Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-03-24
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE BODy.SNATCHERS.


"THERE's very few that knows more
about body snatchers than do" said q
voice. when you talk about 'em now, II
can only be hearsay but / have been
among EN-" The speaker was tall, griz-
z1ed man, 10 arough pilot jacket; and hay
ing spoken, he drew some whiffs from his
short pipe, and no one referring again to
the subject, it dropped. It was in front
of the bar Of the Five Bells ] heard this,
as with friend, I had called for q glass
of ale, one dusty evening last summer.
A group OF men were there, all akin, in
their attire and aspect, to the one ! have
mentioned. / caught up the words, and
having read much about these "resurrec-
tionists," and often wondered what sort
of men they were, / therefore waited until
the pewter measures Of the group had
been drained and the men began to drop
Off Ny particular man was the last one
to depart-and, indeed. he did not offer
to leave until he had felt sadly but un-
iGrrn'sa d iS s assed As n n
if he could spare half an hour with q
couple Of strangers who wanted a little
gossip before they resumed their walk.
He answered civllly enough that he was
at our service, although he was afraid he
wasn't fit company for the like of us.
BEING put at his ease on this point, he
showed no further hesitation, but followed
US into the little parlor. and, with glass
and pipe refilled, listened TO my request
that he would tell US something about the
body-snatchers. 48i1 ri. ~
"You see, gents" commenced Robert
Purrell, for such, he had at once Informed
us, was his name, that fiveand-thirty or
forty years ago-say forty-things were
very different to what they are now.
You hadn't got your police, and not over
much gas, and oil-lamps and Charleys-
as we. used TO call the watchmen were
not OF much use. And the law has been
altered too, in some way that don't un.
derstand, and there is no occasion to steal
bodies out of churchyards. They used to
be churchyards then, but now you have
got cemeteries everywhere. DO you
think that cemeteries are as good in law
as churchman's ?" We assured him Of
our belief on this point, but he heard US
with the air of a man who, while uncon.
WINGED, does not deem it polite to main
tain his point too stubbornly. AT any
rste," he continned, "thcre was . good
deal OF money made in those days by men
who supplied the hospitals, and they ran
all sorts of risks to get the bodies
subjects, as the doctors called 'em--and
wcre punis.s.t If they were caught.
never heard, Ll,nd you, OF a doctor being
punished for 'niying these bodies which
is another thing | never could under
stand and don't think that anyhow
holds good in law. Lor' bless you'll You
can't think what q stir there used to be-
1t was very common thing for people &c
sit up for week or two,l and watch the
graves of their friends, especially IL they
had died Of any uncommon disease, or i
a strange cart had been seen about, j
was wonderful, gents, what lot OF sus
picion was always raised II strange car
was seen anywhere, and it was through
their trying TO get over this, that l came
" be useful TO the body .snatchers
II was bargeman then, and am now
and l have worked nearly all the tim'
since on the same bit Of canal, LITTLE
more or less; but at that time bad charg'
of bost which worked to q wharf at
little place about twenty miles down
Though 1t was very lonely littl'
place, 1t was the only wharf abou
there where the farmers could have thu
stuff for their lands brought, or the brick
makers could send their bricks to, and 81
we did more business than you would
have thought: for one or another w
worked down there pretty nigh all thu
wear round. / knew, Of course, a lot 0
rough parties at the London end, ant
among them was one Bill simmons
had known him long time a. dog.fan
cier, and as chap that used to hang abou
public houses, and play good deal q
dominoes-in fact, we used to think h
was 8 bonnet A bonnet gents, IL
party who is in league with sharps and
csmblers, and his game was chiefly dom
mo bonnet. But one day he said TO me
when I was having drop just - I ma.
be now, and when there was nobody bu
ourselves In the room, Bob, he says, d
YOU want to earn pound or 20 ever.
now and then, easys' OF course I aid
did; and then he said, Il know Lonl
Hayslip, where you are working 70. vel
and know It's & quiet place, with . quie
churchyard, and that II you drop two 0
three OF us mile before You get there
we are In easy reach Of two or three othe
cribs Now, I do good deal Of bushes
in subjects, and with the best-paying hos
pitfalls, too, All want, of you is to Civ
us a lift now and then In your barge; NJ
one will suspect YOU Then he explained
how every cart seen travellng Dy nlgn
was supposed 70 contain bodies, and D.
they were always being chased and how
we should be met at aquiet place on tn
canal as we came up, and our load takel
away--our extra passengers he callet
them and Vt last agreed 70 join In tn,
plan. told him ! thought there WASH
q chance Of doing much Ia that quiet vii
Iage, where few died and were buried
but then he showed me again, ~ he hat
told me before, that mile or twoon thi
side Of the village there were, other buri
al-grounds within an easy run Of tn
canal. It seems, too, they had made
friends with the sexton, OF, q any rate
one ofcthe grave-diggers OF these places
and. sure enough, had not agreed II
helm them more than a week, before Sim
mons MAS waiting for me at the public
hnuae. n saw that he and friend or two