The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-07
TRAFFIC IN HUMAN BODIES.
n,sctoStRES MADE Ar THE BRIDGE
pORT MURDER TRIAL

,n',,,,r against the advice OF her counsel.
W. si,be result has been that on her cross-cxam-
'D",,oo to-day several points Of Il most damag-
'aboraoter were developed against her She
i''ssl tired and palcr today than usual the
wi, NJ counsel said. Of her continued Illness
''... enc was on the stand last Friday. She de-
,,,mined. however t. attempt the ordeal OF
denomination and ut the close OF the scs-
.i,, looked worn and completely tired out.
nurine the cross.examinntion she several times
-. ber temper. and either answered in
snrly and moody manner. or in a
s,orp and spicful way that evidently
s,.o,ol nm unlayorahr impression on
,bs Jury. when no particular point was
being made in the cross-cNain!nauon. she set
He'd back in her chair Unanswered IN amonot-
onous and careless way. which ilnally dritod
into n sing.song tone that WAS very comical,
desni,e the serious character VI the case. She
siyhed freaucntly as she related the minor
details of the atrocious crime. and when asked
nv States Attorney Omsiead If she did not help
Rassett 10 tut the rope about the body before 1t
WA mt in the barrel. she shuddered, and her
,ae,h cbattered Ms she replied. No; I couldn't
,ouch theboiy! Doyou think I'm more Of brute
animal than u human heing;'
Interesting details ms % the manner In which
the Yale Medical School obtain their subjects
were developed by the examination. Mr..
Olmstead dwelt at length upon her visit to DR..
sanford. the Professor Of Anatomy md Physi-
olorv In March last. when she and Lizzie Gavin
mach tried 10 sell their bodies before ieuth. for
purposes Ut dissection. The testimony pro-
dueed heretofore has not touched on tn" points
adduced to-day. After the refusal of DR.. sun
iorl 10 advance money on her body. TO bn de-
iyrred atrr death. she said they had some talk
about subjects" In which he said that he
would ray her i2j rnch for any subjects that
she brought him. and TINT the $ 'hoOl WIS sndly
10 aeed II subjects for dissection. She then
told MIN that II be WIS in n hurry she thought
she could furnish him one in a few days. re-
ierrina to former husband, William Clegg.
from whom she claims She was divorced IN
New York city before she married Francis II.
Alexander. tho last oi her three husbands. Her
reason for offering his body was thar she had
heard h. was drinking very hard and was
liable TO fall dead in the streets nj any time In
one Of his sprees. A. he had been her hus-
band she supposed she had some claim upon
his remains In case she should desire TO dis
pose Of them after his death, Further gues-
tonng brought out the faNf that she had not
seen Clegg In over two years. She further said
that Dr. Sanford had told her that in case she
sent him any subjects she must not send them
In long box. because that would look too
much ike conin. but must put
them either In n shoe box or barrel. ind mark
thereon her initials, l.. L; 4. He said that
every one who furnished subjects TO the schools
had private mark which was put on the bar
res and so hers must be marked IL" l.. +.
A." In accordance with these directions
she nut on the head OF the barrel containing
Suffering Jnck's remains her initials and the
word Bridgeport when We're the letters that
b!ssei ,ut from the narrcl mead when he threw
II into the ravine. These she claims were put
On on the morning the barrel was taken to Now
Haven. and because Bassett made her do SO by
Nreaiening her.
When She won't into Or. Sanford's house 10
dispose Of Suffering Jacks body. snr handed
10 ne doctor piece oi paper on which was
written: have a body with moto sell. Please
pay me- ana let me get away as quick a. posi-
Dir. The doctor asked whether the body WIS
male or female. and on being told that il was
The former. he refused To buy unless she would
show him proper cert Il at" 81 death. This
si" could not do. and he refused to pay the ex-
lH'ns- incurred 10 bring the body to New Haven.
sAe wits crying during her interview. and h.
nsGed her TO compose herself nnd advised her
~ rvtGrn the body 20 Bridgeport. She told him
What VIM eo oS f9 NH snd @+yEed P S,
70. you how TO dispose OF it," His advice was
told by her 70 Frank Bnssett. and. accordingly.
