The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-06-15
A CHASTITY HORROR.
FoRrY-NINE pICKLED CoRPsEs


Found In the N edieaI College at AM
ArbOr-Many of Them RecOg-
nizcd as tincinnatian,.
CINCINNATI, June ia special 1
the Enquirer from Ann Arbor, Mich
gan, says: The five o'clock train from
! Cincinnati last night brought Colone
Snelbaker, Of your CITY, who arrived il
search of large number OF bodies which
have been stolen from the Ayondal,
Cemetery and various other bury!nl
grounds IN and about Cincinnati during
the last few months. Colonel Snelbskel
has, as your citizens know, been, since
the Harrison horror, carefully searching
for the body Of young Devins, the rob
berry OF whose grave caused the finding
of the Hon. John Scott hsrrison's body
in the Ohio Medical College. He hs:
been quietly working the matter up
and has, in the course OF his work
found that large number of bodies from
Avondale and many other cemeteries IN
that vicinity, have been stolen from
their restIng-p places, shipped here by ex-
press, and delivered TO the College au.
thorities here, and he brought with MIN
long list Of documentary and other
proofs showing that Morton, the famous
ghoul, of whose work Ut Toledo last win
ter in furnishing subjects for dissection8
here you haye had full account. had
been Systematically working the grave
yards in that vicinity, spsring neither
rich nor poor, high nor low, roboing in
discriminatory and sending the bodies to
all points, but mostly to this place, as
subjects for the medical department OF
the State University here.
A large number, he finds, and among
them the body OF Augustus Devins, have
been taken from their graves by Morton
and his confederates, carried to the Med
ical College in Cincinnati, and injected
and prepared for shipment, and after be-
ing boxed, taken to the American Ex-
press office and shipped to Quimby u Co.,
Ann Arbor.
In regard to the body of Devins, he
has, he tells me, proof positive that it
was taken from the grave on the night of
the 22d of May last, carried TO Miami
Medical College, on Twelfth street, and,
after being prepared, was shipped by ex-
press to Qulmby & Co., Of this place, on
the 2lth, arriving here on the 18th.
A BLIND.
Arriving here, his first inquiry was for
Qlimby u Co., which name he found to
be, as he supposed, entirely fictitious, be-
ing simply bind by which the college
avoided public detection, ali matter ar
irving to that address being Immediately
sent 10 the Medical College and receipted
tor by the officers or employees of the
college. This being definitely settled,
there no longer exists doubt Of the fact
that Devins' body had been shipped
here, and that it was now, unless 1t had
been put away to avoid detection, in
possession of the college, and with it, as
shown by the express receipts and bills,
a large number--perhsps twenty or
more of other bodies from your city.
Having gained this point, he, aCcomps.
MED by your correspondent, proceeded to
fIto.ough search OF the College,for those
toiies, particularly that OF Devlus, for
which there las been such thorough in
ouiry. Obtaining the necessary docu.
ments, he Obtained the assistance Of
Sheriff Case, and just as the sun was sink
ing behind the western hills the descent
was made upon the College.
The building, q great, gloomy old
stone pile, situated on the outskirts of the
town, was found nearly deserted, the
school term having closed, and nobody
but tle jsnitor in charge. After some
protestations on his part, which were
ouieted by the display of documentary
authority, he led the way to the cellar
under the building, where he admitted
there were few bodies which had been
recently sent in, and been put in pickle
by himself.
THE JANIToR.
Negly, the janitor, is in himself the
most revolving specimen OF humanity
that could well be found, and is well
chosen for his terrible work, wich he hs 5
followed for quarter OF century, and
in which he seems TO take q fendish de-
light. He is short, stout German,
about four feet ten in height, with a
broad, squstty form and hands which
seem still foul and clsmmy from their
frequent contact with the dead in all
stages OF preservation and decomposition.
Upon his broad, badger-ike face, sur
rounded by fringe OF gray played an
expression of min gled stupidity, coarse
brutality and cunnir g, which made him
most repulslve in appearance. He has
been for twenty-five years in this ilendlsh
work, and seems in it to find his only
enjoyment, his only solsce Tor his lonely
hours.
He at first stoutly demurred, refusing
to turn up the bodies, but, finding the
Sheriff in no mood tor trlflIng, quietly
led the way TO the door OF the cellar. As
it was opened sickening stencil, the
odor OF dead, decomposing bodies. was
emitted, stopping the party for an in
slant onlv, when the determined smell
baker, urging them forward, descended
to the cellsr, accompanied by the Sheriff
and your correspondent.
There, ranged along the side OF the
walls, were three mOnstrous watts con-
tsining large number of dead bodies
floating in brine. Piled high above these
were a number of empty cotins rudely
broken open and rifed of their precious
dead, while upon rough table in the
centre Of the room WAS mixture OF red
paint and nitrate OF silver, used for In
iec,ing the veins. A paint mill oa ts-
bic showed that large quantities Of this
mixture were prepared and used, and
scattered about the room promiscuousIy
were empty boxes and barrels and
trunks and casks, in which the bodies
had beeu shipped hither from Cincinnati
and other points. Some OF these bodies
having been removed, the boxes, &c
were now filed with collections Of thigh
bones, ribs, skulls and other fragments OF
human beings. From the great tanks
wherein hoated the dead, came sicken-
ING odor, which, while 1t nearly over
powered those OF the party unused to
such sn experience, seemed rather q
-