The New York herald., 1878-11-08
THE HISTORY OF BODY STEALING
REsURREcT1NG SKELETONS IN THE OLD DAYS
AND ''sNATcHINa" THEM IN THE NEW TONES
THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED IN THIS coUN-

AND "sNATcHINa" THEM IN THE NEW TONES
THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED IN THIS coUN-
TRY
In every age of society the most ordinary senti-
ments of humanity have favored the careful bestowd
Of the Dead either by burning by burial Herodo-
tus narraes of the first instances of resurrecting
of which there is any knowledge extant The Lace
damonians, it wifi be remembered in the early
part Of their history very often at with the in
habitants of Tegea neighboring city. and for long
time the fortune of battle invariably against
them. At length in the reign Of the Kings Anaxan-
brides and Aristo they sent to the temple Of
Apollo at Delphi and asked of the oracle
what sacrifice they should make to proptiate the god
In reply the Pythoness told them that before they
could prevail over the Tegeans they must
from Tegea to Sparta the bones of Orestes the Of
Agamemnon. 1t seemed impossible that they should
do this since knew where the hero was in
TERED. At length however one Lichas, Agathoegi.
TO Tegea and CHANGING to converse with black
smith, informed by him Of discovery which he
had made.
SEVEN LENGTH.
In digging well he had found beneath his forge
bomb containing an immense coffin, cubifs in
length and inclosing the body Of giant He had
covered up again and had respected its sepulture
Lichas convinced that this event offered the solu
ton of oracular riddle and accordingly he after
much persuasion, rented of the blacksmith his shop
forge and after few days of residence there set
TO work and ding up the bones of Orestes. He
took them TO Sparta, and thereafter the
Of his countrymen were always victorious
against their ancient enemies In this instance the
motive the aspiration of aswhoe nation. but the
profession of body snatching, pursue its his
tory. descends from such beginning. which has
Of epic interest about it. to the most vulgar and
most depraved Developments. The elder Dumas. in
of his most vivid works and never read
IN English details the horrible experiences OF young
physician during the French Revolution in expert
menting upon the trunks and heads of the victims of
the guillotne. But he authorized by the Ma
tional Convention. and his motivethe determination
OF the qaeston whether death by instant de
rapitation painfuiwas dvested OF all criminaity
It about this time that the practice Of dissection
became general among medical students. From
the year until 1882 the schools in England, Ire
land and Scotland almost entirely supplied with
subjects for examination by the persons known
resurrectionists" or body snatchers." They
generally OF tho lowest type OF brutality. who de-
lighted in their dapravity and in the ghoul-like
nature of their calling. and they not to
committing murder for the attainment of their ends.
The custom Of ransacking graveyarcis became
that every in dying had before his eyes the
picture Of the probable future disposal Of his body.
and those who firmly believed in the dogma Of the
heavenward resurrection experienced intense mental
anxiety.
wArcHMEs DEAD.
The first measure Of precaution which taken
was to appoint guards 10 patrol among the tornbs at
night. but the profits of violating their trust
tempting that very thoy ceased 70 be employed.
Tho robbers had bestowed them q certain per-
centage Of tho sales which they made and at last
they very naturally embraced tho profession thom-
selves II carried on with great dexterity. and
the public aud the authorities slow In
learning the method Of operation II this When
they secretly arrived the their exploit they
fret cleared away the earth from the head Of the cof
nm only leaving the remainder of the covering lit
tie disturbed possible. Then they forced open tho
lid with a very strong crowbar, which especially
Jimmy. The lid usually snpaped in two. leaving an
aperture through which the corpse drawn by
means Of rope fastened about its neck.
"BuRKIso."
The celebrated cases of murder in Edinburgh which
were the origin of the term "Burking' caused such
widespread horror and indignation that the British
Parliament began to take cognizancc OF the noed OF
medical science and passed to lcgaze dis
section and appoint the sources whence % sup
ply the subjects In the same year ls3s are found IN
the daandt Rgsfer the reports OF several trials Of
body-snatchers. In Glasgow man was observed
by some women placing newly born child under his
great coat. When he went out they cried, stop
thief stop theft and crowd soon came together and
seized him. He threw tho child from him ana IL waA
found TO be dead surgeon examining IL declared
that IL had been stillborn The cuprit proved 70 be
medical student who had been attending the mother
during her confinement. Another case In the same
year was that student of medicine named Henry
Holm. who was indicted together with bricklayer
and the of sexton ''for misdeneanor, IN hav-
Ing, the 18th OF September, unlawfuly and wilfuy
broken open vault IN the Church OF HendOf, aud IN
having unawfully severed q head from body there
Inferred 10 the outrage " public decency The jury
found them guilty, but recommended them 10 mercy
the ground that they had committed the offence
with tho view Of turtherng the interests of