History books tell us that Roger Williams was a student at Cambridge before leaving for the harsh New World in 1631.
He was expelled from the Massachusetts Colony for his scandalous views on freedom of religion and went to what is now Rhode Island, where he founded and led the colony, enjoying a reputation as the greatest ascetic in spreading the doctrine of freedom of faith.
Roger Williams died in 1683, becoming by this time a beloved and respected figure in his settlement in the state. They buried him next to his wife, not far from their farm, erecting a modest tombstone over the grave.
Many years later, it was decided to erect a more befitting monument at the burial site of Roger Williams, and a commission was set up to retrieve the remains and organize their ceremonial reburial. A group of workers set to work, but the graves were empty. Roger Williams and his wife disappeared, not even a bone was left.
This case is one of the notable stories of the robbery of the grave, for the criminal was caught at the scene of the crime, although the commission took a certain time to establish his guilt.
Not far from the tombstone was growing a mighty Apple treewell known for its wonderful fruits. The apple tree has its roots in the grave of Roger Williams and his wife.
A large root crawled into the coffin in the place where the head of our hero was, went around it and entered the chest, walked along the back, penetrated into the legs … The roots that swallowed the Williams couple were surprisingly similar in shape to the bodies they replaced.
The main roots, with many branches and branches, were very similar to the circulatory system. The resemblance was so perfect that the roots were taken out and preserved. They are still kept in the Rhode Island Historical Museum.
This is how it became known that those who admired the taste of the fruit from the apple tree at the grave of Roger Williams, in fact, "ate" a famous historical figure. Alchemy of Nature turned our hero into apples.
Root in the museum
