Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-18
AN OLB.rIME NEW YORK RIOT.
How Body-SnatchinS ana Medical
students Joke Led to an Attack IJpOn
HOspitai-The Tragic Result.


How Body-Snatch1ng ana Medical
students Joke Led to an Attack Upon
Hospitai-The Tragic Result.
A correspondent in New York pauer
writes as follows:
About the middle of April, 1888. there
was climax of feeling in New York
against me iical students who ror year
past had been rather reckless in BODY
snatching. So long as they dissected the
remains of slaves, or the unfortunates tina,
came from Potter's field, no one much
cared. Bnt grave under the protection OF
Trinity parish even, and several in the
Greenwich street burial. ground, much
used by the Methodists, had been de-
spoiled. There was much talk and indie.
nation about the outroges. OF course
you remember the New York
hospital that fronted Yves Pearl on
Broadway. In my fathers time it occu-
pied the block to Duane street and from
its rear windows was to be had an almost
uninterrupted view of green fields and
the river. The medical school of Column
bia'--not long before called Kings Col
lege--was attached to that hospital.
The college buildings remained until
about twenty years ago fronting on
Park place, and of course college and
hospital were contiguous. The front of
the hospital was said to be quite fine in
appearance; its grounds were finely laid
out with walks, strawberries and trees,and
at the back there was an open space that
the boys Of the period would play in A
young Bob Sawyer or Ben Allen While
dissecting one April afternoon-I think
the 13th-had opened a window for the
sake Of the river breeze, and from thence
out OF mere joke held up an amputated arm
to the boys. One of them-and observe the
curious and appalling condolences fate
sometimes prepares, even as in the case
the two Harrisons, father and son-more
inquisitive than the rest, pulled light
ladder which was lying near and erected
it against the hospital wall, so as to
climb up for better view. The saw
bones,' still jocular, said Sonny, don't
that look like mothers arm2' 1t was
thoughtlessly said, but, curious enough,
within a few months the boys mother
had died. Full of this remark and
thinking upon what no doubt he had
heard of 'resurrections' the boy dropped
from the ladder and went off to find his
father, who was then engaged in laying
brick on house in Fulton street. The
father dropped his tools and went up to
the graveyard that believe, was some
where near the Lispenard meadows, and,
oddly, upon digging, the body was not
to be found.
1t took but brief time in the little
city to bruit about the whole affair. The
workmen engaged with the father and
Infatuated widower soon raised small
mob. The story vas passed about as son
and father told it, and in an hour hospital
grounds and the hospital itself were filled
with unthinking and enraged rioters, who
not content with driving out the affri ght-
ed students and keepers, practically rat
tied the bones and Quilted the museums
and laboratories. Intelligence was in
stantly sent to Mayor James Duane, Re
colder Richard Varick and Sheriff Rob
ert BOYD, and between them they raised
a posse comitatus and went to the scene
of riot. The poor mason declared that
he recognized parts of the remains Of his
wife. Whether in his excitement he did
vi IlOG COulu ucVc1 DC Scl1uGu. OuG GutrC
was no doubt that his wife had been
dissected.
The presence Of the authorities for a
time allayed the disorder, but two of the
students had been roughly handled and
were in danger of being killed. My father
was then living with his own father
in Dey street, and was engaged in home
study when the news came. He immedi-
ately repaired to the college and found
that the authorities there were naturally
excited also, and that some Of the medi-
Gals had been already locked up for safe
keeping in the Jail that stood in the park.
1t was the general impression that more
bother must come Of it; therefore, think
ing discretion the better part Of valor,
my father goes to the foot of Liberty
street where boats were kept, and was
soon taken across to Jersey, where every
day he got word as to what went on.
The evening Of the riot was a fine
spring one, and there was no need of any
extra newspapers in those days. BY tea
time, backwards, east, west, north and
outwards were full of the outrage. 1t
was Down with the hospital Death to
the grave stealers, etc. Even women
Joined in the cry. The feeling was
rampant also with many in better classes.
George Clinton was then governor
Alexander Hamilton was sort of general
peacemaker, as was John Jay. There was
in the evening consultation of citizers
and authorities at the house of the mayor,
who, believe, then lived somewhere at
the foot of Chambers street. To use the
medical phrase, they prognosed the affair
quite accurately, for in the morning not
sudden but a preconcerted riot began
around the hospital OFF went the rioters
to Columbia college to search for the
bodies, and to the houses Of all the
physicians after mutilated remains, but of
course, found nothing except afrighted in
mates. The few students and debtors
who were inside were seriously fright
ened, as at last became the authorities.
Not even the elouuence of Hamilton