The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-19
"SEE YOUR MOTHERS ARM"
THE EXPRESSION CHAT CAUSED TEaE
DOCTORS RIOT IN NEW YORK
NEARLY CENTURY AGO.
searching the Columbia College Medical
School for Bead Bodies.

LIS 1pHloFbi vi bttS bDuy VI A. - ''"'''"AA
recalls the doctors riot, which took place In
this city In the year 1888 Previous to that
year the system of "body snatching' had not
prevailed to any great extent. The graves
Of negroes were, indeed opened, anu ID
number of instances the bodies Inferred there |
In were ruthlessly dragged up, to be used by
medical students in the dlssecting-ro0ms OF
their colleges. But Mt that time nobody
thought much Of the poor color3d man, and so
the practice continued. During 1887 and
1888 however, tho students seem to have let
the bodies of their colored brethren rest, and
1Istead Of taking them they stole the remains
OF respectable white people, male and female,
who had been buried in private grave-yards,
many Of them being inferred in the old Trim
ity burying ground The medical mon OF
Columbia College were particularly rapaclous
In this work of dissertation, but it was done
80 skilfuliy that outside Of the college author
tiles probably no one was aware OF the traffic
that was going on In human remains.
HOW THE TROUBLE BEGAN
At last. however, whispers began to be
br1ited about in relation to the practices of
the students, but SO great was the faith OF
MANY citizens In the sacredness which has
ALWAYS been attached to dead bodies that the
stories would probably never have been be-
Iieyed but for q very simple incident It
seems that In the early part of May, 1888, q
party of boys were playing In the rear of the
Columbia College Hospital which was sur
rounded on almost every side by graveled
walks and green sWards. student in the
college, who was looking at the boys, called
TO one Of thom to climb up on Q ladder that
was leaning against the wall When the boy
did so the surgeon took up from a table near
hv a stump Of a beautifully rounded arm and
dangling 1t in front OF the youngster, said ina
half joking manner LOOK 81 y9u h m ,,tl,5.
The boy, whose mother had but recently been
buried was for a moment filled with terror,
but when he had recovered his presence OF
mind he immediately ran TO where MS 1ather
was working which happened to be near by,
and told him what the student had said and
what he had seen The father SGT out for the
grave of his deceased wife and had ii opened.
Rat the body was gone. Who could have
d. zen It but the person who had SO ruthessly
JAG rem0rseessly wounded the feelings OF his
fait.? Almost choking with suppressed rage
DISQUALIFICATION, the outraged husband gath
they marched up to the medical college
they rent the air with their oaths and i'm
rprecatlors. Cries OF death to the body
snatehersr' and "Out with the doctors!'
were Mingled with shouts Of Indignation and
approval The noise served to draw out the
authorities of the city; but before any stop
could beput to the proceedings Of the mob,
which s@ned TO fairly aeeilingg with rage.
the college had been reached, and the con-
tents Of he dissecting rooms had been care
fully scanned. The finding Of one Or two APP
parently freshly dug out bodies served to in
cense th,, mob beyound measure and furious
onslaught was made on all the valuable, col
lections contained in the college. AT last
however, Mayor Duane, Recorder Richard
Varick, Sheriff Boyd, John Jay, Baron Steu-
ben, wlD was then in this city, and q number
r. III; yriv oG nt he rf ths rint
and Though their entreaties the mob was dis
persed. Such OF the students as had fallen
into thur hands were placed in ja1l for safe
keeping, This seemed to satisfy the rioters,
authorizes. But all through tho early part
of the F}rht and on the following morning
groupsof excited men were to be seen stand
Ing arund the corners discussing the stu
alton.
THE RIOT CONTINUED.
Latr on in the day few of the apparent
IeadeB Of the rioters proposed to examine
the olege more thoroughly. This was
proceeded to the building, but their efforts
coullnot discover more than had been found
the previous evening. They ransacked the
ho,Bss Of the physicians attached to the
meical department of the college, but with
out finding anything to increase the excite
met Ali their actions at this time denoted
Though organization, as they appointed
committees to make examinations Of particu-
lafbuildings and received their reports with
evcy satisfaction. The authorities Of the
site and city were present, and the Governor,
tf5 mayor and the chancellor made successi We
ppeals to the feelings of the mob and urged
Is dispersion Some of the rioters were much
impressed by the arguments used by
she authorities, and left the scene of the riot,
but the bolder spirits. seeing their power for
mischief, kept the remnant well in hand and
were deaf to all entreaties. The awless men
proceeded to the iail in which were confined a
humber of the st,Identg Of The coIlege and /
despite the presence Of O. body Of military that,
had as @ last resort been called omt' hurled
Who we're nrnsent Rnron Stahon and Jo oin
JAW were both hjt and The atter was o vo yG
pretty severely. In All there were n M v
about twentyiive or ftv soldiers l on t The snof
and as thew marched tbrm,ph the s1 p3nt
mass Of oSeicd men th v Ware I met hv a
rsiye la,,ghtnr Finallv thev were srro vy
and thrir mualxeta tnlron a,vov FROM thou,
Tins disarnad thev srnttered' in ali f;ron-