The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-11

essentially trenchy ana tragic ever 10 nave
come from the thoroughly English pen of
Charles Dickens, will recollect charac-
ter named Jerry Cruncher. Jerry's' me-
mory will live forever in the dual circum-
stances that be resuscitated dead folks for
living, and entertained decided aLtipathy to
Mrs. Crunchers periodical "hoppings." Notwith-
standing the grotesqueness with which the char
acter of the man is invested, in the charming
style of the inimtable author its hideous
deformity is made SO conspicuous that we
cannot contemplate it without mingled feelings
of pity end disgust-pity that any man, ideal
though he be, should be so debased as to prey
upon the dead tor livelihood, and disgust at
the thoroughness OF his debasement
But in the estimation of the world, however
shallow it 'nay be, men are only good or bad,
worthy to be esteemed or worthy to be despised,
by comparison. The only test of excellence Is
sliding scale, and the best of men rarely bother
their heads to enoIn conformity to an inhexible
standard of morality In fact the moral law
varies with the latitude and longitude of places;
and what would be tolerable in Paris would be
shocking to the moral sensibilities of Philadel.
phia Nevertheless, there are crimes that,
throughout the civilized world, awaken, by their
recital, general feeling of horror and indigna-
ton. One touch of conscience, rs of nature,
makes the whole world kin.
A crime which has always been held in uni.
versal detestation-and which yet, so far as can
be ascertained, has always been practised among
civilized people, since the necessities of anatomy
first made it "pay"--is the resurrection of the
dead, which legal enactments have never been
able to prevent though they have so hedged it
about with danger, that they who follow it must
needs be men Of most abandoned and desperate
aatures,
All Philadeiphians have heard or known, that
in past wears the resJrectionists piled their ne.
farious trade in this city, with considerable
audacity and success. The tales OF their dark
deeds yet live 70 enliven social conversation,
and give weird attractlveness to the budget of
nursery-tales Indeed, most of the children are
better informed in this department Of our loc al
history than the grown-up generation.
In the same connection, the traditions Of the
Almshouse are revived; and the feeling of indg-
nation and horror which prevailed in the CON-
munity about ten years ago, at the discovery
that the dead bodies of the paupers had been
sold as merchandise to medical and surgical col
leges, for anatomical purposes, is still fresh in
the minds of the people.
How may Philadelphians know or guess that
the deeds of the resurrectiopists are more than
horrible tradition? How many of us, in our
quaintest dreams have ever dreamed that Jerry
Cruncher,-the actual Jerry, alive and in the
fesh-abides among us; walks through the
streets of our quiet law-abiding city by day, and
prowls like beast OF prey through our still and
solemn graveyards by night? The fact is even
so; but worse than any beast of prey is Jerry
Cruncher, for beasts of prey will never harm the
dead.
The race of resurrectionists, SO far as Phila-
delpbia is concerned, is by no means extinct.
The number of men engaged in the infamous
vocation is, of course, very small. In fact, they
scarcely exceed a corporars guard. Without
exception they are men of brutal instincts, lost
to all sense of shame, and having no fear but the
fear of the law before their eyes. Without ex-
ception, too, they are men of Incorporate habits
with whom the craving for strong drink has
overcome every honest impulse, and uprooted
every sentiment of self.respect that may ever
have had existence in their natures.
1t is a singular fact too, that the "body-
snatchers" are, as a rule, cowardly, supersti-
tious set of fellows. They never think of paying
a nocturnal visit to a cemetery without pre-
viously fortifying the inner man with "eau de
vie;" and they never go on such an expedition
alone, but always "in couples and groups" like
the dancers at the ball of Mr.. Lanigan.
All of these men have tales to unfold calcu-
lated to harrow up the soul and freeze the young
blood, and make each particular hair of a super
stitious head stand up on end. OF course their
marvellous experiences are altogether the effects
of a lively imagination distorted by bad whisky,
and their narratives are a tissue of fancy, exag.
geratiOn. and ofttimes braggadocia.
A soulless wretch who has snatched five or six
bodies from their earthly resting-place, and torn
from them the clinging cerements, in which per-
haps loved hands enfolded them, and loved eyes
looked upon them, no longer feels a bit of
scruple about the business. He does his work as
methodically as a sexton, and with as little in
ward qualms. He becomes hardened and i'm.
bruted, and is fit for anything.
For the most part, they are only novlces in the
business who fancy it attended with superna-
tural revelations. AS the thief doth fear each
bush an officer, so doth the 'green' body
snatcher dread each rustling leaf as the football
of ghost.
Apropos of our weird subject the late Doctor
McMuItrie Professor of PLY sizes and Anatomy in
the Central High School, used to tell a curiou:
local story. According to the Doctor, resur
rectionist paid professional visit one midnlgh
to a graveyard, VIII ere the body of gentleman
who had died suddenly, from natural causes, i
was supposed, had been inferred. The gentle
man had been in affluent circum stances ThI