St. Landry democrat., 1878-07-13
A Talk With a Body-Snatcher,

snatchlng, and justities himself by say
ing that his labors are bestowed in tn
interests of science.
'How long have you been in this bust
ness p asked the reporter.
about eleven years, SIR said Kee
ton, as he sat up in bed--lor he is nov
confined 10 his room from hemorrhage 0
the lungs. II began with Mr.. Cunning
ham, Old Cunny,' they call him, clever
years ago, and have followed the bust
ness every winter since that"
''Does it pay pretty well 2"
"Not now. It used to pay, for we got
a good price for subjects, but there isn't
much money it now"
"Why don't they pay so much now? p
"Well, sir, the fact isl don't want
to say nothing against anybody, but il
pears to me thst somebody amt exactly
doing the far thing by the profession
of subject~gathering. l don't 'cuse
none OF the doctors themselves of 90.
ing out to get stifs, but there's some
thing wrong somewhere. The old
demonstrators of anatomy at the col
leges wouldn't have stopped to such q
thing either, but I think things are
changed now. I went to the demon.
strator of one college amt going to
call any names--in March, and asked
him how many subjects they were going
to want for the spring session, and he
told me he thought they wouldn't want
any more, that they had enough On hand.
Well, you see, knew better than that,
and my private 'pinion is that that ERE
demonstration gets his subjects in some
queer sort of way. | don't say that he
goes out for 'em himself but if he doesn't
he must have some no count men that
would as soon rob the grave Of a party
we'll connected, and with lots of friends,
as any other way. Now, no body
snatcher as has any respect for hisself or
his calling III do thing of that sort.
There's plenty of material lying round
and rotting, just now, sir, and no friends
to claim it,
Chow long have you been at the busl-
ness2"
It's about 'leven years since first
begun it. [ begun with old Cunny.
First he paid me three dollars head !;
that was while l was learning. Then he
gave me eight dollars apiece, and finally
l decided to quit him and go by myself,
and so he said he'd give me half, and
then we worked together on shares till
he died"
"Do you make it regular business,
Them"
II make my living by it in the winter
time"
"What do you get for subjects ?"
owe used to get about twenty-five
dollars apiece for them, but lately the
price somehow has got down to fifteen
dollars. The professors buy some sub
jects for themselves, and they most al
ways get them for about fifteen dollars"
"How do you usually get the bodies ?"
"Well, we generally 60 out two to-
gether and 60 to burying. ground. We
60 to the poor lots,' the Potter's Field,
and when we can find any fresh graves
we get the bodies"
"You don't get them from the parts
where the better class of people are bur-
led 2"
"No. Lots of times Cupny and have
been out together and we'd find fresh
grave on large lot, and Cunny would
always say, Come long, honey, we won't
take that When we'd come through
to a part whese the graves were
close together, and We knew it
was the poor lot where the people
without any friends are buried, then
we'd dig down to the coffin, break it open
and put rope around the neck and pull
the body out. don't do that way now,
though, for it is just as easy to throw all
the dirt out. Then, after throwing it
out, I generally get down and open the
coffin and take the body and lift it out to
my partner. He takes it and gently runs
knife down the back and ri ps the
clothes off, and let's 'em drop down.
Then we slips the head into a sack,
press the knees up against the chest,
and slip the body in and tie the sacz.
That's ali there is of it.
"How do you enjoy the work %
"Well, it wasn't very pleasant at
first, of course, but anyone gets used to
it. It is for the good of science, and l
think it is just as right and honorable as
for the man what does the dissection. I
want to say one thing, though, and that
is that the colored people have 'cused
me of robblng the graves in their grave
yards. I never have done so. I have
took up q good many bodies of colored
people wot was buried in the poor lot,'
but never any other"
Chow many do you suppose you have
furnished in your experience as body.
snatcher p
"Maybe five hundred. l got about
forty last winter, but it wasn't very
good winter for it, though. 81 Cincinnati
Enquirer.
Stranger Than Fiction.