The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-08-01
AMONG THE UNKNOWN DEAD.

AMONG THE UNKNOWN DEAD.
What n Reporter Saw and was Told In nm
Hour Mt the New York NIorRue-Over
I,7OO Bodies Exposed on tho Marble
Slabs In the Past EleveR Years. ..
From July "a, 1866, to July 2, 1877,
1.761 bodies were received at the morgue
in New York and recorded as unrecog-
nized. The records are not 30 kept as
to show at q glance the number subse-
quently recognized by friends; but it is
estimated that at least three-quarters re-
main unidentified. The relative num-
Der of recognitions has perceptibly in.
creased since 1869, when Warden Bren-
nan established the practice of taking
pictures of the bodies. ...
There are two classes of pictures at
the morgue; those of missing persons
and those of the unrecognized dead.
The first class are pinned or pasted in
what are called the description books,
and are brought III by friends. They
are pinned over the descriptions to aid
the morgue superintendent in identity
ing the bodies, should they be brought
in. A great many persons 60 to the morgue
to inquire if the bodies of missing
friends have been brought there, but
only few consent to have descriptions
recorded or to leave pictures. Since
December Is, 1867, only about 900
descriptions have been taken down.
Near many of these descriptions are pin
holes and dabs of mucilage, showing
that pictures have been removed. Only
ten pictures at present remain in the
books. This is because in most cases
the missing persons return from some
escapade, and their too fearful friends
hasten to reclaim the pictures. The
bodies of less than third of those re-
ported as missing are brought to the
morgue. Besides pictures, there are to
be seen in the description books bits of
cloth similar in kind to some part of
the clothing worn by the persons sought
for. ...
The other class Of pictures are those
of the unrecognized dead, taken after
they are brought to the morgue. They
are not kept in albums, but are tackled
up against wall and protected by glass
doors, which shut over them. This wall
is directly in front of five slanting mar
BILE slabs, on which the unknown dead
are placed for recognition. The door is
usually unlocked; in the summer time
it is left open. To the children Of the
neighborhood the morgue is an old story,
but boys from other parts of the city
often gather about the door or peer in
through the low window at the bodies.
Usually visitors exhibit more horror
while looking at the photographs than
when inspecting the bodies on the
slabs.
There are 140 pictures left on the wall.
Each is affixed with two tacks, one at
the top and one at the bottom. On the
back of each has been written its his
tory. In several cases a name is men.
toned as that of the supposed original.
One of the pictures is supposed to be
that of Daniel Peterson, negro. The
body was picked up in Thompson street,
after the Eighth Ward, or "Jef
Saunders" riot, on July 21, 1875.
Evidences of the mode of death of q
great many are visible in the pictures.
There is a photograph Of fair-faced
girl, who was found frozen in the water
off Whitehall street, on January 10, 1875.
She is supposed to have been thrown
overheard from ship by two sailors.
The appearance of a rope around his
neck shows how an intelligent looking
man committed suicide in Central Park,
in June, 1869. The appearance of
gun-shot wound in the head shows how
another sought his death in the same
park, on July 26, of the same year.
Not all the. bodies of unknown persons
brought to the morgue are photographed.
Some OF them are found in rooms, the
other occupants of the houses not know
ing their names or antecedents, but
being we'll enough acquainted with them
to establish their identity should friends
come to inquire after them. Others are
found dead in the street. and are re-
cognized by policemen as having been
tramps or beggars frequenting certain
portions of the city. Pictures are taken
only where there is a necessity for taking
them, rs where there is suspicion of
crime, or when it is likely that the
friends live at distance and cannot ar
rive at the morgue within the seventy
two hours prescribed by law for exposing
unrecognized bodies. When body is
recognized by means of picture or
otherwise, the picture is given to the
friends, together with the clothing and
other effects. The number of the body
is given them, and they can then 60 to
Potter's Field and recover it. On the
head of each cofin is creased with sharp
steel instrument the number given the
occupant at the morgue.
There is o suspicion that in many
cases the dead man has friends, who,
either because they are too poor to bury
him, or because they are unwilling to in
cur the expense, remain away in order
that their proper task may be performed
by the city.
The assistant superintendent says that
during his stay at the morgue he had
several people who were troubled with
tnmors come and ask permission to rub
them with q dead mans hand. They
were permitted to do so on the ground
that their faith in the remedy might
possibly effect cure. Most OF those
who come for this purpose make cross
on the trmor with the fore finger OF the
dead man.
A Fight with Rattlesnake.