Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-06-21
HUMAN HYENAS.
The Grave of a Son of Ex-President Harri-
son Rifed by Body Snatchers.

CINCINNATI, Ohio, June 10, 7S.-Or
the morning of the 25th of May
the dead body of Hon. John Scott Har-
rison was found in his bedroom. He
had been engaged in writing lecture
to be delivered in Cleves the following
Thursday. Suddenly and silently he
disease, as the sequel will tell. The
home of Mr.. Harrison was on the his.
toric farm at North Bend, Ohio, some
eighteen miles from this city, where he
had lived, for many years, the farm be.
ing gift from his father, President
Harrison.
Mr.. Harrison was an esteemed citizen
and his lifetime of good works should
have entitled him to the honor and re-
spect of those of his own day, and those
who should follow him. Preparations
being made for the burial of the noble
man, a grandson, Mr.. George Eaton,
was chosen to select the resting place
for the body of his grandfather. This
choice was near that of the President,
"Tippecanoe," as he was familiarly
called, in Congress Green Cemetery,
three miles from North Bend. While
performing this sad duty, Mr.. Eaton
discovered that the grave of his friend,
August Devins, who had died of con-
sumption few days previous, had been
robbed This intelligence he impaired
to the Harrisons, and their Indignation
was so great, that unusual care was
taken in preparing the grave of their
father 1t was made much deeper than
common, and when partially filled, an
immense stone whose weight would re-
quire the united strength Of six men to
overcome, was placed over the metallic
case to prevent intrusion or violation,
and the whole covered with cement.
The grave was then filled, and to pre-
vent deception, small pegs were care
fully inserted in the covering just below
the surface, so that if the grave was dis
turbed, their absence would at once
notify the watchful friends and rela-
tives of the fact. Then, to make assur-
ance doubly sure, they stationed
A GUARD AT THE GRAVE,
whose sole duty it was to see that no
sacriligious hands were allowed to vio-
late its sanctity. This watch was to
have been kept up for thirty days at
least, perhaps longer, and the relatives
congratulated themselves that their
sad but grateful duty was performed,
and that there was no possibility that,
even if there were those so lost to shame
or sense of duty and patriotism, as to
violate so sacred spot, such action
would be made possible.
Immediately after the funeral, Mr..
John S. Harrison, son of the deceased,
and George Eaton, grandson, started
for Cincinnati, in search of young Dev-
ms body, thinking it had been brought
here to one of our medical colleges
Arriving late in the day, they were un-
able to commence investigation until
the following morning, when they pro-
cured the necessary search-warrant, to-
gether with the assistance of Detective
Snelbaker, Constable Lacy and Assist
ant Constable Fallen. They started
for the Ohio Medical College on Sixth
street. Anxiously they walked through
the long halls, peering in at every door,
and examining every suspicious box and
barrel from room to room, and from
floor to floor, filled with horror at the
sights that met their view. Fruitless,
however, was their search, until they
reached the top floor. Entering the
room near the southeast corner of the
building, they found a miscellaneous
collection of boxes, bundles, papers,
bones, and all sorts of rubbish incident
to dissecting room. In further cor
ner of this room, near a window, was a
windlass and rope, which ran down
through a square hole in the floor.
Regarding this with suspicion, Colo
mel Snelbaker felt the rope.
1T WAS TAUT,
and this convinced the Colonel that he
was right in his suspicious. Here is
somebody" he said, and seizing the
crank, began to turn the windlass. Lit
tie did the son and grandson suspect, as
they stood there awaiting developments,
what was to be brought to their view
by this terrible process. Nearer and
nearer it came to the surface, and soon
it came in sight. 1t was naked body,
except the head and shoulders, which
were covered with an old cloth. Slowly
the body was brought to the level with
the floor, and raised as far as the wind
lass would permit. st is not the man"
said Mr.. Harrison, little thinking that
it was the body of one nearer and dear
er to him than the one which he sought.
1T is not the man for whom | am look
ing. He died of consumption, and was
more emaciated than this one," he said,
and was preparing to give up the search
in this direction, when he was urged by
Colonel Snelbaker to look at the face,
which was still covered with the cloth
which had been thrown over it; You
had better look at the face" he said.
"You might be mistaken, and you will
never forgive yourself if you allow any
doubtful point to pass" How little
even he, the shrewdest Of detectives,
dreamt Of the result to which his ad-
vice was to lead. 1T is hardly neces-
sary," said Mr. Harrison, still, since
you insist upon it, will do it.
Mr.. Harrison raised the covering from
the face of the dead. 1t revealed the
face of an: old man with full, white
beard, cut squarely off an inch below
the chin, white hair closely cut at the
back, face discolored by rough hand
ling, from those by whom he had been
dragged from the grave 'An old man,
somebody remarked, and Mr.. Harrison
stopped down to take parting look at
the face, when, suddenly, change came
over his countenance, the blood fed
from his face, and he seemed about to
fall to the floor. "What is the matter" "
said Colonel Snelbaker, as he stepped
quickly to his relief Still Mr. Harri-
son was silent::his blanched face still
growing paler, as with eyes starting
from their sockets he gazed upon the
face of the dead before him, supporting
himself upon the arm of the detective
until finally, recovering himself, he
gasped,
ITS FATHER
and sank almost unconscious into the
arms of his attendants. The moment
was terrible one, and one which can
not be described. Only twenty-four
hours before, he had seen, by loving
hands and grief-burdened hearts, the
form of the venerable and long-loved
father laid in it's supposed resting place
the features marked with graceful
smile, and beautiful even in death; to-
day he saw it suddenly appear before