Connecticut western news., 1878-06-06
THE GRAVEYARD ROBBERS.
Students Stealing Corpses.-The Remains of the Hon. John Scott Harrison, son of the late President Harrison, Stolen a short time After Burial. .- 70 ~< --' =@

Students Stealing COrpses.-The Remains of ] the Hon. John Scott Harrison, son of the | late President Harrison, Stolen a short | time After Burial. ' 5 N-+ -=@
 A strange case of body-stealing was brought to light in Cincinnati, in some 1 what remarkable manner. John Scott Harrison, son of the late President Har- rison, and father of Gen. Ben Harrison,
 of Indiana, was buried in the cemetery near the old Presidential mansion at North Bend, near the Ohio River, where he had lived for many years in retire ment. While the burial services were in progress it was discovered that the grave of young man who had died about ten days before of consumption, had been robbed. When the funeral was over the friends of the young man immediately started for Cincinnati, in hope of finding his remains in some of the medical colleges. A search-warrant was procured after some delay, and the party went to the Ohio Medical College, in company with Dr. Seely, an executive member of the Faculty. Before proceed ing to the search the party was joined by John Harrison, son of the man buried the day before, who came up from North Bend with the intention of aiding his friends in their efforts to recover the stolen corpse. The college is not now in session, and few bodies were found in the dissecting rooms. None of those examined bore any resemblance to the remains of the young man, and the par ty were about leaving the building when young Harrison noticed windlass with Ia rope reaching down to the lower story. Pulling at this he discovered that at the other end of the rope human body was tied. The body was drawn up and 8 cloth removed from the face, when the horror-stricken youth instantly recog+ nized the features of his father, whose grave he had left but few hours before. The long beard had been cut off and the body otherwise disguised, but all doubts as to it's identity were soon removed by the arrival from North Bend of Carter Harrison, another son of the deceased, with the news that the grave had been robbed during the night. The news soon spread through the city and was the subject of excited talk by crowds about the bulletin boards, where brief particulars were displayed. Much indig- nation is expressed that the resurrection ists who were evidently acting with the knowledge and consent of the college Faculty, should have desecrated the grave of 8 distinguished citizen and son of a former President of the United States. The college not being in session during the Summer there could have been no use for the body for the pur- pose of dissection at present. The plan is supposed to have been to se- cure it now and preserve it until the opening of the fall term. ,.s%s
 There are some features of the case that are strangely mysterious. At the suggestion of General Ben1amin Harri- son, who had learned of the robbery of the preceding week, man was hired to watch the grave, and it is said a stone slab of great weight was placed over the opening. All these difficulties the res urrectionists overcame with apparent ease. The watchman when taken to task about the matter, could give no satisfactory explanation. He had neither seen nor heard anything during the night. The grave however had been dug into, the glass cover of the coffin broken to pieces, and the body removed. Whether the seminal slept through the proceedings or was bribed is matter oi doubt. About three o'clock in the morn ing 8 carriage was driven into an alley ot the Medical College. and after something ] white had been taken from it it was driven rapidly away. As North Bend is nearly 12 miles from Cincinnati, it is apparent that the grave robbers must have begun early and done quick work. The body was taken back for reburial.