minshain Sue denied emphNticay that shc
went 10 Dr, Sauiori's and offered TO sell her
ing the subject 80 ~ 10 ind out what she could
obtain for dead bodies. and claimed that after
that visit the, idea 81 procuring money. in
that, way had passed entirely out Of her
head until one dry Basseit. who had been
told all about the visit came 10 her and
her TO ask the doctor for the address OF
some person who WAS in the business ot
digging up bodies and one whom he could
trust. AS with such one he could reap quite a
harvest. She said she could not make a re-
quest. but instead wrote the letter inquiring for
the services OF rrsurrectiouist. aud Offering
- furnish two or three bodies M once This
letter was written 1T Bassett's request, hut was
not ii .ned With his name. because he thought
II better for her b. use her Initials l.. T.. A.. in
accordance with DR.. Sauford's directions. She
refused at first 10 write the letter. but finally
did 50 because he said she would do II II she
knew when she was well OH She said that
tie two bodies referred TO. which they
offered to furnish Immediately. were those OF
William Cegg. her former husband. with whom
bass-u was acquainted, and Thomas Baker OF
brookSn, y. y. her son. in law. against whom
basselt had conceived dislike. and with whom
she hal not been on speaking terms for some
years past
When abiding TO the barrel portions OF DR..
sanf9rd's advice Mr.. Ollnstead startled the ac-
Now. Mrs. Aexander didn't you send Bas-
set for the barrel he brought on the Wednes-
gay before the murder for the purpose of send
INK something to Dr. Sanfordf'
me woman troubled like an aspen leaf. and.
hardly able 10 control herself. shouted out " No.
sr, dld mol. had him get that barrel for my
, own prlvalr use t. put things IN to send home
70 ny mother The answer finished she sank
pacR IN her chair ike one exhausted. but her
EYES snapped lire toward Mr.. Olustead.
Then he asked Didn't you conroct the story
ing II ~ TINT you tod Dr. Sanford ?"
hhrdly hhd tie question been put before she
snapped out No: Bassett did that. and II was
a. false rs hell ="
Bassett told a Sun representative to-day that
she had frequently made the subject Of body
shatchlng topic NJ conversation with him. and
suggested to him that he get "A boat and go 10
Sew YORK, and NJ Wards Island secure Il num-
PER OF bodies, which he could barrel up and
pIhg nome Tor sale by mixing the barrels with
polles y them IN with slOOp load Of barrclled
oysters mat he night get 10 carry Ia some port
enc saii ne thing was done very often. He
says ne would not listen 10 the advice. and that
soon ailer She Killed suffering Jack.
IN me continuation of Mrs. AeXander's testi-
Al1Hy Today mere was nothing new. with the
ifrpuQn OF the Tact that soon after they left the
.Vuse she said She heard a blubberinX noise In
M oa arr- which frightened her 80 that she
eaughl hold oi BAssnt by the arm and tried 10
srt OUT oi the wagon hut he called her "A coward
NV Wfrhtened 10 Kill her II She didn't keeU
1ulel she caught him hy the arm. shriekrd as
ino noise was heard again, and cried out. " on
Nv s9' me grt out. 90! Frank. how can you use me
DTuel when I've been 50 kind 10 yOuY' She
w hQt hear this dreadful noise again until the
,uurel with poor jacks remains went crashing
i,Iyugn the bushes down into the ravine. where
LAY unliseOVrrrd Tor three months.
,,tHr sui" Attorney, In his cTpSs-eNRm ma
,wMMt Eot Mrs. Alexander 10 say that she lived
wv, ~lA bass@it Tor over two months after the crime
was committed rs his wife and had seVera
opportunities 70 divulge the crime during hii
nosrhn" from the city on roasting trips. During
- mouths she had said nothing about th'
NiuIlrr OF which she claims She WAS SO unwil
.he witness. and had done nothing loOkinl
o@"htl es 'aping from him. She had been Of
Suh 'Iulse will Capt WyncoOp. and even Tier
n.u hnt Try 10 escape when she had an eKcrleb
opportunity 10 do 80, had she feared Bassett ant
"4nled 70 get away from him.
~ oIler 10 TX her completely in the crime
80 80 W snow mat she WIS not All unwilling wit