The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-09-26
Human Hyenas!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WORK

The Ravehna Cemetery Invaded
and a Grave Desecrated.
In the search fer the remains of his
father, by Mr.. Julius f.. French, of
Cleveland, few days ago, it was re-
vealed that the ghouls had been doing
an extensive business in the IlnaN
grave robbing, and had extended their
their operations to some distauce from
the Forest City, where they found a
market for their subjects. In search
ing the vault or vat of the Homeopath.
ic Medical College of that City for the
remains of Mr.. French, stolen from the
Wllloughby cemetery, the bodies of
. two females were brought to light, one
of which proved to be that of Mrs.
Angeline Highly, of Garrettsville, who
died August 23d, of consumption, and
whose body was buried in the Gene
terry at Mespotamia, Trumbnll county
Upon being notified of the discovery
Mr.. &. L. Highly, son, and Mr.. Ed
mund Knapp. son-in-law of deceased
went to Cleveland Oh Fridsy, and re-.
paired, with Mr.. French and the de-
tectiye to the rooms OF the undertaken,
where they found the body of their
deceased relative and at once recog-
niZed it as that of their deceased
mother, whose last resting plrce had
been ruthlessly torn open by human
hyenas and despoiled of its sacred
trust.
The other body was ascertaiued to
be that of Mrs. Charlotte G. Pease,
widow of the late A. M. Pease, of this
village, who died at the residence of
her nephew, E. G. Blackman, Esq, in
Solon, on the first inst, of nervous
prostratiOn, after an illness of six
weeks, and was buried by the side of
her late husband in our Ravenna cem-
etery on the Sd inst. On Saturday Mr..
Blackman learned that the grave of his
relative had been robbed and in com.
pany with General Nelson Eggleston,
of Solon, repaired to Cleveland and
identified the body, which was easily
done by some peculiarities of the body
and its small size, the lady never hav-
ing wei ghed more than one hundred
pounds, and just before her last illness
she was weighed, the scales indicating
eighty-seven pounds. The details OF
the case can better be derived from |
the statement of Mr.. Blackman, which |
we copy from the Cleveland Leader, |
STATEMENT OF MIR. h&ACKMAN.
"About o'clock this mornings
said he, /" received the following dis
patch;
RAvENNA, September Il.
To E. &. Blackman, Solon:
Come here at once, Important; re-
garding Mrs. Pease. III. L. SEARL.
Mr.. Scarf is member of the firm
of Scarf Brothers, dry goods dealers
at Ravenna. Immediately communi- |
Gated with General Eggleston as to the |
meaning of the dispatch. l thought |
at once that the grave had been robbed |
and so told Mr.. EgglestOn, but he diff
fered from me, thinking it was some |
matter of business. This did not seem |
plausible to me, as had not been deal
ing with the firm, and could think of
no other solution of the matter than
that Mrs. Pease's grave was robbed. l |
had read of the French affair at viii.
loughby on Wednesday, when it was
first published, and felt uneasy about
it, as something seemed to tell me that /
my aunt's grave had also been desc
Grated. That day l visited Mrs.Smith
of Shalersville, who had been to the
grave lately, to question her as to it's
She said she had left a
bouquet on the grave. 1 asked her If
she had noticed any other flowers on
the grave, and she mentioned q cross
and wreath, which we had placed on
the grave. and this made me feel easi-
er. This morning, as | have stated, l
received the dispatch from Mr.. Searl,
and with Mr.. EgglestOn l drove to
lIavenna, twenty-One miles, and walk.
ell from the town to the cemetery,
about mile distant. l remarked to
Mr.. Eggleston as we approached the
cemetery what an excellent location
it was for grave robbers, it being Sc
and surrounded by trees. many
of which also grew within the inclos-
ure, so that with sentinels plSced the
rascals might work on the brightest
nights but the Ravenna
people were never alarmed on account
of it, as no robbery had ever been
known there, When we came in sight
of the grave it bore tho same appear
ance as when l had last seen it., the
W wreath and cross were in the exact
position we had placed them, and there
was no evidence that anything had
been disturbed. Tho sexton also said
there was no use in going to the
trouble to dig up the coffin, as surely
nothing had been disturbed. Howev-
er, we dug down, and on reaching the
rough wooden box inclosing the cas-
ket we found the cover broken Off
about in the middle. and the head of
the casket lid crushed in, the glass be.
ing broken and scattered about. In
the casket was part of the robe Mrs.
Pease was buried in, switch, and
.wo of her curls. We also found
outside, one of the screws of the cas-
ket.
"The way the matter was found out
was as follows: Mr.. French, while
engaged in the Investigation of his
own case, ascertained that the body of i
, Ravenna lady was in possession of
he college authorities, and to learn of I
is friends telegraphed to Mr.. Fair
,hild, the Undertaken at Ravenna, for :
Information as to whether or not any
ady had died in Ravcnna lately, and
'eccived an affirmative answer, the
lame OF Mrs. Pcasc being given. Mr..
communicated the intelli- S
,cncc to Mr.. Searl, he being an old
ricnd of the family, and he telegraph.
I'll to me. Having thus ascertained
~ investigation that Mrs. Pease's re-
Mains had been removed | telegraphed