ladder, and descended to the abode of the dead.
The result was surprising. Without an exception they pointed to the same skull as that which must have been the poet's. The only remaining chance of mistake seemed to be the possibility of other skulls having eluded the search, and being yet in the vault. To put this to rest, Schwabe applied to the Landschaftscollegium, in whose records was kept a list of all persons buried in the Kassengewolbe.
The procession moved through the sleeping city to the churchyard of St. James. Having arrived there they placed their burden on the ground at the door of the so-called Kassengewolbe, where the gravedigger and his assistants took it up.
Accordingly, two days later he returned to the Kassengewolbe at seven in the morning, accompanied only by Coudray and the churchyard officials. "Their first task was to raise out of the vault altogether six coffins, which it was found would bear removal. By various tokens it was proved that none of these could be that of which they were in search.
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