Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-29
STORY OF A GRAvE-RoBBER.
n Convenient Understanding With Under
t0kers-A SngGJL-POr Subject.

n Convenient Understanding TVith Under
tGlsers-A SnsGtt-Por Subject.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
'1n this business, as in all Others" said
he, ''there is the expert and the amateur.
The auxiliaries absolutely necessary tc the
professional body-snatcher are spade,
key-hole saw and piece of rope. Thus
equipped he is ready for business. On ar
irving at the grave the spade is first called
into use. One-haf of the grave is marked
off and the dirt from the upper half of the
coffin is thrown out. This work can be per-
formed by professional in about eight
minutes. At this point the saw comes into
use. The saw is started into one edge of
the coffin, and soon, with noise resembling
sobs and groans, has cut through the upper
board, and often through the shroud and
flesh of the subject.
HThe further work of opening the coffin is
easily performed. The manipulation of the
saw raises his body with hand on either
side of the grave a foot above the coffin's lid,
and, loosening his hold upon either side,
precipitates his whole weight upon the lid,
which gives way with crash. The broken
lid is removed and rope lowered to the re-
surrectionist from above by an assistant.
This rope is arranged with slip-knot at the
end, which is thrown around the head of the
corpse and word given to the assistant to
hoist away
Gas soon as the subject IS above ground
the shroud is quickly torn from its body and
thrown back into the grave. The precau-
tons are taken to avoid some technically of
the law that makes it felony if any article
of apparel is taken. while if the body alone
is taken it is only punishable as a misde-
meanor."
II remember once, "said the resurrectionist,
Fsthat the whole head of woman whose
neck we tied the rope around came off in
our grasp. This dosen't occur often, and
neither does the getting hold of corpse
like that last winter with the smallpox,
which, if you remember, spread among the
whole class and killed several students.'
"Were you ever shot at?' asked the re-
porter.
''Oh, no. We let private cemeteries alone.
Once was chased through the lane leading
into 'Potter's Field near the Almshouse. It
was in the moonlight, but they never over
took me.''
''Most of the bodies are brought from Pot
ter's Field, presumed"
eyes, nearly all. About $50 are put in
pickle during the summer season. How
much are we paid for a subject, you say?
Oh, SIS as general thing; sometimes $12.
Many good man has paid his way through
college by this business. could name
plenty of good doctors who were resurrec-
tionists.'
"How do you know when the subject is
| fit one?''
Cant always tell; sometimes we are fool
ed, but generally go by the undertaker's
mark
"What is that?"
''Oh, we fix the undertaken; he marks a
good one and let's the bad ones alone.''
| ''Then, all you have to do is dig up the
subject?"
| "And carry them in town. We double up
the body, nose and knee like, and dump it
in sack, put it in wagon and come to
| town.
$40 the police stop you?"
The fellow laughed.
'You said something about the Catholic
part of Potter's Field, what is that?''
''Oh, the priests, believe, pay guard to
look after Catholics who die and have to be
buried in this place.
"1snt the other place guarded, too?"
"Not so closely and then the undertaken,
who is Catholic, rarely marks one of his
own class. That was how the smallpox
fellow was picked up last season. He came
from the Catholic part and wasn't marked %
"What is done with the bodies?''
"They are carried to certain place where
there is vat of considerable size. A vein in
the neck is opened, arsenic run through to
preserve the body and then the stiff is
stored in the vat.''