The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-08-15

told me he thought they wouldn't want
any more, that they had enough on hand.
Well, Won see, / knew betUr than that,
and INV private Ipinion is that that ERE
flemonstrator gets his subjects in some
queer sort of way. I 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 rsb the grave of q party
well connected, and with lots of friends,
as any other way. Now, no body
snatcher as has any respect for hisseh or
his calling II do thing OF thst sort.
There's plenty of material lying round
and rotting, just now, sir, and no friends
to claim 1t.
allow long have You been at the busi-
uess?"
Sits about 'leven years since i first
begun it. ] begun with old OunDy.
First he paid me three dollars head !;
that was while I was learning. Then he
gave me eight dollars apiece, and finally
I decided to quit him and 60 by myself,
and 80 he said he'd give me half, and
then we worked together ON shares till
he died"
aDo you make it regular business,
them"
81 make my living by il in the winter
time"
"What do you get for subjects ]"
"We 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
iects for themselves, and they most al
Why's get them for about fifteen dollars"
"How do you usually get the bodiesg"
s'Well, we generally 60 out two to-
gsther and go to a burying'gronnd. We
go to the poor lots the Potter's Field,
and when we can find any fresh graves
we get the bodies"
s'You don't get them from the parts
where the better class of people are bur-
ied?"
seNo. Lots of times Cupny and j have
been out together and we'd find q fresh
grave on o large lot, and Cunny would
alwayssay, Come long, honey, we won't
take that When we'd come Through
to a part whose the graves were
close together, and we knew il
was the poor lot where the people
without any friends are buried, then
we'd dig down tothe coffin, break itopen
and put rope around the neck and pull
the body out. IdonIt do that way now
though, for it is just rs easy to throw all
the dirt out. Then, after throwing 1T
out, generally get down and open the
coffin and take the body and lift it out to
my partner. lie takes it and gently runs
a knife down the back and rips the
clothes off, and let's Rem drop down.
Then we slips the head into q sack,
press the knees up against the chest,
and slip the body in and tie the sack.
That's ali there is OF II.
How do you enjoy the work 7"
"Well, it wasn't. very pleasant at
first, of course, but anyone gets used to
it. lit is for the good OF science, and i
think it is just as right and honorable as
for the man what does the dissection. 4
want to say one thing, though, and that
is that the colored people have 'cused
me of robbipg the graves in their grave
yards. j never have done go. i have
took up q good many bodies of colored
people wot was buried in the poor lot
hut never any other"
"How many do YOU suppose you have
furnishediin your experience as a body
snatcher p
Maybe five hundred. i got about
forty last winter, but it wasn't very
enod xpinter for IL fhouvh W---.I (Iiueinnati