The New York herald., 1872-12-12
SCENES AT TIE MORGUE.


House-A Chastity spcctaclc-Ovcr %. .OOs
vfsitors-Heartrending Scenes and Har-
rowing Incidents.
The Morgue, at Bellevue Hospital, has witnessed
many terrible and hesrtrending spectacles. but II
has rarely presented . picture 30 terrible ana
touching In all tts details as 1t did yester..
day. AS early as six O'Clock in the morn.
ing great crowds Of people had assembled In
front OF the hospital on Twenty-sixth street,
eagerly waiting for the first appearance OF dawn
to gain admittance. Some came to search for
dead relatives or friends, wives, sweethearts or
sisters, but the greater portion had no object In
view but to crafty the morbid curiosity which is 90
rife among the ignorant at the occurrence OF
every disaster. The scene was strongly sug-
gestive Of the morning OF an execution, bus
the occasion was far sadder one, and the spirits
OF the most reckless were hushed into temporary
solemnity by the thought OF the AWFUL tragedy
Numbers OF people had followed the ambuiances
from the hotels, which were carrying OF
the unfortunate women. and had patiently waited
through the long watches Of the night. to see IT,,
among the Victims were numbered those they
loved. An extra force OF police kept guard over
the several gates, and none were admitted until
all preparations had been made for the disposition
Of the bodies to public view.
t THE NINE COFFINs.
About eight O'Clock the gates were thrown open.
and surging mass OF people pressed in.
ghastly sight met their view. Ranged upon the
fagstones of the Morgue were nine red
zeal conins containing all that remained
OF nine women, who the night before had
retired to rest strong In body active In
mind, with no idea OF the fearful fate that was
awaiting them, and no thought that their charred
remains would be exposed to view before the rising
OF another sun, so fearfully disngured that the
friends nearest and dearest to them, would utterly
fail to tell who they had been in life. The nine
collins were ranged in row.
THE FIRST COFFIN
The front CONN contained the body OF woman
which has not been recognized and which never
will, charred and disngured is it. The hair was
burned clean from the head, and the skin
had been stripped from the scalp, leaving
portions Of the skull naked and exposed
to view. The breasts were swollen and
distended to an unnatural size. The nesh
had been scorched from the arms, and nom
the elbows down the bones protruded, blackened
and mangled. The sockets Of the eyes remained,
body was nothing but shapeess mass. The w0-
man in her life must have been tall aud powerful.
all Of are eo1e sSe ag n tSs
coffin next to the gate and as the crowd entered
many started back horriaed and beat hasty re-
treat.
THE SECOND COFFIN.
In the next comm the only marks whereby the
Ds Of
OF hand The head, trunk and limbs were re-
% duced q, to 70 charcoal. and even the bones were
than the half Of it had been entirely CON
pa1 ana wsre es Piece s q
blanket In which they had been wrapped when
n the en- and which had mot been re-
her height, to have been Margaret oGonnor, who
the soubriquet OF sblue-eyed Maggie" She was
general favorite, and her wealth OF
had won for her many admirers. she had been
but short time in the hotel, was only eighteen
years year Of age, , sand % her %un5imely and ID lament
her. In
THE THIRD COFFIN
was the corpse OF seemingly elderly woman.
Of the head. the nose had been completely
tSe or he cs vas was
ghastly cavity. The mouth and teeth were gone,
fragment Of the chin remained, and small shreds
The skull lay open and exposed to view,
the neck was half cut in two, one shoulder had
bones protruded. The feet and legs remained
whole, but SO disfgured and mangled that they
sress d the the dead 5sa
side had been burned out, while the burning
the fragments OF flesh that remained to fearful
dimensions. There was no indication Of blood
mained. the poor victim having been seemingly
first sufrocated and then burned. No clue to the
Identity Of the woman was obtained.
In the fourth CONN the body OF stout young
woman was exposed to view. Though not so dis
figured as the first three her death must nave
been an excruciating one, as, in addition to the
burns she had received her face and neck bore the
deep black, partly remained on her head, but the
flesh had been all peeled OF her neck and
en- s ana ne s and
the eyes had been burned from their sockets. The
knees were drawn up and contracted to almost
denoted that the girl must have died in q parox-
She She wore stili cune to the b body, land and
by these she was recognized young man fran
my sister know her BY the clothes she has on.
saw her week ago and she had the same dress
on o,.. Oh what shall L dol what shall do" The
working in the hotel she had, for some reason
or another, gone by the name OF Nelson.
seemed to be q laborer, wept bitterly. He had
visited his sister few weeks ago and found her In
GOO good heal health: When ne heard she was missing at
Morgue and instantly recognized her remains. As
he made no effort to have the body removed for
burial 1t will probably be inferred at the expense
OF the hospital.
THE FIFTH COFFIN
In the NTH comm the remains OF tall young
woman lay. The hair had entirely disappeared,
and the white teeth, which remained, gave the
head ghastly expression. The outlines Of the
limbs were frightfully dishgured. The feet had
been literally burned of, and fragments OF the toes
lay at the bottom OF the coffin. No recognized
woman came along, and, weeping bitterly,
said THAT Is Mary Dewey; l nm sure
1t Is she." Are you her mother ~ said
Mr.. White, keeper Of the Morgue. mo-"
SAID the woman, II am not her mother, am an
fnf fhar Uaa nuhI In man
musician, and he died in this very hospital. oh,
my God, my God" As the bodies are recognized
the lids OF the collins were put on and the remains
concealed from the gaze OF the curious.
THE OTHER COFFINS.
The body In the sixth coffin was utterly undiss
tinguishabe as that Of q human being SO fearfully
was 1t burned, mangled ana scalded. The bones
had been crumbled to pieces, and the limbs and
arms had been burned on. The head was burned
to q cinder, the hair, teeth and eyes were gone,
and no one coud identify the body. The remain
ing three bodies were similar in appearance and