The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-15
RAISING THE DEAD.
THE WAY 1T Is DONE IN SOUTHERN
INDIANA.


THE WAY 1T Is DONE IN SOUTHERN
INDIANA.
WHOLESALE BODY sNAToHING-AN INDI-
ANA PoFrER's FIELD MIG HTLY EoBBED OF
ITS DEAD-PHAsEs OF THE HIDEoUs TRADE.
The Evansville Journal Is credited with
the following grave comments on a South
ern Indiana enterprise: We live upon each
other. A careful investigation of the phi
losophy of life discloses that when one man
rises above the dull level OF his fellows,
there is some unfortunate devil in the an
tipodes who Is proportionately depressed.
This Is an elastic nature that we have been
fettered with, aud where pile rises to mai
esty the materials are from the base, and
leave a rude hole behind. So il is that when
one man out of fifty ceases to work, the
forty nine work harder in proportion. So
it il that our health is protected and our
lives prolonged by the shortening of the
life OF the physician who saves Us. So it is
that the bodies of our friends serve as
mounting-steps for our rise and success.
For this principle the bodies OF
the dead are stolen for dissection,
that health may prevail, though
desecration brings the fortunate end about
But we come to the subiect-of dissection.
Inc Argus, on yesterday, contained an ar
ticle upon suspicion that hung odorous
upon the air about the medical college. It
may be that the affair is a misrepresentation.
The dissecting room proper is not located
in the college. But with this we have not
to deal. A horrible hint comes to our re-
porter-a hint amounting to q certain ssser
tion-thst the stealing OF bodies from the
cemeteries of this city has become almost a
wholesale enterprise. ThCs9 who have
loved ones buried need not fear, however,
for there is a certain sense of propriety main-
tanned. and the bodies snatched all come
m m IA
unknown poor, who are csrted, unwept, to
a public grave, are those who furnish the
dissectiDg khfe with material. There are
none who feel disposed to object to this
Even the officers of the law are indisposed
to make the detection and punishment oil
body .sns.ohers portion of their occupation.
THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS MUST HAVE SUBJECTS,
and the friends and unknown are, by COM
mon consent, yielded up as the proper ma
terial. But 1t becomes & crime, abomina-
BILE TO contemplate, that the obtaining OF
bodies for this purpose should be made a
business, and that regular system of rob-
bling graves and furnishing bodies to differ
ent adjacent towns should have found an
abiding place here. One who Is in the stu
alton TO know, informs Us that there Is lit
tie doubt put that the bodies of the poor are
regularly stolen Immediately alter burial,
and that very few coTpses of pauDers re-
main twenty-four hours buried. The pau
per whose liieless corpse has gone to its
mother earth In q day, almost regularly Or
nsments the disst elton table at night. With
the fall OF darkness. the vsndal appears and
the new made grave is quickly despoiled OF
its mortal treasure. IL requires no art to
make the disturbed sod unsuspicious. The
clods OF a new maize grave are easily coun-
terfeted.
"And what becomes of the bodies?"
A ride in a sDriUp cart and q the diSSact-
ing room, and there science finds its conso-
lation for disobeying the law.
"And thenf"
And then cut up into indistInguishs BILE
pieces, the body cast into a convenient
sewer, and thence into the river. Ali
what morsel for the fsbi But 1t is only a
fair turn about, aud sooner or later the fish
comes home to the table. Why not then
advertise them at the dining places, as
"man-ied fish, as we advertise corn fed
oys.ers?" This is not an article drawn for
horror or for a sensation, but founded on
what is known to be an absolute fact. ut is
not rare occurrence" added or inform
ant, "that the bodies of the dead paupers
never re ach the grave" Dying in out-of-
the way novels, uncared for, 1t is an easy
matter to
STRIKE BARGAIN FOR THE WORTHLESS
MORTALITY.
A very shrewd outlook Is always kept for
SUBJECTS. Only a week or so ego an unfor-
tunate woman died, who had no friends aud
whose husband had deserted her. A regu-
lar order for her burial was issued, we I'M
derstand, by the proper officer. But rumor
came burriediy along and whispered that
the body was never buried. The husband,
whose affection te9mei to have in measure
returned with her death, insisted upon
knowing, aud with determination presented
himealf bafOra ALL the officers and trace the
body TO the undertaken. Then he sought
the sexton of the cemetery, who swore the
body bad been buried. But the grave was
not examined. Who knows how many
graves may be lying empty to-day I
Around bo6 many mounds have we trod
with almost sympathetic lightress, IN
knowing that no sacred dust hallows the
humber dirti While upon this subiec. we
NAV relate story showing that comedy
turks even in tragedy, that the
echo of laughter peDetrates even
to the grave. Some t,ms ago
liz Is not necessary TO stste when,
nor even where-s certain physician was
detailed to receive and lake charge OF su b.
jet engaged for that evening. About IL
O'Clock wagon drove up and
the body was delivered and the
wagon drove off again huTriedly
The physician, taking the corpse by the
shoulders, began to lug him into the door
way al the foot of the s,eps. Just as he did
So 40 official (whose name il "forgotten")
turned the corner OF the square. and saw by
the moonlight the young doctor Juggling las
be thought an int xcsted man into the
house. The doctor meanwhile La 4 got the
corr s iu the shadow and stood IL U % against
The we'll, waiting for assistance To cary e.
up stairs. He was in jolly humor (hUgb y
and while be waitel Tor e'p the official
wake up. The doctor called HIM IL, and
in a sniriL of LOrrihla ieat fntroduoad him