The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-03-25
AN
How sESubjects" are Procured for n
DissecIing TabIe-NegrOes
Horrible Revelations.

iding in Stringtown and BucktoWn nave
disappeared, and nothing has
.ver been heard of their whereabouts.
These disappearances continued for some
time without exciting much comment ex-
eept among the friends and relatives OF the
parties, and even among them not much
was thought of it, from the reason that q
large portion Of our colored population is OF
a migratory nature, coming into our midst
from the Lord only knows where, and often
without n warning to any person.
Suspieions NAV have been aroused IN the
of the colored people, but if so they
were wise enough to keep their mouths
shut. OF late, however, these appear
ances have largely increased in num-
bers, and at last a private meeting OF
some of our most intelligent colored
citizens who are pretty well-to-do In
the world the subject was discussed In all
its bearings, and it was dete rmined that 1t
a duty they owed to themselves, their
families, and their race, to have the matter
thoroughly investigated. To this end they
Immediately subscribed the sum of S25O,
and a committee of two was appointed to
conduct the investigation, This commit
tee, upon the succeeding day, employed
the services of an individual well known IN
this CITY for his detective ability, and, CIV
ing him a full understanding of their sus-
~piciops. put him 10 work to ferret out the
why and the wherefore of the losses their
population was suffering, also giving him
carte blanche to draw upon them for the
necessary expenses IN conducting his IN
quiry.
The detective this name we cannot at
present publish as it is feared 1t would
place his life in jeopardy at once set to
work to ''work up" the mystery, but was
for a long time unable to obtain the least
trail. although in the course of the first
month after the job was put into his hands,
two more negroes disappeared, n from
Bucktown and one from S~tringtown. he
was almost prepared to give up the job in
despair, when, one Monday morning but a
few weeks since, he was sent for to report
to the committee who had employed him,
and, upon putting in sn immediate
appearance, was informed that q
negro woman living but q short
distance from the canal on West Vermont
street. in Bucktown. had, on the night pre-
yious, while returning from church, been
4 assailed by three men who had attempted
to garrote Der, and had only escaped through
a vigorous use of her muscular development
and her powers of screaming, having made
such a noise that the attacking party were
compelled, to escape arrest, to mount q
spring wagon near by and drive off in hot
haste. The detective felt that at last he
had obtained a clue to the object OF his
search. and at once proceeded to interview
the colored woman. He found her to be
"a large, muscular female, of the
deepest black, weighing fully 800 pounds,
inst such q woman as was calculated to
make a vigorous stand in defense of either
life, property or virtue, against a half score
of men. From her he leaned that this was
the second time she had been assailed by
the same party, and also obtained q very
good description OF the general appearance
of two of the party, n OF whom she said
she could swear to on sight. The descrlp-
tions taIlit d very well with two men who
had been laying around the city for some
time without any visible means of support.
He now proceeded to watch the movements
of these men, and in the course of a few
days obtained sufficient reason to believe
that they were the parties response
BILE for the sudden departure from
among their friends of the
non est da1kIes, and accordingly deter
mined upon a strate getic movement to OBJ
tam possession of the facts in the case.
Watching his opportunity, a few nights
since, he succeeded in getting one of the
suspected men by himself, and producing
a bogus warrant, arrested him upon a
charge of being engaged in the business Of
numbering, and furnishing subjects for dis
section by medical students. The fellow was
a coward, for the moment he found him.
self in custody he became thoroughly
frightened, and at once expressed a willing
ness to tell all about the whole business if
he would be allowed to escape punishment.
This was exactly what the detective want
ed, and taking his prisoner to a room In a
certain hotel, he obtained from him q full
history of the entire affair, which is so hor-
rible in lis details that, as we write, we
shudder to think that men could be found
to originate, much less to execute it.
The prisoner stated that he and three
others, whose names he gave, but which,
for obvious reasons, we refrain from pub
fishing, had for over a year been engaged
in the business of furnishing subjects for
the dissecting knife; that sometimes they
dug up the bodies of lately buried persons,
but they had found it to be far easier to
quietly kill some negro whom they would
waylay at a late hour of the night, or en-
tice to some lonely spot beyond the hear
ing of either police or citizens. He said
that during that line tbey killed, he sup
posed, at least Is negroes, and ~"resurrect-
ed" eight or ten white persons, the NEST
of the subjects being sent by express to
Chicago, a few going to Louisville, and q
few being used here; that they were paid
large sums for the subjects" by the par
ties receiving them, and that no questions
were asked.
Horror-struck by the revelations made
to him by this cold blooded murderer, the
- Il IL
necessary steps for the arrest of the three
others, and, fearing to take his prisoner
upon the street for the purpose of convey
ing him to the Jail where he might posi-
blv meet the others and thus give them an
opportunity tn lump the town." he con-
cluded to lock the man up in the room,
which was in the third story of the hotel,
and go forth for assistance. he ac-
cordingly did so, leaving a porter
on the outside of the door to
watch. He was not gone more than ten min
utes, and when he returned wi b the ne
cessary papers and assistance, upon enter
ing the room imagine his establishment
and chagrin at finding it empty! The bird
had flown. The open window told the
tale. Driven to desperation the william
had from the window succeeded in reach
ing the water. spout, and by what must
have been a superhuman display of
strength and agility, let himself
down to the hotel yard. whence
he had easily escaped to the al
ley and disappeared. He was tracked some
distance in the mud, but at last all trail
was lost. Steps were taken to cause the
arrest of the others, but it was soon ascer-
tanned that they, too, were not to be found,
having disappeared as suddenly as had
their numerous victims. The detective is
of the opinion that the entire party is still
in the city, living perdu until an opportunity
is offered them to leave, as no parties
answering their description have left upon
the various trains leaving the city.
Although it is to be regretted that these
cold-blooded murderers have escaped the
officers of justice, it is a source of gratif-
cation to feel assured that their butchering
operations In our midst nave been brought
to q close. Our colored people may now
go about the streets of nights without fear
of having their throats cut IN a moments
notice, and being the next day served up
on the dissecting board of a medical col
lege. We feel satisfied that many of our
readers will look upon this story as a can
ard, and we cannet blame them for so
doing, as we should certainly not give it
credence or publication were we not salts